An Officer and a Gentleman
An Officer and a Gentleman is a 1982 American romantic drama film directed by Taylor Hackford from a screenplay by Douglas Day Stewart, and starring Richard Gere, Debra Winger, and Louis Gossett Jr. It tells the story of Zack Mayo (Gere), a United States Navy Aviation Officer Candidate who is beginning his training at Aviation Officer Candidate School. While Zack meets his first true girlfriend during his training, a young "townie" named Paula (Winger), he also comes into conflict with the hard-driving Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley (Gossett) training his class.
| An Officer and a Gentleman | |
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Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Taylor Hackford |
| Written by | Douglas Day Stewart |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Donald E. Thorin |
| Edited by | Peter Zinner |
| Music by | Jack Nitzsche |
Production company | Lorimar Productions |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 124 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $6–7 million |
| Box office | $190 million |
The film was commercially released in the US on August 13, 1982. It was well received by critics, with a number calling it the best film of 1982. It also was a financial success, grossing $190 million against a budget that was between $6–$7 million. Gossett won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, making him the first African-American actor to win in that category as well as a Golden Globe Award. The film also received Oscar nominations for Best Actress (for Debra Winger), Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing, and Best Original Score, also winning for Best Original Song (for "Up Where We Belong").