An Officer and a Gentleman is a 1982 American romantic drama film[4] directed by Taylor Hackford from a screenplay by Douglas Day Stewart, and starring Richard Gere, Debra Winger, and Louis Gossett Jr.

After his mother's suicide, adolescent Zachary "Zack" Mayo was sent to live with his alcoholic womanizing father, Byron, a US Navy petty officer stationed in the Philippines.

Upon arrival, Zack and his fellow recruits meet Marine Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley, their stern, no-nonsense drill instructor.

Male candidates are also warned about "Puget Sound Debs", local girls aspiring to marry a Naval Aviator.

Soon after, Zack and fellow candidate, Sid Worley, meet two young factory workers, Paula Pokrifki and Lynette Pomeroy, at a Navy dance.

Stewart had enrolled with the intention of becoming a pilot, but was later disqualified due to a medical issue, and was transferred to a unit overseeing the transportation of 7th Marine Regiment to Vietnam.

[5][6][7] After leaving the navy, he found success as a television and film screenwriter, and decided to write a script based on anecdotes from Candidate School.

But a casting process eventually involved Jeff Bridges, Harry Hamlin, Christopher Reeve, John Travolta, and Richard Gere.

[9][10] The role of Paula was originally given to Sigourney Weaver,[11] then to Anjelica Huston[11] and later to Jennifer Jason Leigh, who dropped out to do the film Fast Times at Ridgemont High instead.

Thirty years later, Gere was complimentary toward Winger when he said that she was much more open to the camera than he was, and he appreciated the fact that she presented him with an award at the Rome Film Festival.

It was there where the "steers and queers" comment from Gossett's character in the 1982 movie came from, which was later used for Ermey's role in the 1987 film Full Metal Jacket.

[16] In addition to R. Lee Ermey, Gossett was advised by Gunnery Sergeant Buck Welscher, an actual drill instructor at Aviation Officer Candidate School, NAS Pensacola.

[17] The US Navy did not permit filming at NAS Pensacola in the Florida panhandle, the site of the actual Aviation Officer Candidate School[18] in 1981.

Deactivated US Army base Fort Worden stood in for the location of the school, an actual Naval Air Station in the Puget Sound area, NAS Whidbey Island.

[19] According to the director's commentary on the DVD, the dunking machine was constructed specifically for the film and was an exact duplicate of the actual one used by the navy.

This oak tree is visible in the scene near the end of the film in which Richard Gere returns to the home to request Paula's help in finding his friend Sid.

The interior of the USO building at Fort Worden State Park was used for the reception scene near the beginning of the film.

The decompression chamber was one of the only sets constructed for the film and as of 2013[update], it was still intact in the basement of building number 225 of the Fort Worden State Park.

Building 204 of Fort Worden State Park was used as the dormitory and its porch was used for the film's closing "silver dollar" scene.

The blimp hangar used for the famous fight scene between Louis Gossett Jr. and Richard Gere is located at Fort Worden State Park and as of 2013[update] is still intact, but has been converted into a 1200-seat performing arts center called the McCurdy Pavilion.

The fictional "TJ's" is an homage to the Trader Jon's bar in Pensacola, Florida, as a naval aviator hangout until it closed later in November 2003.

Director Taylor Hackford agreed with Gere until, during a rehearsal, the extras playing the workers began to cheer and cry.

[23] Screenwriter Michael Hauge, in his book Writing Screenplays That Sell, echoed this opinion: "I don't believe that those who criticized this Cinderella-style ending were paying very close attention to who exactly is rescuing whom.

The film debuted on Blu-ray in the US by Warner Bros. and UK by Paramount Pictures in 2013, however the same bonus features ported from the 2007 DVD are only on the US release.

The site's critics consensus reads: "Old-fashioned without sacrificing its characters to simplicity, An Officer and a Gentleman successfully walks the fine line between sweeping romance and melodrama.

"[35] Rex Reed gave a glowing review where he commented: "This movie will make you feel ten feet tall!