Private Benjamin (Blu-ray Review)
Director
Howard ZieffRelease Date(s)
1980 (April 28, 2026)Studio(s)
Warner Bros. (Warner Archive Collection)- Film/Program Grade: B+
- Video Grade: A
- Audio Grade: A
- Extras Grade: B
Review
Comedians in military-themed stories is a long Hollywood tradition. Laurel & Hardy, Abbott & Costello, Martin & Lewis, Bob Hope, Danny Kaye and Andy Griffith all made fish-out-of-water comedies about innocents encountering the rigors of army life. In Private Benjamin, Goldie Hawn joins that group. She plays a pampered young woman enticed into the army by a recruiter who paints a luxurious picture of military life.
Judy Benjamin (Hawn) is realizing her life’s dream—“a big house, nice clothes, two closets, a live-in maid, and a professional man for a husband.” But it doesn’t last long. Her husband, Yale Goodman (Albert Brooks), dies on their wedding night. Judy is devastated. What will become of her now? On the advice of a persuasive recruiter (Harry Dean Stanton), she enlists in the army. With thoughts of condos and yachts, she expects military life will be a carefree, spa-like retreat.
Her eyes are opened to the realities of basic training by Captain Lewis (Eileen Brennan) and drill instructor Sgt. Ross (Hal Williams). The first half of the film is devoted to Judy’s comical faux pas and ill-suitedness to the demands of army life with many sight gags highlighting the oil-and-water mix of an entitled Daddy’s girl with by-the-rules regimentation. Judy develops confidence and maturity, transforming her from spoiled rich daughter of privilege to a strong, confident, independent woman. Eventually, she even becomes a leader among the women in her troop.
Director Howard Zieff puts a feminist spin on the movie with an awkward scene in which Judy’s commanding officer, Col. Thornbush (Robert Webber), tries to force himself on her. The circumstances, repartee and pratfalls are intended to be funny, but the mix of humor and attempted rape won’t elicit many laughs today.
The tone changes when Judy wangles a post in Paris after graduation from basic training and meets charming French doctor Henri Tremont (Armand Assante). A romance heats up between them as Henri wines and dines her and shows her a life she’s always dreamed of. The closer they get to marriage, however, the more Judy is beset by obviously reasonable qualms. What crucial choice will she make?
The screenplay is familiar. Judy is ridiculously out of place in the army, struggles comically through basic training, whining all the way, until her father and mother come to rescue her. A sudden realization about how she’s perceived by others, particularly her parents, causes Judy to stick it out in the army if only to prove to herself that she can persevere under hardship. She will “show them all.”
Hawn is a good fit for Judy, a young woman who’s had only the best in life. Unmoored by the sudden death of her new husband and all that it means for her self-centered wishes, she retreats to a motel to avoid the pitying eyes and advice from relatives and friends. Vulnerable, she easily falls for the recruiter’s rosy description of army life. Hawn plays Judy as ditsy initially, and later shows her character’s strength and determination under arduous conditions.
Assante is ideal as Henri, the handsome, cultured affluent Frenchman who romances Judy ardently and shows her a world she never knew. Their relationship promises the future she was never able to realize with Yale. Her view of Henri begins to dim at a dinner in an elegant restaurant when he shows he might not be the knight in shining armor she envisioned.
Goldie Hawn is the comic center of Private Benjamin. She’s reminiscent of both Lucille Ball and Carol Burnett in her facility with physical comedy. She’s clearly the anchor of the picture. It’s her star power and likability that drive the film’s often exaggerated scenes. We root for Judy to succeed despite her sense of entitlement. She’s not a bad person and she eventually does her best. She’s not merely a punching bag for jokes.
Brennan is a joy as the tough Capt. Lewis. Army through and through, Lewis views Judy with a combination of fascination, incredulity, and distaste. In a key scene, Judy explains she’s in the “wrong army”—not the one described to her—and as Lewis listens, a gradual smile emerges on her face as Judy’s tale sounds increasingly ridiculous. Brennan’s expression, partly amused, partly amazed, adds considerable humor.
Private Benjamin was shot by director of photography David M. Walsh on 35mm film with Panaflex cameras and lenses by Panavision, processed by Technicolor, Hollywood, CA, and presented in the aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The Blu-ray is sourced from a new 4K scan of the original camera negative. The luxurious wedding scene with well-dressed guests contrasts markedly with the drab green fatigues of the recruits in basic training. The color palette broadens in the scenes set in France, where primary hues really pop. Clarity is excellent. Details, such as strands of Judy’s 80s-style hair, uniforms, camouflage on the soldiers’ helmets and place settings in the restaurant are well delineated. Camera set-ups are fairly routine. Most scenes are shot at eye level.
The soundtrack is English 2.0 Mono DTS-HD Master Audio. English SDH subtitles are an option. Dialogue is clear and distinct. There’s a lot of orders shouted by both Capt. Lewis and Sgt. Ross. Loud sounds awaken the women at dawn. Bill Conti’s music is jaunty and light and has a militaristic, marching tempo during the basic training scenes. The wedding scene features jubilant singing of Hava Nagila as Judy is raised on a chair above wedding guests dancing the hora.
Bonus materials on the Blu-ray release from the Warner Archive Collection include the following:
- Private Benjamin TV Series:
- Benjamin to the Rescue (22:41)
- The Captain’s Helper (22:53)
- Original Theatrical Trailer (2:40)
Benjamin to the Rescue – In this pilot of the TV series Private Benjamin, aired originally on April 6, 1981, Benjamin and Capt. Lewis clash, so Benjamin is placed out of the way during an expositional skill demonstration. However, she’s called into action by a general who has an unexpected relationship to her. Lorna Patterson stars as Private Benjamin. Eileen Brennan and Hal Williams from the original film co-star.
The Captain’s Helper – Benjamin spends a day as Capt. Lewis’ aide. The captain mellows and spends an enjoyable evening with an old flame. In the morning, Judy is ill and is replaced. No one believes Judy’s stories of how Lewis behaved. Lorna Patterson, Eileen Brennan, and Hal Williams star in this episode, originally aired on April 27, 1981.
Private Benjamin works because of Goldie Hawn’s investment in the character of Judy. A sort of coming-of-age story about a woman in her late twenties, the plot is predictable but the ride is enjoyable. Goldie Hawn was at the peak of her career, and the screenplay is well-suited to her talents. The Hawn/Brennan dynamic is excellent and one of the delights of the film. When Private Benjamin was released in 1980, the women’s movement was in full swing, so the story had contemporary relevance. Today, a Judy Benjamin would be far more self-sufficient and independent, so modern viewers might wonder about her assumption that her happiness depends on men. Nonetheless, director Howard Zieff has fashioned a fast-paced romp with a strong supporting cast.
- Dennis Seuling