Stripes (film)

_Film |

  name=Stripes |
  image= stripes.jpg|

caption = The movie poster for Stripes.|

  imdb_id=0083131 |

  runtime=106 min. |
  language=English |
  movie_series=|
  awards=|

producer=Ivan Reitman | budget=$10,000,000 (estimated) |}}

Stripes is a 1981 American comedy film starring Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, and Warren Oates. The director was Ivan Reitman.

Stripes also featured several noted actors in their first significant movie roles, including John Larroquette, Sean Young, and Judge Reinhold. It was one of John Candy's earliest appearances. Bill Paxton and Timothy Busfield are also in one scene apiece. It was also among Oates's last films, as he died of a sudden heart attack the year after it was released.

The movie is dated in some ways, as the finale is set in Cold War Europe, but the humor is generally based on broader concepts that are still amusing.

Plot summary

John Winger (Bill Murray) is a twentysomething cab driver who experiences the worst day of his life. In the span of just a few hours, he loses his job, his car is repossessed, and his girlfriend dumps him. Realizing that his life is a failure, he decides he needs a new direction in life. At that moment a recruiting ad for the United States Army plays on the television, and he decides that is just what he needs to get in shape (and meet girls). Talking his best friend, Russell Ziskey (Harold Ramis), whose own life is isn't doing too well either, into joining, they quickly drive to the nearest recruiting office and head off to basic training.

Upon arrival at Basic Training at "Fort Arnold" (actually filmed at Fort Knox), they meet their fellow recruits, and only moments after arriving Winger has already offended their Drill Sergeant, Sergeant Hulka (Warren Oates), and stands out as a misfit throughout basic training. Their commanding officer is Captain Stillman (John Laroquette), a blowhard. As Basic Training progresses, Ziskey and Winger become closer to a pair of attractive female M.P.'s named Stella and Louise (P.J. Soles and Sean Young) on the base, and quickly become friends with the rest of their platoon. However, the day before graduation, Sergeant Hulka is injured in a freak mortar accident as a shell from the artillery range hits a training course elsewhere in the camp (an accident caused by Stillman's incompetence).

That night, the men go out to a mud wrestling bar on leave, although the club is raided by M.P.'s. Stella and Louise cover for Winger and Ziskey, while the rest of the platoon is hauled back to base to face Captain Stillman. Stillman threatens to force them to repeat the entire course of Basic Training, and it's clear that only a good performance in front of the General at graduation tomorrow can save them.

Everything looks gloomy, until Winger and Ziskey return (after having made out with their girlfriends in the General's home while he was away). Winger manages to motivate his platoon, and begins to get them in shape for graduation. However, after a long night of studying, they oversleep and almost sleep through graduation. Without time to get dressed properly, they run to the parade grounds thoroughly out of uniform and give a highly unconventional, but nevertheless impressive, drill display led by Winger. When the General finds out that they had to complete their Basic Training before their injured Drill Sergeant could be replaced (and developed this routine on their own), he decides they are just the kind of "go-getters" he wants working on a special project in Italy.

Once in Italy, their mission is to guard the EM-50 Urban Assault Vehicle (which looks from the outside like a large motorhome). Bored with sitting around an empty hangar, John and Russel take the EM-50 (they tell the guard they're taking it "to get it washed") to visit Stella and Louise, who are now stationed in West Germany. However, when Captain Stillman finds the EM-50 missing (as he was taking his girlfriend to show it off to her), he launches a secret mission to get the vehicle back (not wanting to make the mission official, for fear of how it'd look to his superiors). Along the way, Stillman accidentally leads them across the border into Soviet-allied Czechoslovakia. Sgt. Hulka, who accompanied Stillman and the platoon and had repeatedly warned Stillman not to proceed, jumps out of the truck before it is captured, having realized where they are and what has happened. When Hulka makes a Mayday radio broadcast explaining what happened, Winger and Ziskey realize that their platoon came looking for them and that the U.S. Defense Department will deny having any troops there - thus, they'll be trapped behind the Iron Curtain. With no chance for rescue other than them, Winger, Ziskey and their two M.P. girlfriends take the EM-50 and, with some unseen help from Sgt. Hulka, manage to break everyone out. In the end, Winger, Ziskey, Stella, Louise and Hulka are each awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, Sgt. Hulka retires with honor, Stella appears on the cover of Penthouse and Captain Stillman is reassigned to a weather station near Nome, Alaska.

Trivia

*The movie was filmed in Fort Knox (military base scenes), Louisville, Kentucky (city scenes), and the Jim Beam distillery (Czechoslovakia scenes).
*The film's military-march instrumental theme was used in a TV commercial for Nissan trucks in December 2005 - January 2006.
*This movie was originally intended to be called Cheech & Chong Join the Army, with the titular actors.
*Bill Murray filmed his interview for the special edition DVD while filming Lost In Translation in Japan. This is evident as he is wearing the unusual combo of a blazer and an inside-out orange camo t-shirt (the same his character Bob Harris wears in the film).

Quotes

*Winger parks his car in an alley going to the recruiting office::Pedestrian: Hey, this is a loading zone, you can't park there!:Winger: We're not parking it. We're abandoning it!
*Stillman and Hulka observing the platoon arriving at the barracks for the first time::Capt. Stillman: It looks like a fine group of men, Sergeant.:Ox: I sure hope this is the mess hall!:(to Stillman, observing his Captain insignia): How's it goin', Eisenhower?!:Sgt. Hulka: Yes, sir, a fine group of men.
*During the platoon's getting-acquainted session in the barracks::Psycho: My name's Francis Sawyer.... but everyone calls me "Psycho." Any of you guys call me Francis... I'll kill ya! And I don't like anyone touching my stuff...so keep ya meathooks off. Also, I don't want anyone touching ME! Any of you HOMOS touch me...I'll kill ya!:Sgt. Hulka (unimpressed): Lighten up, Francis!
*Winger, introducing himself to the rest of the platoon::Chicks dig me, because I rarely wear underwear, and when I do it's always something unusual... but now I know, why I've always lost women...to guys like you. It's not just the uniforms - oh no - It's the stories that you tell! Such fun and imagination! (Addressing man in platoon) Lee Harvey, you are a madman! Remember when you and your friends stole your neighbor's cow, and your friend tried to make it with the cow? I want to party with you, cowboy. You and me, heh, forget about it!
*Winger, giving a pep talk to the platoon::"We've been kickin' ass for 200 years! We are 10 and 1!"

Selected cast

*Bill Murray — John Winger
*Harold Ramis — Russell Ziskey
*Warren Oates — Sgt Hulka
*John Candy — Dewey 'Ox' Oxburger
*Judge Reinhold — Elmo
*John Larroquette — Capt. Stillman
*P.J. Soles — Stella Hansen
*Sean Young — Louise Cooper

Stripes (film): Encyclopedia BETA

Contents

Stripes (film)

Plot summary

Trivia

Quotes

Selected cast

External links