Yeah, there's not a whole lot going on with this Naval aviation film, but hey, I reckon I'm not gonna complain too much, as this film remains a good one. Ouch, that's pretty harsh, but hey, who would take Don Simpson's word when it comes to successful original music for a drama about Naval aviation? Granted, four years after this film came out, Simpson produced "Top Gun", whose soundtrack featured, like, 32 original songs and has a 9x Platinum certificate, but other than that, what does he know? Yeah, now that I think about it, if it wasn't for Simpson's not even attached to this film, the success of the "Top Gun" soundtrack's not coming until after this film and Taylor Hackford's having a history of both knowing quite a bit about music and being evidently extremely convincing (He got a 52-year-old Helen Mirren, who swore to never marry, to marry him now that's impressive), Simpson might have stood a chance of getting this film's theme song cut, so we got pretty lucky, not necessarily because I'm all that crazy about "Up Where We Belong", but because I don't think something "Danger Zone" would fit all that much in this film, which definately isn't as action-packed as "Top Gun". again, in vain, or at least not to everyone other than Don Simpson, who was so uncrazy about the super-hit song, which he didn't even expect to be a hit, that he tried to get the thing cut from this film to which he wasn't even attached. "Love lift us up where we belong, where the eagles cry, on the mountain high!" So yeah, this film's theme song's lyrics aren't exactly written by Billy Joel, and yet, it's still one of your better '80s movie theme songs, so it would appear as though Joe Cocker didn't rather gratuitously growl his throat into dust. The film is far from perfect, but it does manage to deliver an engaging plot, mixed with effective performances to make it a film worth seeing. So if you want a romantic drama film that is a bit predictable, yet better filmed than many of today's films, this is your best bet. The cast is good, the plot is well thought out, and the direction is well done and keeps you engaged from start to finish. Even with the fact that it's a bit predictable, An Officer and a Gentleman is far better than many other genre films. For me, I felt it was a good film, but one that doesn't necessarily warrant multiple viewings. Like I said, the actors salvage this one, as some may find it a little dull.
Where An Officer and a Gentleman differs is that the romance is set within a well constructed story.
In terms of Romance films, I guess this is one of the better ones, compared to those of today, which are peppered with clichés and highly forgettable. The chemistry between Richard Gere and Debra Winger is wonderful, and it's what keeps you involved in the film. I really felt that the actors salvaged the film due to the fact that this is a film that we know exactly how it will conclude. I thought that the film was a bit overrated, but nonetheless it's worth seeing, if you're looking for an engaging drama, this is a film worth seeing. An Officer and a Gentleman is a good drama that relies on a predictable story, but manages to be entertaining due to the performances of its cast.