Jerry & Marge Go Large: This is a new release from Netflix, but was released in 2022 on Paramount+. Jerry Selbee (played by Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad)) is a serious, fact based, math focused man getting ready for retirement from his company of over 30 years in Michigan. His wife, Marge played by Annette Bening, awaits this next stage of life. The family celebrates Jerry’s retirement with buying him a small engine motorboat for him to enjoy fishing, which they think he wants to do. He doesn’t. Jerry himself is struggling. His job gave him purpose, and a place to go along with mental challenges. While at a local diner, Jerry is reading the back of a lottery ticket with its Odds and Terms and Conditions. He quickly maps out on a napkin a peculiarity. As he has calculated, the game can be guaranteed to be a winner. It just requires a sizeable investment. He and Marge live on modest means, and he is reluctant to share his plan with her.
Things proceed and Jerry and Marge think of this as a retirement activity/project that they can do together. Jerry has larger plans his discovery with respect to his struggling Michigan town that has been strained to even find funds to repair a concert venue for a popular music festival. He is determined even after the State of Michigan discontinues use of the lottery he identified and only Massachusetts was continuing with it. Bring on a road trip! Of course there are obstacles put in their way to continue the plan. It should be noted that are doing nothing illegal; they comply fully with the rules. They just purchase a great number of tickets from terminals, which takes time. The principal obstacle is a cocky Harvard student with dubious scruples as he endeavors to do the same thing.
Did this suck? No, it was innocent fun with predictable results. Bryan Cranston has certainly carved out a niche for himself with clever, aging and skilled person with limited means. The movie only at the end discloses the value of money won the the group/town in Michigan. It is a surprising number. In many it is odd that the people of Massachusetts were involved in resurrecting a small town in Michigan. Even when the lottery commission was engaged they had no issue what was happening, as it was within the rules, and these winning tickets had raised the profile of the lottery and it was played a lot more. A win-win scenario. This is a feel good story, but basic with people who are easily identified as good and villains. I do have some minor quibbles about a movie showing retirees who struggle without work. As a relatively new retiree, I simply don’t get it. The other quibble is with the tangental story about Jerry not being very interested sexually with Marge. I will say quite simply that this is not the case with all people (men) of retirement age. Enough said on that topic. Your life won’t be changed by this movie. But on a rainy, miserable night at the cottage it could be a distraction on Netflix.
An Officer and A Gentleman: Directed by Taylor Hackford, this film was released in 1982. It is now available on Netflix. It is a favourite of mine. Zack Mayo, played by Richard Gere, is a young man without direction in his life. Through a flashback we see that his Mom died when he was in his early teens. He is placed with her birth father, who is a seaman in the US Navy stationed in the Phillipines. Father, played by Robert Loggia, self-admits he doesn’t want the job of full-time parent. Zack very young is put on his own devices, with no parental supervision and left to the streets. It shapes him and pushes him to think that there has to be more than this life. He decides to enlist in the Navy and seek to become a naval aviator. What follows is Zack’s quest to complete the thirteen-week Navy Aviation Officer Candidate School. Within his other wannabe aviators includes some interesting people like young woman Casey Seegar (played by Lisa Eilbacher) and Oklahoman Sid Worley (played by David Keith). Their drill instructor, whose primary role is to weed out the unsatisfactory candidates is the excellent Master Sargeant Foley, played by Best Supporting Oscar winner Lou Gossett Jr. One of the things that can trip up the Officer Candidates, as explained by the good Master Sargeant is local women, who are setting their sights on being with a naval aviator, who will ultimately become a successful and well paid commercial airline pilot.
Enter Paula, played by Debra Winger and her co-worker and friend Lynette played by Lisa Blount. These two meet Zack and Sid at a base dance and hit it off. The rest of the story shows over the time within the course how candidates can be tripped up and thrown out. It is intense with tests of intelligence, strength, physical fitness, leadership and character. Lou Gossett shines throughout as the tough taskmaster who is quick to point out the flaws in his group of recruits. Zack and he go toe to toe throughout with vulnerabilities shown on both sides. I also think that this film works so well because Winger and Gere have such good chemistry. Zack is a street smart loner who learned long ago to stay away from emotional attachment. Paula falls hard for Zack which is obvious as she looks at him. We learn about her history and how her family has been directly impacted by the Navy program there in Washington State. She and Zack talk well, frankly and honestly. They build their connection, with Zack doing his best to push her away, while she is coached along to stick with her stated goal to enjoy the time that she and Zack can spend together. As is discussed, 13 weeks is not a lot of time to have someone fall in love with you. However, equally important is how the program requires support from many sides for each of the candidates. Everyone grows here, learns something about themselves and is able to act on it. Both Winger went on to do many other popular projects. I remember hearing that Richard Gere said that he had two movies that he made “for the money” and this was one of them along with Pretty Woman. He should think about doing more movies for money. I am also reading that Paramount Pictures is looking to re-make this movie with Miles Teller starring as Zack Mayo. I don’t think that they will be able to match the many aspects of this film that worked. Most importantly I don’t see Teller having similar chemistry with a female co-star. Time will tell but I would remain skeptical. Apparently on set there was tension between Gere and Winger. Winger called Gere “a brick wall”. It didn’t show on screen. John Travolta turned down the lead role in this movie. This is well worth your time, and would show a glimpse into the training that pilots have to undertake before become Maverick in Top Gun!
Mondays With Robbie 