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Trailer

Private Benjamin

1980Movie1 h 50 minR

66

GoodGoodWatch score

Rotten Tomatoes

A hopeful comedy movie about everyday modern life and growing up, with standout performances.

Good for date night · friends night · teens

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Not for scares or brutality.

Movies with

Story

The Army was no laughing matter until Judy Benjamin joined it.

A sheltered young high society woman joins the US Army on a whim and finds herself in a more difficult situation than she ever expected.

Feels like

Classic Comedy
Fish-out-of-Water Story
Empowerment Narrative
Military Satire
Star Vehicle Performance
Culture Clash Humor
Inspiring Underdog
Feel-Good
Iconic Character

Crew

Directed by: Howard Zieff
Written by: Nancy Meyers, Charles Shyer, Harvey Miller
Produced by: Nancy Meyers, Charles Shyer, Harvey Miller
Music by: Bill Conti

Everyone

Pick a department, or search for a name or a job (“editor”, “stunt”).

Facts

October 6, 1980 · 1 h 50 min · R

Released: October 6, 1980
Runtime: 1 h 50 min
Age rating: R
Content: Strong Language
Genres: Comedy
Original language: English
Made in: United States
Budget: $15 million
Box office: $70 million
Available in: 38 countries

Tropes

Armed Farces, Artistic License – Military, Broken Pedestal +9

Armed Farces
Artistic License – Military
Broken Pedestal
Deconstructed Trope
Dirty Communist
Dressing as the Enemy
Drill Sergeant Nasty
I Surrender, Suckers!
Recruiters Always Lie
Out with a Bang
Toothbrush Floor Scrubbing
Reassigned to Antarctica

12 of 22 tropes. From TV Tropes.

Q&A

6 questions, like "Where can I stream Private Benjamin?"

Questions about Private Benjamin

Quick answers from GoodWatch data.

Where can I stream Private Benjamin?

In the United States, Private Benjamin is free with ads on Hoopla, Plex, and Tubi TV. You can rent or buy it from Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, and Fandango At Home. It also streams in 3 other countries.

Is Private Benjamin worth watching?

66

GoodGoodWatch score

Mostly, it's well received, with a GoodWatch score of 66 (IMDb 6.2, Rotten Tomatoes 84%, and Metacritic 59). Critics rate it higher (72 out of 100) than audiences (61).

Will Private Benjamin make me laugh?

Funny

Yes: the humor is mostly situational comedy (9 of 10) and sharp wit (7 of 10).

Will I feel good after watching Private Benjamin?

BleakHopeful

Yes, it's an uplifting movie: the title analysis rates it 8 of 10 for hopefulness and 6 for wholesome.

Was Private Benjamin a box office hit?

Budget$15 million

Box office$70 million

Yes: it cost about $15 million to make and earned $70 million worldwide, 4.7 times its budget.

What tropes does Private Benjamin use?

Armed FarcesArtistic License – MilitaryBroken PedestalDeconstructed TropeDirty CommunistDressing as the EnemyDrill Sergeant NastyI Surrender, Suckers!Recruiters Always LieOut with a BangToothbrush Floor ScrubbingReassigned to Antarcticaand 10 more

TV Tropes lists 22 tropes for it, including Armed Farces, Artistic License – Military, and Broken Pedestal.