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Festivale Spring 1997

G. I. Jane

It's not about a cause -- it's about a woman. Okay? G.I. Jane has Demi Moore as the athletic, ambitious, naval intelligence officer who gets her chance at active duty.

Jordan (Demi Moore) has survived dive school, jump school and four brothers. What she hasn't survived is active duty, and she needs active duty to get those vital promotions.

When a wily senator (the excellent Anne Bancroft) blasts the military for its disciminatory practices, they offer the senator a put-up-or-shut-up project. Females who she selects will be put into previously restricted courses. Jordan is one of the candidates, smart, athletic, and she'd look great on the cover of Newsweek.

Movie Poster, G. I. Jane (G.I. Jane), Festivale online magazine

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So Jordan gets to go to Seal School -- the toughest course in the Navy. She takes it despite her lover's objections, only to find a 'girlie' version of the course set up for her. Don't cut your beautiful hair, girl, have separate quarters (a storeroom), and after the first gruelling test day, have some 'girlie' handicap points.

Jordan is not there to make a statement, she asks, nay, demands equal treatment, no better, no less, and equal demands upon her ability. She shaves her head and moves her stuff into the bunk room with the rest of the trainees.

If you can't stand a bloody fight, this is not the film for you. Jordan gets strained this, and pulled that, and foot rot and bloody noses, and this has to happen. No matter how brutal you may find aspects of this film, if you've never had an all-out assault on your person, then your first reaction is fear and shock -- you have to get to the place where your reaction is anger, outrage, and defiance.

It is inevitable that Jordan survives to win the respect and acceptance of her instructors and her team. But how she gets there, and the obstacles (fair and foul) placed in her path make the trip interesting. For me, the hardest part of watching this film wasn't the discrimination, or the blood, but the memories of how much I enjoyed karate training on cold, wet beaches, and how I wanted to have a body that would withstand the kind of punishing exercise that we see Demi go through. Yes, Demi, we see her doing one-arm pushups and tough-tougher-toughest sit ups and know that that body is earned..

Click here to buy films from one of the online stores in Festivale's on-line shopping mall Definitely worth a look if you can stand watching a bloody fight.

by Ali Kayn

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Title: G. I. Jane (1997)
Written by: Danielle Alexandra (story); David N. Twohy and Danielle Alexandra 
Directed by: Ridley Scott 
Produced by: Danielle Alexandra (executive); Julie Bergman Sender (executive); Roger Birnbaum Diane Minter Lewis (associate); Tim McBride (associate); Demi Moore; Terry Needham (associate); Suzanne Todd; Nigel Wooll (co-producer); Chris Zarpas (executive)
Edited by Pietro Scalia 
Director of Photography: Hugh Johnson 

Official Website
The Players: Demi Moore (Lt. Jordan O'Neil); Viggo Mortensen (Master Chief John Urgayle); Anne Bancroft (Sen. Lillian DeHaven); Jason Beghe (Royce); Scott Wilson
For session times of current films, use the cinema listings on the Movie links page. For scheduled release dates, see the coming attractions section.

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ISSN 1328-8008
Published in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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Filed: 18-Nov-1997 : Last updated: : Last tested: 3-Jul-2014: Last compiled: 3-Jul-2014
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