An Officer and a Gentleman
Zack Mayo is a young man who has signed up for Navy Aviation Officer Candidate School. He is a Navy brat who has a bad attitude problem. Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley is there to train and evaluate him, and will clearly find Zack wanting. Zack meets Paula, a girl who has little beyond family, and must decide what it is he wants to do with his life.
Despite its small-scale budget of $7.5M, An Officer and a Gentleman became a runaway success, earning $129.8M worldwide—a remarkable 1631% return. The film's innovative storytelling connected with viewers, showing that strong storytelling can transcend budget limitations.
2 Oscars. 10 wins & 15 nominations
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
An Officer and a Gentleman (1982) demonstrates precise story structure, characteristic of Taylor Hackford's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 10-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 2 hours and 4 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.0, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Zack Mayo
Paula Pokrifki
Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley
Sid Worley
Lynette Pomeroy
Byron Mayo
Casey Seeger
Main Cast & Characters
Zack Mayo
Played by Richard Gere
A troubled loner who enters Navy Aviation Officer Candidate School seeking purpose and belonging, must overcome his defensive walls and self-reliance to become a leader.
Paula Pokrifki
Played by Debra Winger
A factory worker who dreams of escaping her dead-end life, falls for Zack but refuses to be just another officer's conquest.
Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley
Played by Louis Gossett Jr.
The uncompromising Marine drill instructor who breaks down candidates to rebuild them as officers, sees potential in Zack beneath his attitude.
Sid Worley
Played by David Keith
Zack's friend and fellow candidate, a kind-hearted Oklahoma boy who falls deeply in love with Lynette and struggles with the pressure of OCS.
Lynette Pomeroy
Played by Lisa Blount
Paula's friend and factory co-worker who aggressively pursues Sid, hoping to trap an officer into marriage as her ticket out.
Byron Mayo
Played by Robert Loggia
Zack's alcoholic father, a career Navy enlisted man living in the Philippines whose failures drive Zack to prove himself as an officer.
Casey Seeger
Played by Lisa Eilbacher
The only female candidate in the class who fights against Foley's sexism and discrimination to prove women belong in OCS.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 2 minutes (2% through the runtime) establishes Zack Mayo arrives at his mother's funeral in the Philippines, emotionally isolated and alone, living a rootless existence with his alcoholic father.. Structural examination shows that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 15 minutes when Foley breaks down the candidates with brutal physical and psychological training, making it clear this will be the hardest thing Zack has ever faced.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The Collapse moment at 92 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Sid commits suicide after being dismissed from the program and abandoned by Lynette. Death literally enters the story, devastating Zack and the entire class., illustrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Synthesis at 99 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Zack graduates as a commissioned officer, reconciles with Foley, and rushes to Paula's factory to choose love over self-protection, literally sweeping her off her feet in front of everyone., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
An Officer and a Gentleman's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 10 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs systematic plot point analysis that identifies crucial turning points. By mapping An Officer and a Gentleman against these established plot points, we can identify how Taylor Hackford utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish An Officer and a Gentleman within the drama genre.
Taylor Hackford's Structural Approach
Among the 9 Taylor Hackford films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.1, reflecting strong command of classical structure. An Officer and a Gentleman takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Taylor Hackford filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional drama films include Eye for an Eye, South Pacific and Kiss of the Spider Woman. For more Taylor Hackford analyses, see Bound by Honor, Ray and Dolores Claiborne.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Zack Mayo arrives at his mother's funeral in the Philippines, emotionally isolated and alone, living a rootless existence with his alcoholic father.
Theme
Zack's father tells him about the military: "They'll use you and spit you out." The theme of self-reliance versus needing others is established.
Worldbuilding
Zack grows up with his father in the Philippines, sees the military as his escape, and arrives at Aviation Officer Candidate School, meeting his fellow candidates and the intimidating Gunnery Sergeant Foley.
Disruption
Foley breaks down the candidates with brutal physical and psychological training, making it clear this will be the hardest thing Zack has ever faced.
Resistance
Zack navigates the brutal training regimen, debates whether he can survive Foley's program, and considers his options while resisting forming real connections with others.
Act II
ConfrontationPremise
Zack balances training and romance, excelling at aviation school while falling in love with Paula. His friendship with Sid deepens, and he begins to let his guard down.
Opposition
Foley discovers Zack's side business selling contraband and targets him for dismissal. Zack's emotional walls go back up, he pushes Paula away, and his friend Sid faces increasing pressure from his girlfriend Lynette.
Collapse
Sid commits suicide after being dismissed from the program and abandoned by Lynette. Death literally enters the story, devastating Zack and the entire class.
Crisis
Zack processes Sid's death and his own role in not being there for his friend. Foley confronts Zack, breaking him down until Zack finally admits "I got nowhere else to go!" - his first true moment of vulnerability.
Act III
ResolutionSynthesis
Zack graduates as a commissioned officer, reconciles with Foley, and rushes to Paula's factory to choose love over self-protection, literally sweeping her off her feet in front of everyone.