View source for G.I. Jane

{{Short description|1997 film by Ridley Scott}}
{{About|the 1997 film|the G.I. Joe character|G.I. Jane (G.I. Joe)|the 1951 film|G.I. Jane (1951 film)}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2022}}
{{Infobox film
| image          = Gijane.jpg
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[Ridley Scott]]
| producer       = {{Unbulleted list|Ridley Scott|[[Roger Birnbaum]]|[[Demi Moore]]|[[Suzanne Todd]]}}
| screenplay     = {{Unbulleted list|[[David Twohy]]|Danielle Alexandra}}
| story          = Danielle Alexandra
| starring       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Demi Moore]]
* [[Viggo Mortensen]]
* [[Anne Bancroft]]
}}
| music          = [[Trevor Jones (composer)|Trevor Jones]]
| editing        = [[Pietro Scalia]]
| cinematography = [[Hugh Johnson (cinematographer)|Hugh Johnson]]
| studio         = {{Plainlist|
* [[Hollywood Pictures]]
* [[Caravan Pictures]]
* [[Roger Birnbaum|Roger Birnbaum Productions]]
* [[Largo Entertainment]]
* [[Scott Free Productions]]
}}
| distributor    = {{Plainlist|
* [[Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures|Buena Vista Pictures Distribution]] (Select territories)
* [[Largo Entertainment]] (International)
}}
| released       = {{Film date|1997|8|22}}
| runtime        = 124 minutes
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = $50 million<ref name="numbers" />
| gross          = $98.4 million<ref name="numbers">{{cite web |title=G.I. Jane (1997) - Financial Information |url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/GI-Jane#tab=summary |publisher=[[The Numbers (website)|The Numbers]] |access-date=October 16, 2020 |archive-date=October 16, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201016222402/https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/GI-Jane#tab=summary |url-status=live }}</ref>
}}

'''''G.I. Jane''''' is a 1997 American [[action drama film]] directed by [[Ridley Scott]] and starring [[Demi Moore]], [[Viggo Mortensen]], and [[Anne Bancroft]]. The film tells the fictional story of the first woman to undergo [[special operations]] training similar to the [[United States Navy SEALs|U.S. Navy SEALs]].

The film was produced by [[Largo Entertainment]], [[Scott Free Productions]], and [[Caravan Pictures]], and distributed by [[Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures|Buena Vista Pictures]] through the [[Hollywood Pictures]] label. Though it received generally favorable reviews and Moore's performance received some praise, she still won the [[Razzie Award for Worst Actress]], which is commonly attributed to her role in the critically panned ''[[Striptease (film)|Striptease]]'' the year prior. It opened at No. 1 at the US box office, where it remained for two weeks,<ref name="LosAngelesTimes">{{cite news |date=September 2, 1997 |title='G.I. Jane' Proves Its Mettle in Second Week at Box Office |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-sep-02-ca-28038-story.html |agency=Associated Press |access-date=October 10, 2020 |archive-date=August 7, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807060440/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-sep-02-ca-28038-story.html |url-status=live }}</ref> ultimately breaking even after grossing $98.4&nbsp;million worldwide on a $50&nbsp;million budget. The film grossed over $22 million in VHS and DVD rentals. In her autobiography ''Inside Out'', Moore called ''G.I. Jane'' her proudest professional achievement.<ref>{{cite web |title=Demi Moore Called $48 Million Movie That Got Chris Rock Slapped by Will Smith at Oscars Her Proudest Professional Achievement |url=https://fandomwire.com/demi-moore-called-48-million-movie-g-i-jane-that-got-chris-rock-slapped-by-will-smith-at-oscars-her-proudest-professional-achievement/#:~:text=Demi%20Moore%20Gave%20All%2DOut%20Performance%20In%201997's%20G.I.&text=In%20her%20memoir%20Inside%20Out,of%20a%20Navy%20SEAL%20officer.}}</ref>

==Plot==
<!-- Per WP:FILMPLOT, the plot summary should be 400–700 words. -->
A [[United States Senate Committee on Armed Services|Senate Armed Services Committee]] interviews a candidate for the position of [[Secretary of the Navy]]. Senator Lillian DeHaven from [[Texas]] criticizes the Navy for not being [[Gender neutrality|gender-neutral]]. Behind the curtains, a deal is struck: if women compare favorably with men in a series of test cases, the military will integrate women fully into all occupations of the Navy.

The first test is the training course of the U.S. Navy Combined Reconnaissance Team. Senator DeHaven selects [[topographical]] analyst [[Lieutenant (navy)|Lieutenant]] Jordan O'Neil, because she is physically more feminine than the other candidates.

To make the grade, O'Neil must survive a grueling selection program in which almost sixty percent of candidates wash out, most before the fourth week, with the third week being particularly intensive ("[[United States Navy SEAL selection and training#Phase 1: Physical conditioning (7 weeks)|hell week]]"). The enigmatic [[Command Master Chief Petty Officer|Command Master Chief]] John James Urgayle runs the training program that involves 20-hour days of tasks designed to wear down recruits' physical and mental strength, including pushing giant ship [[Fender (boating)|fender]]s up beach dunes, working through obstacle courses, and hauling landing rafts. Even though O’Neil outranks Urgayle, he is in charge of training and O’Neil has to fight for her spot like all the others.

Given a 30-second "[[gender-norming]]" allowance in an [[obstacle course]], O'Neil demands to be held to the same standards as the male trainees. The master chief observes O'Neil helping the other candidates by allowing them to climb on her back to make it over the wall obstacle course. Eight weeks into the program, during [[Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape|SERE]] training in [[Captiva, Florida]], the Master Chief ties her to a chair with her hands behind her back, grabs hold of her and slams her through the door, then picking her up off the floor he repeatedly dunks her head in ice-cold water in front of the other crew members. O'Neil retaliates and is successful in causing him some injury, despite her immobilized arms. In so doing, she acquires respect from him, as well as from the other trainees.

Navy leaders, confident that a woman would quickly drop out, become concerned. The media learn of O'Neil's involvement, and she becomes a sensation known as "G.I. Jane." and "[[Joan of Arc]]". Soon, she must contend with trumped-up charges that she is a [[lesbian]], and is fraternizing with women. O'Neil is told that she will be given a desk job during the investigation and, if cleared, will need to repeat her training from the beginning. She decides to "ring out" (ringing a bell three times, signaling her voluntary withdrawal from the program) rather than accept a desk job.

It is later revealed that the photo evidence of O'Neil's alleged fraternization came from Senator DeHaven's office. DeHaven never intended for O'Neil to succeed; she used O'Neil as a bargaining chip to prevent military base closings in her home state of Texas. O'Neil threatens to expose DeHaven, who then has the charges voided and O'Neil restored to the program.

The final phase of training, an operational readiness exercise, is interrupted by an emergency that requires the CRT trainees' support. The situation involves a [[reconnaissance satellite]] powered by [[weapons-grade plutonium]] that fell into the [[Libya]]n desert. A team of [[75th Ranger Regiment|U.S. Army Rangers]] is dispatched to retrieve the plutonium, but their evacuation plan fails, and the trainees are sent to assist the Rangers. The Master Chief's shooting of a Libyan soldier to protect O'Neil leads to a confrontation with a Libyan patrol. During the mission, O'Neil, using her experience as a topographical analyst, realizes when she sees the team's map that the Master Chief is not going to use the route the others believe he will in regrouping with the others. She also displays a definitive ability in leadership and strategy while rescuing the injured Master Chief, whom she and McCool pull out of an explosives-laden "[[kill zone]]." With [[helicopter gunship]]s delivering the final assault to the defenders, the rescue mission is a success.

Upon their return, all those who participated in the mission are accepted to the CRT. Urgayle gives O'Neil his [[Navy Cross]] and a book of poetry containing a short poem, "Self-pity", by [[D. H. Lawrence]], as acknowledgment of her accomplishment and in gratitude for rescuing him.

==Cast==
* [[Demi Moore]] as [[Lieutenant]] Jordan O'Neil
* [[Viggo Mortensen]] as [[Command Master Chief]] John James 'Jack' Urgayle
* [[Jason Beghe]] as [[Lieutenant commander (United States)|Lieutenant Commander]] Royce Harper
* [[Scott Wilson (actor)|Scott Wilson]] as [[Captain (United States O-6)|Captain]] Salem
* [[Anne Bancroft]] as Senator Lillian DeHaven
* [[Lucinda Jenney]] as Lieutenant Blondell
* [[Morris Chestnut]] as Lieutenant McCool
* [[Josh Hopkins]] as [[Ensign (rank)|Ensign]] F. Lee 'Flea' Montgomery
* [[Jim Caviezel]] as 'Slov' Slovnik
* Angel David as Newberry
* [[Boyd Kestner]] as Lieutenant 'Wick' Wickwire
* [[Kevin Gage (actor)|Kevin Gage]] as Instructor Max Pyro
* [[David Vadim]] as [[Sergeant First Class]] Cortez
* Gregg Bello as Miller
* Stephen Ramsey as Stamm
* [[Daniel von Bargen|Daniel Von Bargen]] as Secretary of the Navy Theodore Hayes
* [[David Warshofsky]] as Instructor Johns
* [[John Michael Higgins]] as Chief of Staff
* [[Dimitri Diatchenko]] as Trainee

==Release==
{{Anchor|Reception}}
Release of ''G.I. Jane'' had been delayed by a week by [[Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures|Buena Vista Pictures]] and the film opened up against the comedy ''[[Money Talks (1997 film)|Money Talks]]'' from [[New Line Cinema]]. Both studios predicted their film would earn $11.1&nbsp;million and be number 1 at the box office.<ref>{{cite web |title='G.I. Jane,' 'Money Talks' in Disputed Box-Office Tie |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-aug-25-ca-25698-story.html |website=Los Angeles Times |date=August 25, 1997 |access-date=October 16, 2020 |archive-date=July 1, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200701105915/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-aug-25-ca-25698-story.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
Buena Vista held sneak previews to generate positive word of mouth for the film. Phil Barlow, president of distribution for Buena Vista, said: "We knew from the research that people loved the movie". He further said: "All we had to do was get them in." ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' attributed audience reticence to the declining popularity of actress Demi Moore.<ref name="Hindes">{{cite web |date=August 25, 1997 |last=Hindes |first=Andrew |title='G.I. Jane' in close shave |url=https://variety.com/1997/film/news/g-i-jane-in-close-shave-1116677175/ |website=Variety |access-date=October 16, 2020 |archive-date=October 17, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201017035145/https://variety.com/1997/film/news/g-i-jane-in-close-shave-1116677175/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Reception ==

===Box office===
''G.I. Jane'' in the U.S opened at number one, grossing $11&nbsp;million in its opening weekend, playing at a total of 1,945 theaters.<ref name="mojo" /> In its second weekend, the film stayed at number one, grossing $10.1&nbsp;million.<ref name="LosAngelesTimes"/> In the end the film played in a widest release of 2,043 theaters and grossed $48.1&nbsp;million domestically, falling slightly short of its $50&nbsp;million production budget.<ref name="mojo">{{cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0119173 |title=G.I. Jane (1997) |work=[[Box Office Mojo]] |publisher=[[IMDb]] |access-date=September 1, 2012 |archive-date=August 7, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807075714/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0119173/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The film managed to break even with the worldwide box office gross, totalling almost $99 million.

===Critical response===
On [[Rotten Tomatoes]], ''G.I. Jane'' has an approval rating of 53% based on reviews from 38 critics, with an average rating of 5.7/10. The site's critical consensus was: "Demi Moore admirably does her duty, but ''G.I. Jane''{{'}}s well-intentioned message is obscured by stylistic bombast and an overload of [[jingoism]]."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/gi_jane |title=G.I. Jane (1997) |work=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |publisher=[[Fandango Media]] |access-date=April 3, 2023 |archive-date=August 1, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200801143207/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/gi_jane |url-status=live}}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], the film has a score of 62 out of 100 based on reviews from 21 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.<ref>{{cite web |title=G.I. Jane |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/gi-jane |website=[[Metacritic]] |access-date=May 4, 2020 |archive-date=September 18, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200918232757/https://www.metacritic.com/movie/gi-jane |url-status=live}}</ref> Audiences surveyed by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film a grade "A−" on scale of A to F.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/ |title= G.I. JANE (1997) A- |work= [[CinemaScore]] |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181220122629/https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/ |archive-date= December 20, 2018}}</ref>

[[Todd McCarthy]] of ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' called it "A very entertaining get-tough fantasy with political and feminist underpinnings."<ref>{{cite web |last1=McCarthy |first1=Todd |authorlink1=Todd McCarthy |title=G.I. Jane – 'G.I. Jane' Gets Seal of Approval |url=https://variety.com/review/VE1117912031 |website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=August 11, 1997}}</ref>
[[Roger Ebert]] of the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' wrote: "The training sequences are as they have to be: incredible rigors, survived by O'Neil. They are good cinema because Ridley Scott, the director, brings a documentary attention to them, and because Demi Moore, having bitten off a great deal here, proves she can chew it."<ref>{{cite web |date=1997 |last=Ebert |first=Roger |author-link=Roger Ebert |title=G.I. Jane movie review & film summary (1997) |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/gi-jane-1997 |website=[[Chicago Sun-Times]] |access-date=October 16, 2020 |archive-date=October 17, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201017104702/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/gi-jane-1997 |url-status=live}}{{Rating|3.5|4}}</ref> [[Owen Gleiberman]] of ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' wrote: "Were women put on earth to be warriors? Demi Moore certainly was. The role of Jordan fits her as snugly as a new layer of muscle."<ref>{{cite magazine |date=1997 |author=Owen Gleiberman |author-link=Owen Gleiberman |title=G.I. Jane |url=https://ew.com/article/1997/08/22/gi-jane/ |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |access-date=October 16, 2020 |archive-date=October 17, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201017071748/https://ew.com/article/1997/08/22/gi-jane/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

Deborah Brown of ''[[Empire (film magazine)|Empire]]'' magazine wrote: "In spite of a catalogue of downsides, including clunky dialogue, fuzzy morals and preposterous story lines, G.I. Jane does offer a perverse level of enjoyment."<ref>{{cite web |date=January 1, 2000 |author=Deborah Brown |title=G.I. Jane |url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/g-jane-review/ |website=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]] |access-date=October 16, 2020 |archive-date=October 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201008022753/https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/g-jane-review/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

About Demi Moore’s performance, ''G.I. Jane'' screenwriter, David Twohy, tells Yahoo Entertainment: "It's the performance of her career. The movie rises or falls on her performance, and that required her to have a total, unflinching commitment to that part. And she had that commitment — I think she f***ing nailed it." About the critical and box-office’s reception, Twohy added: "''[[Striptease (film)|Striptease]]'' came out while we were in production, and the stink was in the air. I don't think it was fairly received, and ''Striptease'' had a lot to do with it, because it was a truly bad movie. She should have been nominated for ''G.I. Jane'', and I think she would have been, too, if not for ''Striptease''. That tainted her chances and maybe everyone's chances."<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.aol.co.uk/entertainment/g-jane-screenwriter-explains-why-150058942.html | title='G.I. Jane' screenwriter explains why Demi Moore gave 'the performance of her career' in the 1997 military drama |last=Alter |first=Ethan |date=August 18, 2022 |website=Aol}}</ref>

Looking back to the film, Demi Moore said: "I loved working with Ridley Scott on ''G.I. Jane''. Probably one of my favorite experiences." She added: "Being of the generation I'm from, I really wanted to find an action-oriented film, and I felt like the response I got was polite, but like I was crazy."<ref>https://www.interviewmagazine.com/film/demi-moores-gory-glory</ref>

===Accolades===
[[Demi Moore]] won the [[Razzie Award]] for Worst Actress for her performance in the film.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.razzies.com/forum/1997-razzie-nominees-winners_topic347.html |title=1997 RAZZIEŽ Nominees & "Winners" |publisher=[[Golden Raspberry Awards]] |work=Entire RAZZIEŽ History, Year-by-Year: 1980-2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160503184839/http://www.razzies.com/forum/1997-razzie-nominees-winners_topic347.html |archive-date=May 3, 2016 |date=December 4, 2005 |author=HeadRAZZBerry}}</ref> Viggo Mortensen was nominated for Worst Fake Accent at the 1997 [[Stinkers Bad Movie Awards]] but lost to [[Jon Voight]] for ''[[Anaconda (1997 film)|Anaconda]]'' and ''[[Most Wanted (1997 film)|Most Wanted]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thestinkers.com/1997.html |title=The Stinkers 1997 Ballot |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000818030700/http://www.thestinkers.com/1997.html |work=[[Stinkers Bad Movie Awards]] |archive-date=August 18, 2000 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Home media===
''G.I. Jane'' was released on [[VHS]] and [[DVD]] on April 22, 1998.<ref>{{cite book |title=G.I. Jane: DVD Video |isbn=1558908315 }}</ref> The only extra feature was a [[Trailer (promotion)|theatrical trailer]]. It was released on [[Blu-ray]] on April 3, 2007, with no extra features aside from trailers for other movies.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/635/gijane.html |title=G.I. Jane |last=Brackle |first=Peter |work=High-Def Digest |date=April 4, 2007 |publisher=Internet Brands |access-date=April 13, 2018 |archive-date=March 30, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100330053537/http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/635/gijane.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The film was also released on [[LaserDisc]]; this release featured an [[audio commentary]] by director Ridley Scott.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://dadons-laserdiscs.com/g-i-jane-ac-3-ws-rare-new-laserdisc-demi-moore-mortensen-drama |title=G.I. Jane AC-3 WS Rare NEW LaserDisc Demi Moore Mortensen Drama |work=DaDon's Rare LaserDiscs |author=DaDon |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708220304/http://dadons-laserdiscs.com/G.I.-Jane-AC-3-WS-Rare-LaserDisc-Demi-Moore-Mortensen |archive-date=July 8, 2011 |access-date=April 23, 2018 }}</ref> The film grossed $22,122,300 in rentals.<ref>{{cite web|title=G.I. Jane (1997): Box Office|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119173/business|publisher=[[IMDb]]|access-date=February 14, 2013|archive-date=March 20, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130320073929/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119173/business|url-status=live}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Military-entertainment complex]]
* [[List of films featuring the United States Navy SEALs]]
* [[United States Navy SEAL selection and training#Women]]
* [[Chris Rock–Will Smith slapping incident]], which involved a joke that referenced this film

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
* {{IMDb title}}
* {{TCMDb title}}
* {{AFI film}}

{{Ridley Scott}}
{{David Twohy}}
{{Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress}}

[[Category:1997 films]]
[[Category:1997 action films]]
[[Category:American political thriller films]]
[[Category:American war drama films]]
[[Category:1990s feminist films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Ridley Scott]]
[[Category:Hollywood Pictures films]]
[[Category:Golden Raspberry Award–winning films]]
[[Category:Caravan Pictures films]]
[[Category:Scott Free Productions films]]
[[Category:Largo Entertainment films]]
[[Category:Fictional female soldiers]]
[[Category:Women in the United States Navy]]
[[Category:Films produced by Demi Moore]]
[[Category:Films shot in Virginia]]
[[Category:Films shot in Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:Films shot in South Carolina]]
[[Category:Films shot in Jacksonville, Florida]]
[[Category:Films about United States Navy SEALs]]
[[Category:Films produced by Roger Birnbaum]]
[[Category:Films produced by Ridley Scott]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by David Twohy]]
[[Category:Films scored by Trevor Jones]]
[[Category:1990s political films]]
[[Category:Films produced by Suzanne Todd]]
[[Category:American feminist films]]
[[Category:1990s English-language films]]
[[Category:1990s American films]]
[[Category:English-language action films]]