Private Benjamin

Two women lying on the ground wearing army uniforms. One has pigtail braids and one is wearing an army hat decorated with flowers.

Judy Benjamin (Goldie Hawn) is a sheltered, young high society woman with the world at her feet — until her husband-to-be (Albert Brooks) drops dead on their wedding night.

Searching for purpose and new directions, the grieving widow is enticed by an ad to join the army and after an encounter with a duplicitous recruiter, decided to enlist in the Women's Army Corp. But Army life is not quite what Judy signed up for and Captain Lewis (Eileen Brennan) quickly dashes her hopes of an easy time.

Goldie Hawn was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her turn as the ditzy but determined young recruit. Written by Nancy Meyers, Charles Shyer, and Harvey Miller and directed by Howard Zieff, Private Benjamin is a charming comedy about finding comradery and building self-confidence through the rigors of basic training.

The film is presented in conjunction with "Fit for Duty: Form and Function in Military Dress," a multi-site exhibition catalyzed by the Cornell Fashion + Textile Collection (CF+TC) on view from November 11 at the Human Ecology Building and Wortham Museum at Barton Hall.

Part of our "Fit for Duty" series. Courtesy of Warner Bros. and Swank Motion Pictures.