Private Benjamin

At a time when everyone was looking for a star vehicle for Goldie Hawn, she turned up in this high-octane tale about a Jewish princess who joins the US Army. It's basically a one-joke effort, but that joke has Hawn throwing herself with great gusto into the role of a bewildered spoilt brat who comes good and her Oscar-nominated performance has huge charm. If only director Howard Zieff had allowed someone else to get a look in - the members of the supporting cast are mere satellites around a perky sun - and the screenplay had been broadened to contain more than just gags about broken fingernails. Even so, Eileen Brennan (as best supporting actress) and the writers also received Oscar nominations.