Travolta reportedly declined both American Gigolo and this role; Gere's subsequent career slump is placed against competition among leading men before Internal Affairs and Pretty Woman revived him.
Gere is preferred to Travolta because his mystery and harder edge make the breakdown believable; Travolta's sweetness and broader quality are considered less suitable.
An online claim that John Denver was offered Mayo is treated as a disastrous hypothetical and met with disbelief.
Jeff Bridges reportedly was Hackford’s original choice but was unavailable.
Travolta reportedly declined Mayo.
Harry Hamlin was reportedly considered for Mayo.
Christopher Reeve was reportedly considered for Mayo.
Kevin Costner reportedly auditioned for Mayo.
The role is imagined as a major alternate career break for Harry Hamlin.
Sigourney Weaver was a reported Paula possibility but is judged unsuitable.
Anjelica Huston was a reported Paula possibility but is judged unsuitable.
Jennifer Jason Leigh reportedly left for Fast Times and is considered plausible but inferior to Winger.
The performer transcribed as DeMorne (identity unresolved) reportedly auditioned and is considered too glamorous for Paula but plausible for Lynette.
Meg Ryan reportedly auditioned for Paula.
Geena Davis reportedly auditioned for Paula.
Jack Nicholson reportedly declined Foley.
Mandy Patinkin was reportedly rejected on ethnicity grounds before research into Black drill instructors redirected casting.

Roger Ebert's review

In the discussion (2)

Approx. transcript time · 00:26:04Read transcript

Ebert gave four stars, praising emotional risk, developed characters and sexuality grounded in discovering who the characters are.
Siskel and Ebert's enthusiasm is recalled as another instance of critics longing for older filmmaking even during a strong contemporary movie year.

Recasting Couch

Stone, unresolved DeMorne name or Arquette as Lynette; Quaid, Hanks or Reinhold as Sid; Dennis Quaid as Mayo; later-era Denzel as Foley

In the discussion (8)

Approx. transcript time · 01:06:38Read transcript

The cast is largely considered untouchable; Sharon Stone and The performer transcribed as DeMorne (identity unresolved) are proposed for Lynette, with continued admiration for Lisa Blount.
Randy Quaid is proposed for Sid.
Judge Reinhold is proposed for Sid.
Tom Hanks is proposed for Sid, with enthusiasm for an Oklahoma accent.
Dennis Quaid is proposed as a plausible alternative Mayo.
A later-era Denzel Washington is proposed as an especially strong Foley, explicitly outside the original casting period.
Denzel's military filmography is recalled in support of the hypothetical Foley casting; A Soldier's Story and Adolph Caesar's sergeant are praised.
Rosanna Arquette is a late Lynette recasting proposal.

Half-Assed Internet Research

Stewart’s experience; medals; actor isolation; training; fight double; locations; motorcycle; ending; ring; Winger contract

In the discussion (13)

Approx. transcript time · 01:08:32Read transcript

The screenplay reportedly draws on Douglas Day Stewart's officer-candidate experience, including a real Paula he dated but did not marry; this is credited for the setting's specificity.
Foley’s decorations are listed as the Vietnam Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, Gallantry Cross unit citation, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Presidential Unit Citation, and a final item transcribed as “Combat Actionary” (unresolved). Their extensive detail is appreciated without requiring the film to explain each one.
Hackford reportedly housed Gossett twenty miles away to keep him apart from the other actors.
Lisa Eilbacher reportedly found it frustrating to pretend to struggle on the obstacle course because she was in excellent physical condition.
Gere reportedly mastered the karate while Gossett struggled, accidentally kicked him in the groin, and a trained stand-in was used during Gossett's two-day absence.
Foley putting Mayo's dollar in the right rather than prescribed left pocket is interpreted as a small deliberate rebuke.
The Tides Inn is identified as the motel location.
The hangar is reportedly now the 1,200-seat McCurdy Pavilion.
Mayo’s motorcycle is identified as a Triumph Bonneville.
Gere reportedly disliked the ending until factory workers became emotional during rehearsal.
Stewart’s listed credits include The Boy in the Plastic Bubble, The Blue Lagoon, this film, Thief of Hearts, and Listen to Me. Thief of Hearts is praised for a burglar using a stolen diary to become a woman’s dream man; Listen to Me is recalled as a debate movie with Kirk Cameron, Jami Gertz, Roy Scheider, and Amanda Peterson.
Keith reportedly swallowed a ring attached to string so it could be retrieved.
Winger reportedly negotiated without an agent and omitted a nudity clause, leaving her surprised by a more explicit rewritten sex scene.

Top Ten List

1980 domestic box office

In the discussion (2)

Approx. transcript time · 01:17:08Read transcript

The spoken 1980 domesticboxoffice ranking is:1 Star Wars (specific installment not stated);2 Nine to Five;3 Stir Crazy;4 Kramer vs. Kramer;5 Any Which Way You Can;6 Private Benjamin;7 Coal Miner’s Daughter;8 Bandit II (shortened spoken title);9 The Blues Brothers;10 Ordinary People.
Lower positions are given as The Shining 12, Caddyshack 14, Friday the 13 th 15 and Raging Bull 20.

Picking Nits

Worley’s taunting; motel clerk; timeline; trainees; math; factory safety; ages

In the discussion (9)

Approx. transcript time · 01:18:20Read transcript

Worley taunting Foley from the boat is questioned as inconsistent with everyone's supposed fear of him.
The motel clerk not warning Mayo about Sid swallowing a ring is questioned, with a counterargument that clerks routinely ignore strange behavior.
The late timeline is criticized as confusing: a few days apart play like a long breakup, while earlier training weeks pass rapidly.
One more developed trainee or rival is proposed to strengthen the graduation payoff, but an objection notes that this would turn the romantic drama into Top Gun.
The small size of the training class is questioned, with the short course duration offered as a possible explanation.
Whether Mayo ever learned the required mathematics or relied entirely on Sid remains uncertain.
Kissing Paula while she operates machinery and coworkers abandoning their posts are joked about as workplace hazards.
The trainees' apparent ages and the small age gaps between actors playing parents and children are questioned; an explicit reference to Mayo nearing the eligibility cutoff is suggested.
Rosanna Arquette is a late Lynette recasting proposal.

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Opening encounter; Mayo’s athletics; officer admission; Lynette’s pregnancy; Sid’s nudity; ring stunt; David Keith or Keith David

In the discussion (7)

Approx. transcript time · 01:26:18Read transcript

The question of whether Mayo and his father shared a graduation-present sexual encounter is revisited and answered affirmatively.
Mayo's exceptional athletic ability and apparent ease of entering officer training raise questions about his background and admission requirements.
Whether Lynette was really pregnant remains unresolved; one interpretation is that she believed she was late, while her callous rejection matters regardless.
The confrontation's harsh language is contrasted with a sanitized online quotation and memories of heavily edited broadcast versions.
Why Sid is naked when found dead is unresolved; an explanation about avoiding dying in uniform is challenged because he wore civilian clothes, and alternative scenarios are explicitly joking speculation.
The reported real ring swallowing is questioned as unnecessary when editing could create the same effect.
A David Keith versus Keith David question is answered in favor of Keith David.

Best Double Feature

Poster unavailable

Top Gun

Poster unavailable

Iron Eagle

In the discussion (2)

Approx. transcript time · 01:29:09Read transcript

Top Gun is the explicit double-feature choice; Full Metal Jacket is floated as what others may be thinking, while Sleep With Me is referenced for its Top Gun commentary rather than selected as a pairing.
Iron Eagle is another double-feature proposal built around Gossett.

Producer review

Sweet, satisfying, emotionally engaging

In the discussion (2)

Approx. transcript time · 01:31:37Read transcript

The producer enjoyed the sweetness, satisfying happy ending and investment in many characters.
Sid’s death was unexpected but felt emotionally handled; anticipated violence from Mayo did not materialize.