An Officer and a Gentleman
An Officer and a Gentleman is a 1982 American romantic drama film directed by Taylor Hackford from a screenplay by Douglas Day Stewart, and starring Richard Gere, Debra Winger, and Louis Gossett Jr. It tells the story of Zack Mayo (Gere), a United States Navy Aviation Officer Candidate who is beginning his training at Aviation Officer Candidate School. While Zack meets his first true girlfriend during his training, a young "townie" named Paula (Winger), he also comes into conflict with the hard-driving Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley (Gossett) training his class.
Plot
After his mother's suicide, adolescent Zachary "Zack" Mayo was sent to live with his alcoholic womanizing father, Byron, a US Navy petty officer stationed in US Naval Base Subic Bay, Philippines and grew up as a military brat. Now an adult, Zack has graduated from college and prepares to report to Port Rainier, an Aviation Officer Candidate School (AOCS), located near Port Townsend, Washington. Zack surprises Byron by announcing his intention to become a Navy jet pilot.