Parents' Guide to G.I. Jane

A classic of the hyperbolic military cinema of its era (think Top Gun or A Few Good Men), this film's feminist agenda is bolstered by star Demi Moore's now iconic, shaved-head performance. As G.I. Jane, Moore emanates a steely toughness, even in the face of hazing from her male mates and a beating from her superior that borders on torture. The sadistic cruelty of Mortensen's character, embodied with gusto and some delicacy by the actor (even in outdated short shorts), provides a useful device for a key scene that flips attitudes in the female recruit's favor. It also sets up the added significance of Jordan's later heroism and a relational denouement at the end.

But viewers today might cringe to imagine there is a basis in reality for this brutality. The film's feminist message and Moore's buff physique (not quite but almost matching Linda Hamilton in The Terminator from six years earlier) were groundbreaking in traditionally male military films (think Apocalypse Now, which G.I. Jane echoes in a couple of key moments). There is at least one workout sequence that comes close to fetishizing Moore's buff body at the same time the script wants us to condemn the men sexualizing her. Other aspects of this foray can also feel a little outdated, from the characters' blatant sexism (and frequent cigar smoking) to the cinematography, which throws in sporadic slow-mo, extreme close-ups, and wonky battle scene camera movements. G.I. Jane provides an entertaining couple of hours and represents a worthy timepiece.