Stripes

STRIPES opens on a particularly bad day in the life of John Winger (Bill Murray). He's quit his job; his car has been repossessed; his girlfriend has left him -- all of which he's brought upon himself. Seeking solace from his lifelong buddy, Russell (Harold Ramis), it's a time of self-pity and self-blame. John acknowledges that he's worthless. At that perfect moment, a recruiting ad for the U.S. Army appears on television before them. Its message is "You're going nowhere!" That resonates with John. The army is exactly what he needs and what Russell, an amiable if unambitious English teacher, needs, too. They sign, hoping for discipline, duty, honor, courage, and, of course, exotic travel. Alas, basic training is not at all what they expected. Instead they've joined a platoon of oddballs and misfits, including "Ox" (John Candy), an obese blowhard. Their sergeant is demanding but fair -- and is fair game for John Winger's comic wrath. They mess up. They meet beautiful MPs and fall in love. They mess up again. And, finally, in an adventure of farcical proportions, they drag their whole platoon, their sergeant, their captain, and their girlfriends into an armed battle with a Russian battalion in Czechoslovakia. Huh?