Gung Ho (1986)

Director:

Ron Howard

Writers:

Edwin Blum (story) and
Lowell Ganz (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

14 March 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

When East meets West, the laughs shift into high gear!

Plot:

When a Japanese car company buys an American plant, the American liason must mediate the clash of work attitudes between the foreign management and native labor.

Plot Keywords:

Japanese | Friendship | Fight The System | Fiat | Culture Clash

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Michael Keaton	...	Hunt Stevenson
Gedde Watanabe	...	Oishi Kazihiro
George Wendt	...	Buster
Mimi Rogers	...	Audrey
John Turturro	...	Willie
Sô Yamamura	...	Mr. Sakamoto (as Soh Yamamura)
Sab Shimono	...	Saito
Rick Overton	...	Googie
Clint Howard	...	Paul
Jihmi Kennedy	...	Junior
Michelle Johnson	...	Heather DiStefano
Rodney Kageyama	...	Ito
Rance Howard	...	Mayor Conrad Zwart
Patti Yasutake	...	Umeki Kazihiro (as Patti Yasuiake)
Jerry Tondo	...	Kazuo
Dennis Sakamoto	...	Matsumura
Stan Egi	...	Kenji (as Stanford Egi)
Martin Ferrero	...	Crandall
James Ritz	...	Tony
Dock P. Ellis Jr.	...	Luke
Richard M. McNally	...	Milt
Jean Speegle Howard	...	Lady in Market (as Jean Speegle)
Thomas Ikeda	...	Instructor #1
Noboru Kataoka	...	Management Trainee
Mariye Inouye	...	Secretary
Juhachiro Takada	...	Instructor #2
Linda Carola	...	Cashier
Jun Lyle Kamesaki	...	Kazihiro's Son
Tamie Saiki	...	Kazihiro's Daughter
Charlie Samaha	...	Store Owner
Nann Mogg	...	Store Owner's Wife
Paul C. Nolan	...	Dr. Klotzer
R. Scott Peck	...	Union Member
Joseph Pilato	...	Union Member
William S. Bartman	...	Union Member
Tommy Lafitte	...	Union Member
Jim S. Cash	...	Mayor's Aide (as James Cash)
Kim Chan	...	Member of Board
Bill Dalzell	...	Irwin
Tak Kubota	...	Failed Executive
Frank Seals Jr.	...	Umpire (as Frank Seals)
Maria Barney	...	Softball Fan
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Robert Hammond	...	Auto Worker (uncredited)
John W. Iwanonkiw	...	Car Builder (uncredited)
Lynette Jenkins	...	Luke's Wife (uncredited)
Daniel Krell	...	Auto Worker (uncredited)
Fred Lehman	...	Auto Worker (uncredited)
Wil Masisak	...	Worker with Chips (uncredited)
Joe Shelby	...	Union Driver (uncredited)

Directed by
Ron Howard

Writing credits
Edwin Blum		(story) and
Lowell Ganz		(story) &
Babaloo Mandel		(story)
Lowell Ganz		(screenplay) &
Babaloo Mandel		(screenplay)

Produced by
Deborah Blum	....	producer
Lowell Ganz	....	associate producer
Tony Ganz	....	producer
Ron Howard	....	executive producer
Jan R. Lloyd	....	associate producer
Babaloo Mandel	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Thomas Newman

Cinematography by
Donald Peterman		(director of photography) (as Don Peterman)

Film Editing by
Daniel P. Hanley		(as Daniel Hanley)
Mike Hill		(as Michael Hill)

Casting by
Karen Rea

Production Design by
James L. Schoppe		(as James Schoppe)

Art Direction by
Jack G. Taylor Jr.

Set Decoration by
John H. Anderson		(as John Anderson)

Costume Design by
Betsy Cox

Makeup Department
Janis Clark	....	hair stylist
Janet Flora	....	makeup artist
Ric Sagliani	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Ralph Haiek	....	production executive: Argentina
Neil A. Machlis	....	production manager
Carlos Olveira	....	production manager: Argentina
Eduardo Ostrogovich	....	production executive: Argentina

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Tony Ganz	....	second unit director
Janet G. Knutsen	....	second assistant director
Jan R. Lloyd	....	first assistant director
Américo Ortiz de Zárate	....	first assistant director: Argentina
Aldric La'auli Porter	....	second assistant director
Claudio Reiter	....	second assistant director: Argentina

Art Department
Nigel A. Boucher	....	lead man
Guy Bushman	....	assistant property master
Luis Camaño	....	art department: Argentina
Steven M. Levine	....	property master
Charles R. Lipscomb	....	lead man
Wil Masisak	....	set designer: neon lighting
James F. Orendorff	....	construction coordinator

Sound Department
Clint Althouse	....	boom operator
Michael J. Cerone	....	sound re-recording mixer
Richard S. Church	....	sound mixer
Anthony J. Ciccolini III	....	supervising sound editor
Marko A. Costanzo	....	foley artist
Harriet Fidlow	....	sound editor
Robert Hein	....	sound editor
Michael Jacobi	....	adr editor
Dennie C. Modes	....	cable person
Jeffrey Stern	....	sound editor
Dick Vorisek	....	sound re-recording mixer

Special Effects by
Ricardo Lanzoni	....	special effects: Argentina
Stan Parks	....	special effects
Oscar Pastorino	....	special effects: Argentina

Stunts
Allan Graf	....	stunts
Ted Grossman	....	stunts
Brian Imada	....	stunts
Jeff Imada	....	stunts
Mike H. McGaughy	....	stunts (as Mike McGaughy)
Kenny Searle	....	stunts (as Kenneth Searle)

Camera and Electrical Department
Dana Altomare	....	second assistant camera: New York
Adger W. Cowans	....	still photographer
Glenn David	....	best boy grip
Richard Dow	....	dolly grip
Peter Eco	....	director of photography: New York
Mel Kekuewa	....	electrician
Gábor Kövér	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Norman Lang	....	electrician
Jeffrey Laszlo	....	camera operator: New York
Ted Lichtenheld	....	first assistant photographer: Argentina
Kal Manning	....	gaffer (as Wright K. Manning)
Nick McLean	....	director of photography: second unit
Keith Peterman	....	camera operator
Scott Rathner	....	second assistant camera: New York
Calmar Roberts	....	first assistant camera (as Calmar King Roberts Jr.)
Waverly Smothers	....	best boy grip
Calvin Sterry	....	key grip
Ken M. Suzuki	....	best boy electric

Casting Department
William H. Bartman	....	extras casting coordinator
Glenn F. Haines	....	casting assistant
Clayton Hill	....	extras casting: Pittsburgh
Sharon Hill	....	extras casting: Pittsburgh

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Thomas C. Dickason	....	costumer: men
Daniel J. Lester	....	costume supervisor: men
Marisa Urruti	....	costumer: Argentina (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Guy Barresi	....	assistant film editor
Terry Haggar	....	color timer
Mary McGlone	....	assistant film editor
Roger Tweten	....	assistant film editor

Music Department
Peter Afterman	....	music supervisor
Tony Bongiovi	....	special music consultant
Kenneth Karman	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Joel Marrow	....	transportation coordinator
Gustavo Oldán	....	transportation: Argentina
Stewart Satterfield	....	transportation captain
Kenny Searle	....	transportation captain (as Kenneth V. Searle)

Other crew
LeAnne Baker	....	production assistant
Pater Beshar	....	production assistant
Bruce Carter	....	production assistant
Peggy Coleman	....	production assistant
Carline Davis-Dyer	....	script supervisor
Brad Dechter	....	source arrangements
Maria-Julia Herrero	....	assistant to production executives: Argentina
Lillian O. MacNeill	....	script supervisor (as Lillian MacNeil)
Louisa Marie	....	assistant: Mr. Howard
Michael John Meehan	....	location manager (as Michael Meehan)
Eric Myers	....	unit publicist
Sylvie Nante	....	production secretary: Argentina
Brad Peterman	....	production assistant
Evangelina Rivera	....	production assistant
Gary Rocklen	....	title designer
Nico Sarudiansky	....	production assistant (as Nicolas Sarudiansky)
Nina Saxon	....	title designer
Margie Walker	....	production assistant
Gayle Wurthner	....	production assistant
Luis A. Sartor	....	production coordinator: Argentina (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures

Distributors

• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1989) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Paramount Pictures (1986) (USA) (theatrical)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (Spain) (2003) (Spain) (DVD)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (1987) (Spain) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  cranes and dollies
• White Gloves  negative cutting

Also Known As:

Runtime:

112 min | USA:111 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:PG | Iceland:L | South Korea:All | New Zealand:PG | Netherlands:6 | Portugal:M/6 | Finland:S | Norway:11 | Sweden:7 | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 | Spain:T

Filming Locations:

Beaver, Pennsylvania, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Many of the Japanese actors from the film reprised their roles for the short-lived television series "Gung Ho" (1986).

Goofs:

Continuity: During the softball game, as Buster is running the bases he knocks down Saito. As Saito is helped up and begins walking off the field, he puts his sunglasses on in a crooked fashion (maybe the glasses are broken). In the next cut while still walking off the field, Saito is no longer wearing the sunglasses.

Quotes:

Mr. Sakamoto:[hands a janitor's mop to Saito, the naysayer executive, effectively demoting Saito from VP to janitor]
Mr. Sakamoto:Good luck in your new career.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "King of the Hill: Stressed for Success (#8.19)" (2004)

Soundtrack:

CAN'T WAIT ANOTHER MINUTE

Welcome Back to the Lost World of the 80's.

Sherman, set the wayback machine for... 1986. The United States was just climbing out of its worst postwar recession, while Japan was enjoying an unprecedented industrial boom. Manufacturing industries were still a significant part of the US economy, and factory workers were a good example of the "average American". The word "downsizing" hadn't entered the general vocabulary yet, but everyone knew the phenomenon. Bruce could be heard on the radio singing, "Foreman says these jobs are going, boy, and they ain't coming back to your hometown." Chrysler had just been bailed out by Uncle Sam. Bumper stickers could be seen saying "Buy American -- the job you save may be your own."

"Gung Ho" does a better job of capturing the mood of the American industrial workforce than just about any other popular movie made during that period. Certainly the movie has its flaws -- some loose plot threads and mediocre acting jobs by everyone except Michael Keaton and Gedde Watanabe. But the story really is about the meeting of East and West: Keaton's Hunt Stevenson personifies America, brash and confident on the outside yet insecure underneath. Watanabe's Kazuhiro personifies Japan, on top of the heap with a successful system, but wondering if there is more to be learned from their Western rivals. The movie's plot, flawed as it is, simply provides a framework for the conflict, and eventually synthesis, of their two personalities.

Keaton's acting overshadows everyone else's, and practically makes the movie by itself. I've always admired Keaton for his ability to deliver lines that feel improvised, no matter what script he's following. His character, Hunt Stevenson, is a likable, affable everyman, a natural leader with a wise-ass streak. But he has a fatal flaw common to many of us: he doesn't want to disappoint anyone. He'll distract the crowd with inspirational anecdotes, and even lie, rather than point out the ugly truth.

Kazuhiro is the mirror image of Stevenson: shy and introspective, but also, because of his Japanese upbringing, reluctant to be the bearer of bad news. The scene in which Stevenson first comes to Kazuhiro with the employees' grievances captures perfectly the Japanese approach to workplace conflict. Kazuhiro replies to Stevenson's complaints with "I understand what you are saying," but won't refuse his requests out loud. Stevenson misinterprets this as agreement, and goes away saying, "Okay, we've got that settled." (This is still a problem in Japanese-American business relations in the 21st century!)

Ultimately, Kazuhiro and Stevenson have the same problem: get the factory working smoothly, meet production goals, and fulfill their responsibility to the workers under them. In working towards this goal, they each have to take a page from the others' book. Kazuhiro's family becoming more "Americanized" is an obvious example. Also note that Stevenson thinks it's odd when Kazuhiro explains how he had to make a public apology to his workers for failing them -- and yet, later in the movie, Stevenson does exactly that himself.

The plot and its resolution are a little cornball, but hey, this is a comedy. If you can overlook the movie's flaws, there is a great story about self-realization and open-mindedness here.