Yanks (1979)

During WWII, the United States set up army bases in Great Britain as part of the war effort. Against their proper sensibilities, many of the Brits don't much like the brash Yanks, ... See full summary »

Director:

John Schlesinger

Writers:

Colin Welland (story), Colin Welland (screenplay)

Stars:

Richard Gere, Lisa Eichhorn, Vanessa Redgrave

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 6 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Richard Gere	...	Matt Dyson
Lisa Eichhorn	...	Jean Moreton
Vanessa Redgrave	...	Helen
William Devane	...	John
Chick Vennera	...	Danny Ruffelo
Wendy Morgan	...	Mollie
Rachel Roberts	...	Mrs. Clarrie Moreton
Tony Melody	...	Mr. Jim Moreton
Martin Smith	...	Geoff
Philip Wileman	...	Billy (as Philip Whileman)
Derek Thompson	...	Ken
Simon Harrison	...	Tim
Joan Hickson	...	Mrs. Moody
Arlen Dean Snyder	...	Henry
Annie Ross	...	Red Cross Lady

Storyline

During WWII, the United States set up army bases in Great Britain as part of the war effort. Against their proper sensibilities, many of the Brits don't much like the brash Yanks, especially when it comes to the G.I.s making advances on the lonely British girls, some whose boyfriends are also away for the war. One Yank/Brit relationship that develops is between married John, an Army Captain, and the aristocratic Helen, whose naval husband is away at war. Helen does whatever she needs to support the war effort. Helen loves her husband, but Helen and John are looking for some comfort during the difficult times. Another relationship develops between one of John's charges, Matt, a talented mess hall cook, and Jean. Jean is apprehensive at first about even seeing Matt, who is persistent in his pursuit of her. Jean is in a committed relationship with the kind Ken, her childhood sweetheart who is also away at war. But Jean is attracted to the respect with which Matt treats her. Despite Ken ...

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Plot Keywords:

american abroad | train station | soldier | sex scene | premarital sex | 

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Taglines:

Love during wartime.

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Genres:

Drama | War

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 November 1979 (UK)

Also Known As:

Yanks - Gestern waren wir noch Fremde

Filming Locations:

Moore, Warrington, Cheshire, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$6,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$3,931,010

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$3,931,010

Company Credits

Production Co:

CIP Filmproduktion GmbH

Technical Specs

Runtime:

138 min 165 min (director's cut)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White (archive footage) Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The movie's opening image is of a war memorial which is actually located in the town centre of Stalybridge, Lancashire, England.

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Goofs

Matt and Danny are U.S, Army cooks, hence non-combatants. They are shown undergoing training with fake landing craft for D-Day. As cooks, they would be in the rear and would certainly not land on the beach with infantrymen under fire.

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Quotes

Danny: [naked in an uncovered exterior shower, watching the Red Cross trucks pass] That's the Red Cross...they only do it for officers.
Matt: If you don't put your uniform on, they'll never tell the difference.

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Crazy Credits

The names in the opening credits are divided into two categories: The Americans and The British.

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Connections

Featured in Talking Pictures: Episode #1.3 (1979)

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Soundtracks

Auld Lang Syne
(uncredited)
Traditional tune, lyrics by Robert Burns
Heard at the New Year's Eve dance

User Reviews

Schlesinger's masterful tale of two cultures

This is a beautifully judged and paced 1979 film by John Schlesinger, which explores wartime romance and a unique culture clash, with sensitivity, wit and an affectionate eye for the period in which it is set. The time, 1943/4; the place, a small town in the north of England; the parties, the US Army gathering for the invasion of mainland Europe, and the locals grateful for the military assistance but watchful for the virtue of their wives and daughters.

Richard Gere's Sergeant-Cook, Matt, is surely still one of his best and certainly most sympathetic roles. His love affair with shopkeeper's daughter Jean (Lisa Eichhorn) - together with another on/off romance further up the social scale between William Devane's Captain and Vanessa Redgrave's upper class lady - highlight the painful choice between love and loyalty which war often presents. Meanwhile, the sunnier, trouble-free pairing and marriage of boxer Danny (Chick Vennera) and happy-go-lucky Mollie (Wendy Morgan) demonstrates that war can offer fresh starts as well as tragic ends.

Though Schlesinger bases most of the film on the moral (and cinematic) values of the time in which it is set, he reminds us in one sequence of the segregation and race problems in the US Army, which would not be resolved until after the war (and of wider race problems in the US generally, which are still not resolved). Rightly, the movie makes no attempt to avoid emotion; and the ending with the troops, including Matt, Danny and the Captain, moving south to an uncertain future with the invasion force is genuinely moving.