Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn have been together as a couple about 20 years now. They say that it all began when they worked together in the movie Swing Shift while it was being filmed back in 1983 and was released the next spring. I can’t say I’m surprised. Watching this, I couldn’t help but notice their obvious attraction to each other. It went beyond 2 actors portraying their roles.
Swing Shift is not what you’d consider typical Goldie Hawn fare. There isn’t any silliness and it isn’t funny. Now, personally, I love to watch her in those type films, so that wasn’t a slam. She’s a favorite of mine. But here in Swing Shift she proves herself to be a fine actress that can reach into a character and make you feel what that person is feeling. It is some of her best work in my humble opinion.
Directed by Jonathan Demme, Swing Shift begins with the beautiful voice of Carly Simon singing “Someone Waits for You”. And I should also note that the film ends with that song. At the start of the film, while the song is being played, old black and white photos are shown that set the time frame of the story, the early days of World War II.
The young men are shipped out and the little women that they’ve left behind have to find a way to pick up the pieces and also pay the bills. That is the premise of this story. History tells us of the mass employment of women into the work field in those days. And their quick dismissal as soon as the war was over and the men returned to resume their old jobs.
It was interesting to hear the salary that was being offered....60 cents an hour, working the swing shift. And there was also a little “training speech”, where the teacher comments that this work is suited to you gals, because riveting is a repetitive task. Something tells me that little “talk” wouldn’t quite go over very well in todays’ workplace....thank Goodness.
The characters include Kay Walsh (Goldie Hawn), her husband Jack (Ed Harris), their neighbor Hazel (Christine Lahti) and a sexy trumpet player by the name of Lucky (Kurt Russell). Anyone care to wonder how he got his name (check out them lips, Baby...)???
Jack must leave to serve his country, while Kay and Hazel obtain jobs at the local aircraft manufacturer as riveters. Lucky is one of the “Lead Men” (supervisors in todays’ lingo) and finds himself attracted to Kay. On a daily basis he asks her to come to the club where he performs at night with a jazz band. She “resists his advances” (Lordy, I think I’ve watched Gone With the Wind too many times) for months, but eventually the hormones kick in and you can imagine what happens. Will the hubby find out when he returns home from the war?
This makes the film sound so simplistic, just another your-cheatin-heart type love story, but that’s not the case here. The fear as well as the changing of roles, the friendships and the many losses all due to the effects of the war are shown here. One of the most emotional moments is when a friend and co-worker of Kays’, Jeannie, (Holly Hunter) is informed of her husbands’ death. Very touching scene, to say the least.
Christine Lahti was nominated by the Academy Awards for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her role here as Hazel. If you watch this film, you’ll see why. She does a wonderful job. And it’s obvious that she and Goldie work very well together. Ed Harris appears early in the film and again at the end, so his time on screen is rather brief.
Swing Shift is rated PG and runs about 100 minutes. I particularly loved the sounds of both the Swing and Jazz music that is played throughout the film. This one definitely gets 4 and 1/2 stars.
If you like to watch folks battlin' it out, just head over to sleeper54's page to see the war that is being waged between movie and book writers in his Lean and Mean Write/Off 2. The goal is to shorten our reviews and use less than 666 words. Check out the entries...
It's World War II and Kay's husband Jack Ed Harris has just joined the military. Kay Goldie Hawn like so many women of the period decides to go to wor...More at Family Video
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