Recruiter: "Now, either of you homosexuals?"
Winger: "You mean, like, flaming, or..."
Recruiter: Well it's a standard question we have to ask."
Russell: "No, we're not homosexual, but we are willing to learn."
Winger: "yeah, would they send us someplace special?
Recruiter: I guess that's "no" for both. Now if you could just give Uncle Sam your autograph..."
Stripes is a comedy in the same vein as Animal House, a film starring a bunch of slackers and misfits bucking the establishment. It stars the brilliant Bill Murray whose laid back approach lets the laughs come in nice and easy. He has his moments of John Belushi style hijinks, but nothing seems forced. Bill Murray was born to play the character of John Winger, the wisecracking unambitious lovable loser. He is joined by fellow Ghostbusters star Harold Ramis, who plays Russell Ziskey, Winger's sidekick in crime and comedy.
John Winger, fired from his menial job, dumped by his girlfriend, and reduced to betting $3 to see if he can do five pushups, decides to get his act together and join the army. He brings along his buddy Russell who is equally aloof. As is the case of such films, the army doesn't change Winger, Winger changes the army, as he gets by just as he always has in life, cracking jokes, challenging authority and doing as little as he can. This isn't supposed to be a story with a valuable lesson at the end; Winger gets away with it and comes out smelling like roses at the end. The film celebrates anarchy and mischief. It doesn't make any attempts to shun their bad behavior.
Harold Ramis has writer credits for both Stripes and Animal House and you can see the similarities in both movies. However I found Stripes to be funnier because the humor doesn't rely on the outrageousness of the characters and situations that Animal House does. It relies simply on telling jokes which are told thoughtfully, even if at times tastelessly, and always funny. One notable difference between the two films is the tone at the end. In these types of films you always expect the slackers to learn something valuable and redeem themselves in the end. There is no redemption or lesson in Animal House; the characters end up being badder than ever. Stripes follows a more traditional formula in that Winger admits responsibility for his actions and ends up being the saving the day even if he still ends the film as the same old goofball. I'm not saying one ending is better or more preferable than the other, just simply different.
Stripes made me laugh. Bill Murray is great. Loads of fun.
Grade: A-
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