Stripes

"The story of a man who wanted to keep the world safe for democracy...and meet girls."

1981 1h 46m EN

👍

6.6

SOLID

★6.6TMDB · 1,080

ActionComedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Hard-luck cabbie John Winger, directionless after being fired from his job and dumped by his girlfriend, enlists in the U.S. Army with his close pal, Russell Ziskey. After his barely satisfactory performance in basic training, the irreverent Winger emerges as the figurehead for a ragtag band of misfits. However, his hijinks threaten to cause an international scandal when he inadvertently commandeers a military assault vehicle behind enemy lines.

“The story of a man who wanted to keep the world safe for democracy...and meet girls.”

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Cast

Bill Murray
John Winger
Harold Ramis
Russell Ziskey
Warren Oates
Sgt. Hulka
P. J. Soles
Stella Hansen
Sean Young
Louise Cooper
John Candy
Dewey "Ox" Oxberger
John Larroquette
Capt. Stillman
John Voldstad
Stillman's Aid

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Ivan Reitman
Writers: Harold Ramis, Len Blum, Daniel Goldberg
Languages: English, Russian, Polish
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Made its money back 8.5× over at the box office.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

45 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 3 languages: English, Russian, Polish.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Ivan Reitman, shot by Wilmer Butler. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Elmer Bernstein. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Michael Luciano shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Bill Murray and Harold Ramis and Warren Oates carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The story of a man who wanted to keep the world safe for democracy...and meet girls.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Ivan Reitman directs. Wilmer Butler behind the camera. Elmer Bernstein scores. Michael Luciano cuts. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English, Russian, Polish.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Made its money back 8.5× over at the box office.
245 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Dialogue crosses 3 languages: English, Russian, Polish.
4Directed by Ivan Reitman, shot by Wilmer Butler. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Elmer Bernstein. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Michael Luciano shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Bill Murray and Harold Ramis and Warren Oates carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "The story of a man who wanted to keep the world safe for democracy...and meet girls.".
9IMDB entry: tt0083131 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 11 themes, including "date", "ex-girlfriend", "military spoof", "training camp".