Synopsis
"Naval petty officers 'Badass' Buddusky (
Jack Nicholson) and 'Mule' Mulhall (
Otis Young) are assigned to escort 18-year-old seaman Larry Meadows (
Randy Quaid) to a naval prison, where he’ll serve eight years for stealing $40 from his Admiral’s wife’s charity. Taking a shine to the luckless lad, the two career sailors decide to show him a good time in the major cities between Virginia and New Hampshire. Notable for
Robert Towne’s foul-mouthed screenplay, which held the record for expletives in the callow pre-
Tarantino days – Columbia Pictures stalled production for years hoping Towne would clean up the language. Nicholson’s zesty performance won Best Actor at Cannes; he, Quaid, and Towne received Oscar nods; and
Andrew Sarris praised
Hal Ashby’s 'sensitive, precise direction.' Look fast for
Gilda Radner as a Nichiren Shoshu Buddhist in her movie debut. Echoes of this New Hollywood classic resound throughout
Apatow’s films." – Film Society Lincoln Center
