Gung Ho (1986)

User Rating:

5.8/10   

Director:

Ron Howard

Writers:

Edwin Blum (story)
Lowell Ganz (screenplay)

Release Date:

14 March 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

When East meets West, the laughs shift into high gear!

Plot:

When a Japanese car company buys an American plant, the American liason must mediate the clash of work attitudes between the foreign management and native labor.

Plot Keywords:

Japanese | Friendship | Fight The System | Fiat | Culture Clash

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Michael Keaton	...	Hunt Stevenson
Gedde Watanabe	...	Oishi Kazihiro
George Wendt	...	Buster
Mimi Rogers	...	Audrey
John Turturro	...	Willie
Sô Yamamura	...	Mr. Sakamoto (as Soh Yamamura)
Sab Shimono	...	Saito
Rick Overton	...	Googie
Clint Howard	...	Paul
Jihmi Kennedy	...	Junior
Michelle Johnson	...	Heather DiStefano
Rodney Kageyama	...	Ito
Rance Howard	...	Mayor Conrad Zwart
Patti Yasutake	...	Umeki Kazihiro (as Patti Yasuiake)
Jerry Tondo	...	Kazuo

Also Known As:

Working Class Man

Runtime:

112 min | USA:111 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:PG | Iceland:L | South Korea:All | New Zealand:PG | Finland:S | Norway:11 | Sweden:7 | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 | Spain:T

Filming Locations:

Beaver, Pennsylvania, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

The car used in the movie is a FIAT Regata - it was produced from 1983 to 1990.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When Hunt is talking to the workers at a union rally, he strikes up memories of the "high school state title basketball game in Pittsburgh". Pennsylvania's state title in basketball is always played in Hershey.

Quotes:

Kazihiro: [Hunt has been offered a job by his Japanese bosses] Can we count on you?
Hunt Stevenson: Fellas... is a frog's ass watertight?
Kazihiro: [he discusses it with his colleagues in Japanese] Yes. We believe it is.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Cars (2006)

Soundtrack:

CAN'T WAIT ANOTHER MINUTE

terrific, underrated movie

This is a wonderful movie with a fun, clever story and the dynamics of culture differences and the running theme of what's important in life make this a very under-appreciated movie. Don't let the cynics of the world deter you from seeing this. Keaton has wonderful moments and I wonder at the fact that comedy is never appreciated, because actors like Keaton make going from humor to serious bits look tremendously easy. Great movie all around!