This pleasing effort from director John Schlesinger glows with a homely period charm, but never descends into sentimentality. The story is about GIs stationed in Britain during the Second World War - Richard Gere always looks good in uniform - and Schlesinger gives a nice touch to the simmering juxtaposition of British working-class morality on a buzz bomb collision course with young adult hormones. The strong ensemble cast interplays superbly, and the scene where the lads march off for D-Day is particularly moving.

During WWII, the United States set up army bases in Great Britain as part of the war effort. Against their proper sensibilities, many of the Brits don't much like the brash Yanks, especially when it comes to the G.I.s making advances on the lonely British girls. One relationship that develops is between married John, an Army Captain, and the aristocratic Helen, whose naval husband is away at war. Helen loves her husband, but Helen and John are looking for some comfort during the difficult times.