Fav Top Ten #2: The Americanization of Emily

Emily driving Commander Charlie Madison back to the hotel after they collected supplies of food for his Admiral while they’re staying London just near the time of D-Day WWII

Cmdr Madison saying goodnight to Ms Barham the first time she drove for him. He is about to give her a quick pat on the bottom which he receives his just rewards

Charlie faking an “old war wound” in order to ask Emily to join a dinner & bridge to entertain the Admiral & his special guest

Emily is giving Charlie a hard time near the beginning of the film after his invitation to the dinner party

Charlie has just told Emily she is a bit of a prig. Her response is I don’t mean to be.

Emily talking with a fellow bunk mate who is changing her hair colour for the due as a guess for Charlie’s dinner party. She tells Emily that Charlie throws together quite a spread.

Emily while lying on her bunk thinking, she asks her friend, “Do you think I am a bit of a prig.” Her friend tells her she is.

Emily begins talking about her passion for any wounded man in uniform. How her husband and her got married on his last night before he is shipped out and he goes and gets himself killed. She tries to comfort who come home wounded from battle.

Emily shows up at the store where Charlie gives away goods like Hershey Bars, cloths, perfume and nylons. Things that are impossible to get over in Europe during WWII. Emily tell Charlie she would love to come for dinner & bridge. He offers her a dress. She refuses & tells him she has her own, she doesn’t “need any Hershey Bars.”

Emily shows up in her gorgeous black dinner dress. Charlie is impressed & makes sure Emily know he is pleased. Before leaving for the night, Emily asks Charlie, “Do you have a woman?” His response, “Frankly, Ms. Barham that’s none of your business.”

Emily is in his room sitting on the bed when he returns from tucking the Admiral in for the night. As Charlie enters the room & sees Emily, he states, “As a matter of fact, I don’t have a woman.” They fall into each others arms on the bed. At some point, he starts talking again and Emily tells him, “Shut up and kiss me.”

The Admiral moments before bursts into the bedroom & states, “The first man on Omaha Beach must be a sailor.” Then just leaves. Emily and Charlie sit up fast & stare in the direction of the open door. Emily says, “That was rather piquant, wouldn’t you say?” Charlie says, “Yes, I would say that was rather piquant.”

Emily introduces her mother to Charlie at a tea party at their house. Her mother is in mourning over the loss of her husband and son during the war. Charlie talks about his feelings about war & a story of his wife back home. Emily wants to know what wife but he gets into a talk on “war” & “cowardice.” Emily discovers eventually about Charlie’s wife being upset when he comes home unexpectedly, so the only Mrs. Madison is his mother who lost a son already in the war. There is a great deal more to the scene. There is a clip near the end of the post which shows some of this part of the film. A good taste.

Emily is looking on curiously. This is about the time he mentions his wife.

Charlie is telling Mrs. Barham what he thinks about war heroes, war widows & glorifying the death that happens in war. She hears him & admits the death of her husband & eventually says that she will accept his Hershey Bars even if Emily won’t. She, also, thanks him for his honesty. It puts a whole new spirit inside of her. She tells he was kind. She hopes he will come again.

Charlie while on leave rows Emily out to an island to be alone & make love.

Emily tells Charlie he’s a rogue but it seems she doesn’t mind making love to one.

Emily continues by telling Charlie she feels they are basically incompatible & she hopes she doesn’t get pregnant. He tells her later, “Oh, I do hope you do get pregnant.”

Charlie proposes. After which he says a speech which includes the line, “What is a lion doing in a man’s home anyway. I would die for you, my family, my country, a world, in that order.”

Charlie’s friend & fellow officer Bus cuts his orders to make a film of the first man on Omaha Beach is a sailor. The film for the Admiral, who is going just a bit crackers. Charlie tells him he won’t go.

Emily drove Charlie to the plane to take him to the front line where they will take off in transport heading for Omaha Beach. They are saying there goodbyes. Charlie had given Emily the marriage papers. All she needs to do us sign them. But there is a hitch. He is all excited because he know they are going to be late arriving. By the time they get there, everyone will have shipped off. But Bus is not aware of this. Emily doesn’t find it funny. She finally tell Charlie, she can’t marry him. She doesn’t like the prank he is playing on his country. Charlie told Emily she is the coward. She can’t stand the fact that he will come back alive. She prefers her men in battle to die before she has to really make a commitment. She tells Charlie, “I’ll slap your face, Charlie.” He tells her, “Go ahead, I’m a coward. I won’t slap you back.” This makes Emily furious. She gets to slap him a few times. Tears running down her face. But the rain covers her tears. Charlie says goodbye as he peals back the wrappings on his Hershey bar and he states what is written on the poster above. A great statement.

Charlie was wrong. When they arrived D-Day had been postponed because of rain. They got drunk & the next day in a drunken state they were loaded on a transport, given cameras & on their way to Omaha Beach to shoot the first man on Omaha Beach being a sailor.

This is Charlie running up on Omaha Beach. The first sailor to arrive. Reason for this bravery is Bus was shooting at him. It’s pure panic you see.

Emily is sad & numb. Her mother keeps burning the Daily papers. Bus shows up to pay his condolences & tells them the grand plan for Charlie. He is the first dead man on Omaha Beach & he is a sailor. The Admiral will have a statue erected for him. Mrs. Barham & Emily’s reactions are “Why on Earth would you do that. Isn’t it bad enough he’s dead. No, we must get on with our lives. Charlie wouldn’t want any of this.” Bus is confused. He thinks they should be proud Charlie’s a hero but they are not going to celebrate Charlie’s death & they feel Bus should stop all this nonsense.

Charlie comes back from the dead and Emily has been flown to the location by the Admiral to go meet him. But this is not the complete ending.