Protocol (1984)

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.

Watching it is like watching the spectacle of a class clown at their best: you laugh at their jokes, instigate their defiance, and "ooooh" when they get in trouble.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Pleasant enough Goldie Hawn vehicle (which the star also executive produced) is seen as a politically-oriented variation on her best known film, "Private Benjamin". Goldie plays Sunny Davis, a cheerful, if not terribly savvy, nightclub waitress who manages to prevent an assassination one night. A grateful U.S. of A. rewards her with a meaningless job, although soon it is revealed that her new employers have an agenda. They aim to use her to mollify a Middle Eastern ruler (Richard Romanus), because they want to build a military base in his country.So-so material has its moments, but overall it's a rather mild satire. It's never as funny as one might like, and even gets corny by the end when the filmmakers go for a rather Capra-esque resolution. The biggest set piece is a lively party thrown at Sunny's old workplace in order to show Romanus a good time.Still, Goldie is extremely appealing as always. Her bright personality helps to smooth over any flaws in the plot. She's assisted by an excellent supporting cast, just FULL of familiar faces. The handsome Chris Sarandon of "Fright Night" and "Child's Play" fame is her love interest, a specialist in Middle Eastern affairs. Gail Strickland, Cliff De Young, Keith Szarabajka, and Ed Begley Jr. play various shady Washington types. Andre Gregory is amusing in the role of Romanus' chief adviser. Keep your eyes peeled for Amanda Bearse ('Married...with Children') on a TV monitor; John Ratzenberger ('Cheers') has an uncredited cameo as a security guard being interviewed.Scripted by writer / actor Buck Henry, based on a story by Charles Shyer, Nancy Meyers, and Harvey Miller. Shyer, Meyers, and Miller had previously written "Private Benjamin", so the studio was probably hoping that lightning would strike twice."Protocol" isn't a prime Goldie vehicle, but if you're a fan, you'll still want to see it. Six out of 10.

Unlike many 1980s Hollywood comedies, "Protocol" has all but been forgotten today. It doesn't take very long upon watching it to figure out why. The main problem is simple: the script. It's hard to believe at first that Buck Henry, who earlier wrote humorous movies such as "The Graduate" and "What's Up Doc?", wrote this movie. But it doesn't seem to have been his fault, since he was working with a story outline written by THREE writers. Those three writers came up with a story that has been done many times before and since, concerning a ditz who is pushed into a position of power but proves in the end to be smarter than everyone thought. Oh, it could have been made to be funny, but it isn't, partly due to the predicable nature of the movie, but that it's been directed with a woeful lack of energy and snap. There's also a curious fragmented narrative at times, as if some key linking scenes were never filmed or cut out in the editing room. The only good thing about the movie is Goldie Hawn, who gives her character a good amount of spunk and sympathy, but it isn't enough to save things.

If you like Goldie Hawn, you might like this story about a wide-eyed girl who happens to foil an assassination, then--because of her folksy charm--is hired by the Dept. of Protocol."Protocol" is a comedy with a moral. It's nearly impossible to miss the parallels with "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" and, even more "Born Yesterday", (in which Judy Holliday plays the Washington neophyte who finds that civic duty requires her to educate herself in the basics of politics). Goldie plays the part of Sunny with her usual plucky charm. She is surrounded by a sharp cast, but she carries the film as she does most of her films. The writing, by Buck Henry, takes shots at the media, the government, foreign affairs, and the office of the Vice President. Its style is somewhat reminiscent of Elaine May.Overall, this film is lightweight, even with its serious call for self-education in government affairs. It is not Ms. Hawn's best, but amusing nonetheless.

The very first scene of "Protocol" is all wrong: Goldie Hawn (again playing a sweet ditz) holds up traffic on a busy Washington, D.C. street when her car breaks down. Not only has her engine blown but she can't get out of the car because the door is also broken. Who wrote this? Buck Henry?!! Hard to believe, but it gets worse. Hawn saves a Middle Eastern leader from being assassinated and becomes the toast of the town--but only until jealous and nefarious White House insiders attempt to make her look foolish. Goldie Hawn only looks foolish when she's required to act too dippy for her age, but I cannot think of any "young" actress who could've gotten away with this role either. Early on there's a bouncy press-conference sequence with many funny lines, but too often the script is loaded down with groaners. An uncontrolled party scene near the finish brings everything to a screeching halt, with characters we don't like acting even more moronic than usual. It nearly makes "Private Benjamin" look like Shakespeare. ** from ****