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The story-telling is good with flashbacks.The film is both funny and heartbreaking. You smile in a scene and get a soulcrushing revelation in the next.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

Back in his old stamping ground of Northern England,Mr Schlesinger reverts to what he knows best - the portrayal of working - class English people,bloody - minded,loyal,funny,kind,often angry and raging at the machine. Yes "Yanks" is ostensibly about the impact on a small English town of large numbers of American soldiers prior to the invasion of Europe in 1944,but it is the native population who make the greatest impression on the viewer. All the more ironic then that the female lead,Miss Eichhorn should be an American,albeit one with a totally convincing accent...far more so than many who grace our TV screens and seem to think that a RADA all - purpose "Northern" is anything more than derisory and even insulting. Mr.Gere has a boyish charm as an army baker(possibly the least warlike job in the military)who falls for Miss Eichhorn despite her being seriously involved with a long - term boyfriend presently in the British Army(the splendid Mr Thompson). Scacely surprisingly this does not meet with the approval of the girl's mother(the tragic Miss Roberts)and much of the tension of "Yanks" is in the conflict between mother and daughter. Much less convincing is the middle - class romance between Miss Redgrave and Mr Devane which lacks passion(although not lust) and neither character is in any way lifelike. The film was not much liked on its release in 1979,but distance has led to a certain enchantment as the period fades further into history and the fashion amongst certain British classes to affect disdain for Americans in general and the American military in particular has grown in inverse proportion to the average Brits dogged determination to,perhaps grudgingly like the outgoing,generous,amiable,and well - meaning Yanks.As in 1944 so in 2013. There is not so much love about that we can afford to discard it. That was the message of "A kind of loving" set in peacetime England,and it is the message of "Yanks",set in a time of hatred.

This is a good movie with a great ending. Parts of the story are a bit contrived, but in general the story brings out the dramatic aspects of the interactions between the American soldiers and the local British population during World War Two. Relationships are bound to develop. The question is: do the people involved in these relationships really care about each other or are they using each other to satisfy their own needs? The subplot involving the William Devane and Vanessa Redgrave characters works well. Here both characters understand the nature of their involvement and so there won't be surprises when it ends; the other main subplot involving the Richard Gere and Lisa Eichhorn characters is less believable, but nevertheless is still watchable. That American soldiers got involved with British women is a fact. How both groups dealt with the emotional impact of the these relationships is what this movie is about and in this respect the movie does a credible job.

This is certainly not for everybody, but for those who like humanistic romantic dramas, this is a fine film. It basically centers around three American soldiers and the British women they romance while waiting for the D-Day invasion in 1943 and 1944. There is a good re-creation of the atmosphere through costume and props. While nothing much happens for a good deal of film time, it is a pleasant, seemingly nostalgic visit to a certain place and time. John Schlesinger, the director, was a teen-ager during the war years, so remembering it 35 years later he does tend to make it a sad, but pretty and hopeful time.Lisa Eichhorn gives a good solid performance which was nominated for a golden globe award. There are flashes of brilliance in Richard Gere's performance. This was a year before he became a superstar with "American Giggolo." He had really busted out the year before with "Days of Heaven." Here, he doesn't quite have the confidence in front of the camera that all stars have, but he does have a nice boyish sincerity. I didn't care much for William Devane and Vanessa Redgrave. I didn't think their characters were well developed and they gave unusually colorless performances. Wendy Morgan in a smaller supporting role looked quite fetching and stood out. The Costumes by Ken Russell's wife Shirley are wonderful and she was deservedly nominated for an Academy Award for them. She won the BAFTA award for them.This is a romantic, gentle and sweet film. If you're looking for anything deeper, harder or more powerful, you'll probably be disappointed. It is closer to the British Kitchen Sink dramas of the 1960's than it would like to admit.

My children were just babies when I saw this movie at the theater in 1979. I really loved it and have all these years. I guess the romance and the finality of goodbyes, not knowing what could happen made it all the more intense. The racism scene was hard to watch, very hard. I am sure things like that went on though. It is a treasure in my huge movie collection. I hope someday to visit England and be able to see some of the towns that were in this movie.Richard Gere is a wonderful Actor and this was the very first time I had heard about him or had ever seen him in a movie.He brought a realism to this part, he was a perfect guy to play an American soldier! Talking about it has made me want to look at it tonight!!