John Schlesinger directs the war romance Yanks, based on the story by
Colin Welland. Set in England at the end of WWII, the story concerns three American GIs and their affairs with British women of varying social status. The central romance concerns Sgt. Matt Dyson (
Richard Gere) and Jean Moreton (
Lisa Eichhorn making her film debut), who is the daughter of shopkeepers (
Rachel Roberts and Tony Melody). He falls in love with her but she is still infatuated with her boyfriend Ken (Derek Thompson). Higher up on the class scale, the officer John (
William Devane) has a brief extramarital affair with socialite Helen (
Vanessa Redgrave). The third pairing involves Sgt. Danny Ruffelo (
Chick Vennera) in a fling with Mollie (Wendy Morgan). Eventually, the Americans and the Britains find themselves surrounded by racism at a New Year's Eve dance.
Annie Ross from the vocal jazz group Lambert, Hendricks, & Ross appears briefly as a Red Cross nurse. Yanks won two BAFTA awards in 1980: to Shirley Russell for Best Costume Design and to
Rachel Roberts for Best Supporting Actress. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide