FEDS

US, 1988, 82 minutes, Colour.
Rebecca de Mornay, Mary Gross, Ken Marshall, Fred Dalton Thompson.
Directed by Dan Goldberg.

Feds is an FBI comedy in the vein of Police Academy - though a bit more serious. It focuses on a group of recruits, especially two women played by Rebecca de Mornay and Mary Gross. They are discriminated against by the bureau officials as well as their fellow students. Needless to say, they outwit the men and prove themselves to be the cadets of the year. There are a number of expected comedy routines in the classroom, in the rooms, in the restaurants, acting out various cases and in the final test case. Pleasantly amusing.
1.The FBI? Men and women agents? Training and selection? The feminist touch?

2.The FBI headquarters, training sessions and areas? Stunts and action? Musical score?

3.The reputation of the FBI, tough, law enforcement? High standards? The climax with the graduation of the women?

4.Ellie and Janice? Different types, meeting, Janice so serious, Ellie and her lack of education and proving herself? Their friendship and support? Idiosyncrasies? In the interviews, in the classroom? Brandt and the men ridiculing them? Howard and his attempts at support? Ellie and the attraction towards Brandt, the dress, the date, his chauvinistic statements and her leaving? Janice and Howard and their study together, friendship? The study for the exam, Janice and Ellie going to the bar, the FBI tactics, getting the information to complete the case, their commendation? The final situation with the kidnap, the men attacking them, their going as a group, ingenuity, solving the case? Vindicated?

5.The men students, ordinary, background, their attitude towards the women? Brandt and the chauvinists? Their comeuppance? The practising of handcuffing and his joking with Janice? Howard and his intellectualism, his concern, siding with the women?

6.The instructors? Scepticism, bureaucracy? Admiration for Ellie and Janice? The visit to the bar, using the guns, the interrogations, the finding out of the information? The oddball characters? Thew group that tried to mug them on the way home?

7.The comic style of Police Academy - enough factual basis to make it realistic? Enough exaggerations to make it comic?