In 1967, Eddie Birdlace returns from the Vietnam War. He is going back to San Francisco, where he spent his last night in the United States before shipping out. His memories of that night flood back: It is November 21, 1963, and Eddie and his best friends Boland and Bernstein (The Three Bees) decide to spend their last night before deployment in a “dogfight”: who can find the ugliest girl in town and bring her to a party where she will be judged? The marines enthusiastically jump into the cruel contest. But when Eddie finally finds Rose Fenny, an awkward waitress who has never been on a date, he has a change of heart. She learns about the dogfight, but is determined to not let it define her as an ugly and pathetic girl, and her optimism has a profound effect on Eddie’s worldview. Adapted from a 1991 film of the same name, Dogfight is a statement about the military culture of the 1960s and the inevitable realization that no one is invincible. But even with this knowledge, it is possible for each person to have a profound and positive impact on the world around them.
Dogfight guide sections
