Based on (“inspired by”?) the true events of Toyota and General Motors teaming up to re-open a shuttered car factory, and have it run via the Toyota Production System (TPS). The factory had a tumultuous history, with numerous "wildcat strikes" - a work stoppage initiated by employees without authorization from their union leadership - and constant bickering between GM management and the United Autoworkers. The vehicles produced there were the worst quality in all of GM.
Toyota transformed the plant into the most productive auto assembly plant in the U.S. with quality comparable to its Japanese factories.
That sounds like a pretty cool story, especially as it took place during a time of intense competition between the U.S. and Japan. GUNG-HO ostensibly adapts this story for the screen, with Ron Howard (fresh off Cocoon) and Michael Keaton (fresh off of Johnny Dangerously) at the helm. Jaoanese-American actor Gedde Watanabe (Sixteen Candles and Volunteers) takes the suppporting lead role, and folks, I’ll bet you forgot this movie ever existed.
There’s a reason for that.
Everything here is a caricature. The Japanese, obviously. But also the Americans. Small town factory workers, small town politicians; Japanese executives who try to bathe in the disgusting Pennsylvania factory river like it was a hot springs because I guess they’re children who don’t understand what a completley different fucking country is when they phiscally travel to it. Don’t get us started on the misogyny.
It was perfectly inoffensive in 1986, as all Ron Howard movies are; and perfectly offensive in 2026, as all Ron Howard movies are.
The film (sigh…) did well at the box office. Not amazing, but well: roughly $40M on a $13M budget. So believe it or not they thought it’d be a great idea to turn it into a TV show! You thought moviegoing Americans ate this shit up? Wait’ll the couch potatoes get a load of it! Somehow, we came to our sennses because it only ran 9 episodes.
Michael Keaton was replaced by Scott Bakula, and all the Asian actors from the movie reprised their roles because what the fuck else were they being offered?
Listen to us tear this movie a new one above! Then make sure you check out the pairing below, because while you might want to miss the movie, you do not want to miss these drinks.
The Drinks!
DAVE’S PAIRING
Viña Marty’s “Goutte d’Argent” Sauvignon Blanc, Aconcagua, Chile
Heat is not wine’s friend. But some heat is unavoidable during the process of fermentation. While temperature can be controlled up to a point, wine yeasts start to slow and die if the temperature dips below 10°C / 50°F.
Esppecially when making fresh, armoatic white wines, the less heat you can introduce to the wine - even during fermentation - the fewer aromas and flavors will be lost to the process. It’s the dream of many winemakers to disocover a way to keep wines colder, but still complete fermentation.
And Pascal Marty, winemaker at Viña Marty, stumbled upon a way: Japanese sake yeasts!
Unfortunately, only members of the Sake Productors Federation are allowed to use the yeast, and they had never before inducted a non-Japanese member. It took Pascal years of negotiations and pitching the idea, framing it as a blending of the two cultures in order to promote both cultures abroad.
It took years, but now Pascal is the only non-Japanese member of the SPF. And his “Goutte d’Argent” Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay are both fermented using Japanese sake yeast n°7 and n°9.
Vinification in stainless steel tanks with an average length of 90-130 days - which is very slow! Typical wine fermentation is 10-21 days! - at fermentation temperatures about 6-8 °C. Some soakage on lees to add body and creaminess. The saké yeast doesn’t like Sulphur, so minimal sulphites are used.
The Goutte d’Argent (silver drop) Label designed by Drops of God creators, and the wine is featured in the pages of the manga.
Citrus, white flowers, baked goods and vanilla, elegant with a creamy finish. Reviewers have claimed the wine is “...not very varietal, at least it doesn’t have the pungent herbal aromas of many Sauvignon Blancs in Chile.” Which begs the question how something can be “varietal” or “varietally correct” when changing the yeast changes those aromas and flavors.
This wine is spiritually on point for the movie Gung-Ho, while also countering its brash, loud Americanisms with its elegant, aromatic freshness. I desperately needed a wine that would be a counter-pairing to all the poorly aged elements of the film.
DALLAS PAIRING
Yeah, it’s not wine. It’s A Japanese old fashioned.
The Japanese Old Fashioned is the ultimate Gentleman’s cocktail, a perfect combination of Rye Whiskey, Bitters, an orange slice, japanese sugar and a Maraschino cherry.
Ingredients :
1 Japanese Sugar Cube (Kokuto preferrably!)
1/2 Orange Slice
1 Maraschino Cherry
Orange Peel
A Dash (or two) of Angostura Bitters
Large Ice Cube
2 Ounces of Nikka Whisky
Directions :
Pour a touch of water in the bottom of the rocks glass
Muddle the sugar in the glass
Add the cherry and bitters
Pour in the Nikka
Stir 50-100 times
Twist and then garnish with an Orange Peel
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