A Few Good Men (1992)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Rob Reiner

Writers (WGA):

Aaron Sorkin (play)
Aaron Sorkin (screenplay)

Release Date:

11 December 1992 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

In the heart of the nation's capital, in a courthouse of the U.S. government, one man will stop at nothing to keep his honor, and one will stop at nothing to find the truth.

Plot:

Neo military lawyer Kaffee defends Marines accused of murder; they contend they were acting under orders.

Plot Keywords:

Military | Murder | Courtroom | Guantanamo Bay | Military Lawyer

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 7 wins & 14 nominations

Cast

Tom Cruise	...	Lt. Daniel Kaffee
Jack Nicholson	...	Col. Nathan R. Jessep
Demi Moore	...	Lt. Cdr. JoAnne Galloway
Kevin Bacon	...	Capt. Jack Ross
Kiefer Sutherland	...	Lt. Jonathan Kendrick
Kevin Pollak	...	Lt. Sam Weinberg
James Marshall	...	Pfc. Louden Downey
J.T. Walsh	...	Lt. Col. Matthew Andrew Markinson
Christopher Guest	...	Dr. Stone
J.A. Preston	...	Judge Julius Alexander Randolph
Matt Craven	...	Lt. Dave Spradling
Wolfgang Bodison	...	Lance Cpl. Harold W. Dawson
Xander Berkeley	...	Capt. Whitaker
John M. Jackson	...	Capt. West
Noah Wyle	...	Cpl. Jeffrey Barnes

MPAA:

Rated R for language.

Runtime:

138 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Iceland:12 (video rating) | Iceland:L | France:Unrated | South Korea:15 | South Korea:12 (DVD rating) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:TE | Finland:K-8 | Germany:12 | Ireland:15 | Norway:15 | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:R | Netherlands:MG6 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Backlot, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company:

Castle Rock Entertainment

Trivia:

Wolfgang Bodison was working for Rob Reiner on A Few Good Men (1992) as a location scout when Reiner decided he was perfect for the part of Lance Corporal Harold Dawson. Reiner said he looked like a marine.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Captain Ross returns to his desk after questioning Corporal Barnes, you can see him lift The Marine Corps Guide for Sentry Duty so that Lt. Kaffee can grab it from his hand.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Drill Master: Forward, march!

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in Meat Pie (2005)

Soundtrack:

Semper Fidelis

Slam dunk

This is my all-time favorite movie. I've probably watched it 300 times and I can recite it line by line. I once wrote the script during the course of one semester in a class I hated. I still have the notebook.

Demi Moore definitely is the film's weakest link, but the acting is superb and Aaron Sorkin's story sucks you in from the opening minute. There is so much great dialogue, headlined by Tom Cruise's courtroom battle with Jack Nicholson at the movie's climax.

Too many people say the movie is average because it's "too slow," but I really believe anyone who appreciates good acting and good stories has to put this one near the top of their list.