A Few Good Men

From Freepedia

A Few Good Men, written by Aaron Sorkin, was a Broadway play and subsequently a 1992 film drama that tells the story of military lawyers at a court-martial who encounter a high-level conspiracy in the course of defending their clients, United States Marines accused of murder. The film version, directed by Rob Reiner, starred Tom Cruise as Lt. Daniel Kaffee, Jack Nicholson as Col. Nathan R. Jessep, Demi Moore as Lt. Cmdr. JoAnne Galloway, Kevin Bacon as Capt. Jack Ross, Kiefer Sutherland as Lt. Jonathan Kendrick, Kevin Pollak as Lt. Sam Weinberg, J.T. Walsh as Lt. Col. Matthew Markinson, and Wolfgang Bodison as Lance Cpl Harold W. Dawson.

It was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Jack Nicholson), Best Film Editing, Best Picture and Best Sound.

The original stage production starred Tom Hulce as Lt. Kaffee and Stephen Lang as Col. Jessup. A stage adaptation of the film starring Rob Lowe in the role of Lt. Daniel Kaffee and Suranne Jones as Lt. Cmdr. JoAnne Galloway, is opening at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, London in late August 2005 for preview showings, followed by a 3 month run beginning early September 2005. The stage show is being directed by David Esbjornson

Plot synopsis

An inexperienced Navy lawyer, Lt. Daniel Kaffee, son of Lionel Kaffee who held the positions of Attorney General and Navy Judge Advocate General, leads the defense in the court-martial of two Marines accused of murdering a fellow Marine, Pvt. Santiago. Kaffee attempts to portray the accused as men following orders — a defense he acknowledges was inappropriate for the Nazis at the Nuremburg Trials and for William Calley after the My Lai Massacre, but that he feels applies to his two young low-ranking charges.

The defense tries to establish that the defendants were acting under the direct orders of their commanding officer, Col. Jessep, a powerful Marine officer being considered for the position of Director of Operations for the National Security Council. Kaffee suspects that he was specifically chosen to defend the Marines due to his history of quickly settling cases, which would remove the cloud of suspicion that could potentially mar the Colonel's chances of advancement.

Over the course of the story, Kaffee progresses from a novice lawyer to an experienced Navy attorney. On the level of moral philosophy, the drama examines questions of duty, honor, patriotism, justice, and the rule of law.

Famous quotes

Jessep: You want answers?

Kaffee: I think I'm entitled to them.

Jessep: You want answers?

Kaffee: I want the truth!

Jessep: You can't handle the truth! Son, we live in a world that has walls. And those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinberg? I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago and you curse the Marines. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know: that Santiago's death, while tragic, probably saved lives. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives...You don't want the truth. Because deep down, in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that wall. You need me on that wall. We use words like honor, code, loyalty... We use these words as the backbone to a life spent defending something. You use 'em as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom I provide, then questions the manner in which I provide it! I'd rather you just said thank you and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon and stand a post. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you're entitled to!

Kaffee: Did you order the code red?

Jessep: (quietly) I did the job you sent me to do.

Kaffee: Did you order the code red?

Jessep: You're goddamn right I did!!

External links

• A Few Good Men at the Internet Movie Database