We go back to the military courtroom drama for today’s review of the film A Few Good Men (1992). Rob Reiner directed the screenplay written by Aaron Sorkin. The tale of a Navy lawyer who has never seen the inside of the courtroom defending two reticent Marines accused of murdering a colleague, an ensemble cast to rival ensemble casts offers a compelling experience worthy of the four Academy Award nominations the film received.
(Wolfgang Bodison as Lance Cpl. Harold W. Dawson, left, and James Marshall as Pfc. Louden Downey in the film A Few Good Men).
Marines Lance Cpl. Harold W. Dawson (portrayed by Wolfgang Bodsion) and Pfc. Loudon Downey (portrayed by James Marshall) face a general Court-martial for allegedly murdering fellow marine Pfc. William Santiago in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. As the military superficially looks for a quick resolution to this matter, Lt. Daniel Kaffee (portrayed by Tom Cruise) is assigned the case owing to his propensity for arranging plea bargains for every case he handles.
(From left to right are Tom Cruise as Lt. Daniel Kaffee, Demi Moore as Lt. Cdr. JoAnne Galloway, and Kevin Pollak as Lt. Sam Weinberg in the film A Few Good Men).
Lt. Cdr. JoAnne Galloway (portrayed by Demi Moore) catches the case originally, with the military looking to assign the case to Kaffee. Lt. Sam Weinberg (as portrayed by Kevin Pollak) also is assigned to offer whatever logistical support will be necessary, which initially seems like little to nothing. As Dawson and Downey seek a vigorous defense, the matter will proceed to the full general Court-martial some had hoped to avoid.
(Kevin Bacon as Capt. Jack Ross in the film A Few Good Men).
Opposing council for the proceedings is led by Capt. Jack Ross (portrayed by Kevin Bacon). Ross plays an ultimately straight-laced character who offers sometimes candid advice to his opposing council regarding the severity of the judicial process to Lt. Daniel Kaffee. The larger question of guilt or innocence underpinning much of the drama within this is whether the action undertaken by Downey and Dawson occurred at the behest of Guantánamo Bay marine commander Col. Nathan R. Jessep (portrayed by Jack Nicholson).
(Jack Nicholson as Col. Nathan R. Jessep in the film A Few Good Men).
Col. Nathan R. Jessep is shown through multiple scenes in A Few Good Men to possess a coldly calculating, fierce, and domineering personality that if felt, minimally, to the people under his command. At the heart of the drama is learning the methods and ends of Jessep’s leadership style, as well as whether Kaffee, Galloway, and Weinberg have the wherewithal to go the distance against Jessep through the Court-martial to produce a just outcome for Downey and Dawson.
( J.T. Walsh as Lt. Col. Matthew Andrew Markinson, top left, Kiefer Sutherland as 2nd. Lt. Jonathan Kendrick, top right Noah Wyle as Cpl. Jeffrey Barnes, bottom left, and Cuba Gooding Jr. as Cpl. Carl Hammaker, bottom right, in the film A Few Good Men).
Playing more significant supporting roles in moving the story of A Few Good Men to that end are Lt. Col. Matthew Andrew Markinson (as portrayed by J.T. Walsh) and 2nd. Lt. Jonathan Kendrick (as portrayed by Kiefer Sutherland). Less significant supporting roles were included Cpl. Jeffrey Barnes (as portrayed by Noah Wyle), and Cpl. Carl Hammaker (as portrayed by Cuba Gooding Jr.).
(Screenplay writer Aaron Sorkin, left, and director Rob Reiner from the film A Few Good Men).
The dramatic presentation and emotional depth of the film A Few Good Men made for a compelling experience. Is there justice for all within this film? Do each of the individual characters deserve the fate they received? Could the stakes raised in the film have happened in real life? For that last question, the answer is the real life case the film seems to be based on was more violent. All told, the experience to be had is worth the time and emotional investment. For that, A Few Good Men earns 4.0-stars on a scale of one-to-five stars.
Matt – Saturday, July 20, 2019
Matt Lynn Digital 