After what is in this day and age a remarkable run for a drama on Broadway, 497 performances from 1989 to 1991 Aaron Sorkin's A Few Good Men was given the class A treatment in terms of a cast. It was also nominated in several categories for Oscars, including Jack Nicholson as the powerful and malevolent commandant of the U.S. Marines on the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba for Best Actor.
One of the many Nicholson quoted lines by impersonators is that famous "you can't handle the truth" during a cross examination. Tom Cruise who asks the question for which that's the answer is not so certain he can and neither is the audience which is riveted to their collective seats watching this courtroom duel.
Every player worth his salt wants a courtroom drama in their resume because of the inherent conflict and drama built in on a good case. The case here is two marines, Wolfgang Boddison and James Marshall, who are on trial for murder of a fellow marine on Guantanamo Bay. They are being prosecuted by Kevin Bacon and are defended by a team of navy lawyers that include Tom Cruise, Demi Moore, and Kevin Pollak. This death turns out to have national implications as Nicholson is up for a big Pentagon job. Of course there's a lot more to it than that, but can we handle the truth.
Paramount had the good sense to get playwright Aaron Sorkin to adapt his own play for the screen and he and director Rob Reiner do a grand job in bringing it to the screen. There's no trace at all of the stage origins of this story, they've done their work that well.
Besides those I've already mentioned pay attention to J.T. Walsh as Nicholson's conscience stricken second in command and Kiefer Sutherland as the hard-nosed platoon leader of the accused men.
My favorites in this film are the two defendants and Tom Cruise. Cruise does a wonderful job as a navy lawyer who grows from a deal maker to a passionate advocate for what Nicholson says he can't handle. Cruise's scenes with the defendants, especially Boddison, are the most touching in the film. You will get a tear in your eye when Boddison smartly salutes Cruise and offers the review title quote.
To me A Few Good Men belongs on the top five list for all of the cast members involved. Don't miss it if it's broadcast, it's the best military court martial film since The Caine Mutiny.
One of the many Nicholson quoted lines by impersonators is that famous "you can't handle the truth" during a cross examination. Tom Cruise who asks the question for which that's the answer is not so certain he can and neither is the audience which is riveted to their collective seats watching this courtroom duel.
Every player worth his salt wants a courtroom drama in their resume because of the inherent conflict and drama built in on a good case. The case here is two marines, Wolfgang Boddison and James Marshall, who are on trial for murder of a fellow marine on Guantanamo Bay. They are being prosecuted by Kevin Bacon and are defended by a team of navy lawyers that include Tom Cruise, Demi Moore, and Kevin Pollak. This death turns out to have national implications as Nicholson is up for a big Pentagon job. Of course there's a lot more to it than that, but can we handle the truth.
Paramount had the good sense to get playwright Aaron Sorkin to adapt his own play for the screen and he and director Rob Reiner do a grand job in bringing it to the screen. There's no trace at all of the stage origins of this story, they've done their work that well.
Besides those I've already mentioned pay attention to J.T. Walsh as Nicholson's conscience stricken second in command and Kiefer Sutherland as the hard-nosed platoon leader of the accused men.
My favorites in this film are the two defendants and Tom Cruise. Cruise does a wonderful job as a navy lawyer who grows from a deal maker to a passionate advocate for what Nicholson says he can't handle. Cruise's scenes with the defendants, especially Boddison, are the most touching in the film. You will get a tear in your eye when Boddison smartly salutes Cruise and offers the review title quote.
To me A Few Good Men belongs on the top five list for all of the cast members involved. Don't miss it if it's broadcast, it's the best military court martial film since The Caine Mutiny.