A Few Good Men (1992)
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A high-stakes court-martial of two Marines unfolds as their defense lawyers navigate the complexities of military justice and the truth of a fatal 'code red'.
The story
At Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba, Private William Santiago dies after being subjected to a violent 'code red' punishment. Two Marines, Lance Corporal Harold Dawson and Private First Class Louden Downey, face a court-martial for his murder. Their defense is assigned to Daniel Kaffee, a Navy JAG Corps lieutenant with a reputation for quick plea bargains but no courtroom experience. Alongside his co-counsel, Joanne Galloway, Kaffee must navigate the tense atmosphere of military justice. As they prepare the case, the defense must determine if the men acted on a direct order from their superiors or if they are responsible for a tragic, unauthorized act of violence.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Following the death of Private William Santiago at Guantanamo Bay, Lance Corporal Harold Dawson and Private First Class Louden Downey are charged with murder. Their defense is led by Daniel Kaffee, a JAG officer known for plea bargains, and Joanne Galloway, who suspects a 'code red' extrajudicial punishment. While Kaffee initially considers a plea bargain for the Marines, they refuse, insisting they followed a direct order from First Lieutenant Jonathan Kendrick. The trial intensifies as the defense uncovers that the men had been pressured by the base's leadership. A critical turning point occurs when Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Markinson commits suicide after being unable to provide testimony. Despite risks, Kaffee decides to call Colonel Nathan Jessep to the stand. During cross-examination, Kaffee exposes inconsistencies in Jessep's testimony regarding the logistics of Santiago's planned transfer. Under pressure, Jessep admits to ordering the 'code red' and is arrested. Dawson and Downey are cleared of murder but convicted of 'conduct unbecoming' and dishonorably discharged. The film ends with Dawson showing respect to Kaffee, and the prosecution moves to arrest Kendrick for perjury.
- First release year
- 1992
- Runtime (minutes)
- 138
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Rob Reiner
- Writers
- Aaron Sorkin · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Tom Cruise · Lieutenant (junior grade) Daniel Kaffee, USN, JAG Corps; Jack Nicholson · Colonel Nathan R. Jessep, USMC; Demi Moore · Lieutenant Commander Joanne Galloway, USN, JAG Corps; Kevin Bacon · Captain Jack Ross, USMC, Judge Advocate Division; Kiefer Sutherland · First Lieutenant Jonathan James Kendrick, USMC; Kevin Pollak · Lieutenant (junior grade) Sam Weinberg, USN, JAG Corps; Wolfgang Bodison · Lance Corporal Harold W. Dawson, USMC; James Marshall · Private First Class Louden Downey, USMC
- Genres
- legal drama; crime drama
- Themes
- military justice; truth vs. loyalty; chain of command
- Tone and mood
- tense; dramatic
- Premise and plot tags
- courtroom drama; military; legal thriller
- Source material / true-story basis
- A 1989 play by Aaron Sorkin.
- Reception
- The film received positive reviews and was praised for its strong performances, particularly by Jack Nicholson, and its well-constructed courtroom drama.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 85% · scale: percentage · review count: 133; Metacritic · score: 62 · scale: 100 · review count: 21; CinemaScore · score: A+ · scale: A+ to F
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Picture · Nominated
- Production trivia
- The title refers to a real Marine recruitment slogan used from 1971 to 1984.; The character of Dan Kaffee was intended to be a fictional character not based on any specific individual.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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