A Few Good Men | Canadian First Time Watching | Movie Reaction | Movie Review | Movie Commentary
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- Опубліковано 22 тра 2024
- Simone & George are reacting to A Few Good Men for the first time! Canadians React!
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00:00 - Intro
00:58 - A Few Good Men
43:43 - Discussion
Welcome to Cinebinge, we are watching A Few Good Men for the first time!
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I heard Kevin Bacon talk about this movie in an interview. He said that he and all the young actors were in awe of Jack Nicholson. The climactic courtroom confrontation between Jack and Cruise was filmed over a dozen times, at different angles, for reaction shots of other actors and each time Jack went full throttle "YOU CANT HANDLE THE TRUTH!" The young ones couldn't believe how he could deliver his lines with the same intensity over and over.
Somebody asked him why he did that. Why didn't he take it easy when the camera was on somebody else. Jack gave a big grin and said, "I just love to act."
To be fair, he had very few scenes. Hence, he likely wanted to make the most out of them.
After Jack Nicholson left, Kevin Pollack stepped in and played Nathan Jessup for many of reaction shots, specifically the judge. Kevin's impression of Jack was so spot-on that the editors had trouble distinguishing between the two.
funny, i thought i ha heard they did that scene in one go.
@@lionhead123 Search this on YT and jump to 5 min: Kevin Pollak's Amazing Stories about the Making of "A Few Good Men" | The Rich Eisen Show | 12/11/19
@@campusmartius8450 ah yes. well Kevin doesn't really say how many takes Jack did with that particulair scene. Watch Kiefer Sutherlands interview with GQ 13 April 2022 ua-cam.com/video/AUYGhROLiuM/v-deo.html he talks about that scene as well, saying they did it in one go basically.
To clarify, they DO have the ability to not follow an order, in fact they have an obligation to disobey an immoral order.
It goes back to the line about the defense that “didn’t work for the nazis at neuremburg”. You can’t claim “I was ordered to” as a defense against something illegal and immoral like murder
And I think you can still be court-martialed in certain cases, but the penalty for refusing an order is typically lighter than the penalty for committing a murder or war-crime.
@@chrisleebowers That depends on country and military. In war, refusing order, even immoral can lead summary execution... It can be really tough. Any order that legality can be disputed as immoral i.e. executing unarmed PoW by officer's order, its clear cut case of illegal order but when choices are: Either you shoot pow or officer will shoot you for dfisobeying order and then pow, things get: What will much tougher you do? Its easy to say: Of course I would not do anything immoral. Self preservation is still one of the strongest instincts humans have. You never know really what would you do. I mean I would want to say I would not obey illegal order no matter what, but I luckily have never been in that situation. I honestly would not know what I would do if I were back in military and I would be given immoral order.
Man can contemplate his own strength to obey his morals and his principles or will he or she falter but they are only tested do or die situation that many of us have not been.
Well, it's not called an immoral order. I never heard that used one time. The term is illegal order. Illegal orders may or may not be immoral.
@@laserpanda94 'The moment you're being compelled to act illegaly under threat of death then you're on much firmer legal ground '
That's not true at all, you can't murder shit ton of innocents and then claim, I was under duress, or was being threatened to do so and expect to walk away free.
Agreed!
Every time I watch this I dislike Downey so much until the end when he acknowledged the extent to which they did fail, even if they weren't exactly murders.
I dislike even more all the people who agree with the "just following orders" argument.
Thought the fact that this is how I think is exactly why I'd never go into the military and they would not want me!
Just to clarify, it wasn't Jack Nicholson's character that was counter-intelligence, it was his 2nd in command, Markinson. When Kevin Bacon's character mentioned he disappeared and they weren't going to find him, he was talking about Markinson. They showed that a little bit by him showing up & surprising Kaffee by being in the back seat of his car, referencing his "spy" skills.
@@MoMoMyPup10 it's a movie, you're not supposed to think too hard 😄
Played by the massively under appreciated JT Walsh. One of the finest character actors ever.
@@madpaduk whom we lost way too soon.
@gpale I think it's safe to say that Jessup was in counter-intelligence as well. I he did say is that scene when he as Markinson were talking after Kendrick left that they come up through the Corps together after the Academy (U.S. Naval Academy). With that overtly blunt snide comment Jessup made about him getting further ahead than Markinson is so clear that they were always in the same command together. I think Markinson is the better of the two when it comes to that.
@ghost7524 objection, arguing facts not in evidence. It was never stated or implied Jessup was also in counter intelligence. Jessup going up in rank faster than Markinson does not in any way imply he was in any sort counter intelligence MOS. It could be Jessup had been successful in a combat unit in a particularly visible way, whereas Markinson was not. Or perhaps Markinson had previously been in a situation where a superior officer had been a part of an unethical situation (completely unrelated to this or Jessup and many years prior to the events in the movie), had "done the right thing" and spoke up and saw his career suffer for it being passed over in a promotion cycle as payback (thus also explaining why Markinson was so reluctant to speak up in yet another incident where a superior officer was not being ethical or moral. He learned his lesson). Or name a variation on the hypothetical whys and hows of Jessup getting one rank above Markinson. But suffice to say it is not "safe to say" Jessup had also done some sort of counter intelligence posting. Additionally "counter intelligence" is not the only posting that involves "intelligence" which would have lent to his character having experience which would lead to his apparent inevitable job in the NSC
I compare Jack Nicholson's performance in this file to Anthony Hopkins's in Silence of the Lambs (even though they are very different performances). Each actor was only on the screen for a small portion of the movie, but they both made such a huge impact on the film.
@The Stormblooper I agree!the way he got under agent Starlings skin by speaking softly was chilling!Jack is nice in this but a hard headed guy in the end and nothing more!
ever see jack in The Last Detail? "SHORE PATROL, MUTHERFU**ER!!"
@The Stormblooper Yeah but let's be fair, jack could kick ass in any role.
@The Stormblooper I mean...Jack isn't supposed to be terrifying
Great comparison
*"We were supposed to fight for Willy."*
- That line made the entire outcome make sense for everyone, myself included. Such an amazing line
If only. Plenty of people out there think Jessup was the good guy and right in everything he said.
@@ohauss Sadly, I agree. But those people are called idiots.
@@ohauss Jessup WAS right about the depth of their responsibilities and the significance of following orders. His failure from a military perspective was the cover up.
The doctor is ultimately for that Marine's death, but his commander forging documents to cover his ass was blatant cowardice on top of the legal failures.
To be more realistic Willy would have attempted suicide. Would have been courtmarshalled and discharge. This storyline was just the macguffin for the trial.
I want people to fight to free Willy... mine in particular.
George: “That’s some good Bacon.”
Also George: “Sniggers at his own joke.”
You’re both top-shelf. Love you guys. :)
Uh ..... I believe they word you were looking for is "Snickers" not "Sniggers."
@PatrickLonclas...I believe those two words are interchangeable...
@@saaamember97 they're right, its interchangable. but i thought the same thing. i had never (knowingly) heard snigger in my life. snickers, yes.
Bobby Lee cracks himself up.
One thing I really liked about this movie is how there was like a quasi-romantic subplot with Demi Moore and Tom Cruise but the movie didn't rely on it and there was no payoff, because the movie didn't feel the need to stand on that leg. It's so typical for it to just have them like kiss after the trial or something but they had no impetus to bother with that; that's very unlike your average Hollywood story and I'm glad they didn't bog the story down with that.
She wouldn't fall for him!! He's a junior and a runt and not her intellectual equal.
So much agreement!
Yeah, this was the prime era for that sort of hack writing. Soooo glad they didn't go for the low hanging fruit~
Tease - misdirection !
Kinda the same with A Time To Kill
It wasn't Colonel Jessup who disappeared (or who was in counter-intelligence), that was Lieutenant Colonel Markinson.
This was Aaron Sorkin's first film, based on a play he wrote. He's a master of writing quick-fire dialogue for smart characters who are good at their jobs. His other great films include The Social Network, Moneyball and Steve Jobs, but his masterpiece is still the TV show The West Wing.
Josh: "Coach says, "Are you ignorant or just apathetic?" player says "I don't know and I don't care!" -Of course I know how we're polling in Georgia..."
"You better lawyer up a**hole, because I'm not coming back for 30%.. I'm coming back for everything"
don't sleep on sports night and the test run for the West Wing: The American President that has no right to be as good as it is for a romantic comedy.
Also, "Studio 60 on the sunset strip." CRIMINALLY underrated!
He's great at writing exposition through conflict between characters rather than having one character explain something to a character who ought to know already just for the sake of informing the audience. You get to watch great actors in heated conversation without realizing you're getting a large info dump.
Same director: A Few Good Men, Misery, When Harry Met Sally, The Princess Bride, This Is Spinal Tap. Quite a range.
*"Pa, look. A mailbox!!!"*
I made that joke so many times when my kids (18 & 12) were babies. Nobody got it.
I really think there was a wasted opportunity for a joke about the kid & the mailbox, and the mailman being her “Pa”.😂😂😂😂
@@kristianberg4264 agreed
Also, I totally forgot this was directed by Rob Reiner! What a freakin' career he had. This film, "The Princess Bride", "Misery", "This Is Spinal Tap", "Stand by Me", "When Harry Met Sally" ... sheesh.
Rob Reiner was my first favourite director - when I was a kid, he seemed to make most of my favourite movies!
23:00 Anyone else appreciating just how amazingly Tom Cruise's arm lines up with George's in this scene? 💪🏻🤣
I never get tired of watching Nicholson on the stand. The way he steps right into the trap is just delicious.
The cast and crew remembered that the that scene was shot several times for different angles and reactions. Given the option for off camera narration, Jack Nicholson gave a full performance for each take.
@@ArthurSB73 Yeah, he went full tilt at that scene over and over again for hours when they were shooting the other actors’ reaction shots. Rob Reiner told him at one point that he didn’t have to do that, that they’d have someone else read the lines in his place if he wanted to go home, but Nicholson just said, “Hey, man, I love to act.” 😊
He got paid $5 million for 10 days work, but considering the performance he gave that almost seems a bargain 😂. I saw an interview with Kevin Bacon where he said Nicholson would do the final seen going from zero to one hundred in intensity repeatedly. As soon as the Director said cut he would transform into this laid back nice guy, joking with the crew and putting everyone at ease. He was pretty much the opposite of a method actor, he didn’t have to stay in character, didn’t have to act like an asshole to play an asshole.
@@bigginsd1 I heard Kevin Pollack say the same thing. Just thr nicest and friendliest guy between takes but when Reiner calls action he flippes a switch.
"I always find it really weird to ask the jury to strike somethring from their memory after they have heard it"
- I sat on a jury for a trial that lasted ten days (not military related and not in the USA), and usually at least once a day we had to leave the court room for a few minutes so that certain things could be discussed between the lawyers and the judge without us hearing things that might incorrectly influence our opinions regarding the case.
That's interesting. Thank you.
Of all the excellent performances in this movie, I feel a special shout-out needs to be given to Wolfgang Bodison (Lance Corporal Dawson), as this was his *first* role. He was Reiner's assistant, he wanted to get into acting, Reiner encouraged him to try out for the part... he got it, and, in my opinion, KILLED it. Hell of a debut, in a movie with a LOT of heavyweight performances.
And Re: Enjoying Nicholson's performance/wanting more? His performance is obviously incredible, but he's... a very strong spice in this film, you've gotta be careful how much you use. I think they used just the right amount.
This was Aaron Sorkin's first produced script. Before it was finished, producer David Brown, who produced 'Jaws', came across the script as it was and loved it. He wanted to option it as a film, but Sorkin wanted it produced as a play first. Brown said okay, produced the Broadway play, and optioned the film rights. The Broadway production starred Tom Hulce, who was best known for his portrayal of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in 'Amadeus ' and Pinto in 'Animal House ', as Kaffee, and Stephen Lang as Col. Jessup. Lang would later go on to play Col. Quaritch in James Cameron's 'Avatar'.
Wolfgang Bodison who plays Dawson was actually working for Rob Reiner as a location scout for Castle Rock Productions when Reiner asked him if he had ever acted. Reiner couldn't find Dawson and was desperate. Bodison agreed to prep a scene and read...and made his big screen debut as Dawson.
The premise of the story was based on fact, in a way. Sorkin's sister had just graduated law school and signed up for a three-year stint in the Navy. During a phone call, she told Sorkin about her flight to Guantanamo the next day because of a case, and she sketched the basic details for Sorkin. The rest was made up by Sorkin, written on cocktail napkins while he was working at various Broadway theaters as a bartender during show intermissions. When the screenplay was being written, William Goldman (The Princess Bride) did an uncredited rewrite. Sorkin, who normally is very protective of his scripts, actually loved what Goldman put in (the doctored tower log books among other things) that Sorkin rewrote the play to incorporate the changes. The play is still produced all over.
The actor who tells Demi Moore to leave the room to talk about her behind her back is John M. Jackson. A few years after this, Jackson would be cast in another role dealing with Navy lawyers. In the series 'JAG', from season 2 to season 9, he would play former SEAL turned lawyer, Admiral A.J. Chegwidden, Judge Advocate General of the Navy. 'JAG' was the launching pad for the series 'NCIS' in its various forms.
After this film, Reiner and Sorkin made the wonderful romantic comedy 'The American President' with Michael Douglas, Annette Bening, Michael J. Fox, Richard Dreyfuss, and Martin Sheen. This film inspired the creation of 'The West Wing ' with Martin Sheen as President Josiah 'Jed' Bartlet...one of the best series ever!
You skipped one of the great lines.. "Why do you hate them so much?" "Because they picked on a weaker kid. Why do you like them so much?" "Because they stand on a wall ans say, 'nothings gonna hurt you, not on my watch.'"
Ooh rah
I was going to say the same thing. That section of that scene is key to the entire film
Easily one of my favorite exchanges in the whole film. It sets up the tension of right vs wrong and gives nuance/context to the audience.
@@gemgirl2000 why is right? Just because they stand on a wall and protect you doesn't give them an excuse to do evil things
@@lampad4549 your whole lineage is built on evil things.
I liked it at 23:04 when the guy on the right with the glasses perfectly lined up with the arm of the actor as he gesticulated.
Legal eagle did do a very good breakdown. He brought on an expert in Jag because it's different than regular civilian law.
Notice the military version of the Miranda rights is spoken at the end when Nicholson is getting arrested. That's a cool detail.
The JAG guy has guest-starred on several videos since then. He has a no nonsense attitude and of course, an intimate knowledge of military procedure.
@@johnmarcey7176 she was there because of Aunt Jenny
This film predates Guantanamo Bay as a prison camp; this was back when it was merely a military presence keeping an eye on communist Cuba in the wake of that Bay of Pigs scare (the USSR in the early 1960s planning to set up missiles so close to the continental US). So, this film opens on a US military encampment before moving into the barracks.
Base Commander Colonel Nathan Jessup is about to be appointed Director of Operations of the National Security Council in Washington, DC. This is a big step up, very political, but still a steppingstone for an ambitious man to bigger and better opportunities. And he doesn't want anything to get in the way to that position. So, a Code Red goes wrong, so he instigates a coverup. Likely the JAG Corps were notified to make this matter 'disappear'.
Note: Tom Cruise questioning a witness played by Cuba Gooding Jr; in 4 years, they will appear in film together again...in "Jerry Maguire".
I may be misremembering, but I have a feeling that that's notwhat the bay of pigs incident was about...
you're thinking of the Cuban missile crisis..an entirely different moment in time, that was actually direct consequence of the snafu in the bay of pigs..
@@dehro Ah, I see. I just realized I got them mixed up, too. First was the BOPs, THEN the missile crisis. And all of that resulted in base at Guantanamo Bay. Got it.
I actually grew up in Gitmo in the 80s.It wasn't to just keep an eye on Cuba, it was and still is the US Navy's central site of operations for training and refitting the Atlantic fleet. Fleet Training Group and a number of other Navy and Marine units have been stationed there since the US was granted the lease in 1903.
Your description betrays a bit of naivete. The U.S. sought to control Cuba after the Spanish-American War, like it did the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and as it had helped overthrow the legal government of Hawai'i prior. It can be disputed, but Guantanamo can just as easily described as an illegal occupation of a sovereign nation by the U.S. And your reference is to the Cuban Missile Crisis, not the Bay of Pigs, which was an attempted right wing CIA-led coup against Cuba. But I wonder if you know how many US missiles have been parked at the Soviet Union/Russia's door for nearly 3/4 of a century now. The Cuban Missile Crisis was scary for Americans, but only a minor part of an asymmetrical nuclear stand-off, with the U.S. far, far more dangerously poised.
Show me the money!
Purely tangentially, I LOVE at about the 23 minute mark in this video when the framing is exactly right so that Tom Cruise is seated behind George and gesturing with his right arm....and the positioning plus the color of his sweatshirt make it look like GEORGE is doing the gesturing 😀
Hahah Ty had to have a look and lol at that
I noticed that and had to do a double take before I realized what was going on.
OMG! At 23:09 the image of him and Tom Cruise’s arm were so perfectly matched. 😂 Rewind and watch guys. It’s funny as hell. 😂
Out of the entire cast, JT Walsh and Kiefer Sutherland are fantastic with their time on the screen.
Our drama club performed the play in my senior year of high school. I had Kevin Bacon's role, pretty big shoes to fill.
I never get tired of this movie honestly
Orson Welles had a great observation on developing characters offscreen. How the writing can build the character to a mythical stature, and by not seeing the character, you buy more into it. So that when they are brought back, or revealed, the legend's already engrained. A perfect example would be Kaiser Sosa from The Usual Suspects, or even The Third Man, the movie Orson Welles was reflecting on.
Two great movie references.
Fun fact, the actor Who plays the Judge Advocate General in this movie also plays the Judge Advocate General in the TV series JAG. (Less the mustache)
The actor who plays the Navy Captain who says "leave the room so we can talk about you behind your back" also plays the Judge Advocate General (Top lawyer in the Navy currently a 3 star position or Vice Admiral) for several seasons in the TV show JAG
16:55 - I've seen a single reaction with the most astute observation about this point in the movie: he's not saying these things at that point in time because he's some sort of a chauvinist and suddenly felt compelled to share. He's saying all of that as a distraction. People often think less clearly when they're angry.
Also, notably... Jessop never wanted Santiago to die; he's an asshole, but he thought he was doing the right thing.
It's when he turned into a coward later that I stopped liking him. Until then he was doing what he thought was right.
My mom loooves this movie so I saw it a million times when I was little. My sisters and I still recite random lines from it.
My personal favorite is, "I would rather you just say thank you and be on your way."
The actor who played Demi Moore's Commanding Officer, later played a very similar role on the TV show, "JAG".
The lights on top of the washington monument are to help pilots at night. It looks really eerie after the 4th of July fireworks show with all the smoke lingering in the air afterwards.
Guantanamo Bay is a large US Navy base. The prison there where terrorist subject were kept is only a small part of that base. US Marines are under the Dept of Navy, hence why they are there.
I hope you react to 12 Angry Men, another GREAT courtroom movie... though really a jury movie technically.
@@Mozdk1 You should, I didn't like old movies especially since it's like 70 years old, but damn it's so good.
@@the_crypter I agree it's a must see for any cinema fan. One of the greatest bottle-episode style movies ever taking place in just one room.
What Nicholson meant by the "shipping him off puts lives in danger" bit is that transferring a sub-par recruit to a new unit would put that unit in danger as they would be unaware of said recruit's shortcomings.
Well, right track…. They definitely meant that if he had been transferred, it could put others in danger…. Especially if he was unable to hold up to the standards of the Corps. If he was falling out of runs or marches, unable to pull his own weight in training, he would definitely lower the readiness of the other unit.
Weakness in a unit, especially say one attached as a Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) can have bad repercussions as Marines being used as an Expeditionary Unit are expected to be anywhere in the world within a moments notice. If going into a hostile situation as part of a MEU, you only have what you can carry on person and ship. You may have close air support from Cobras or fixed wing, you may have helicopters (or tilt rotors today) to insert you into a combat zone. You may even have light armored vehicles, depending on the mission….. but your support typical falls on what Marines bring at the Battalion size on the battlefield and what Naval assets are included in the MEU.
As a Private First Class, PFC Santiago wouldn’t be a recruit at Guantanamo Bay.
Apparently Kiefer Sutherland said Bruce Willis and a few other actors got to be "extras" on the outer parts of the court room for the final scene because they knew it was going to be pretty special!
Bruce Willis was a courtroom extra in the excellent film "The Verdict" with Paul Newman.
The movie you recognize Kevin Pollak (Sam) from wasn't Reservoir Dogs, it was The Usual Suspects, the other ensemble crime film. And it's the second pronunciation, "Pahl-ack."
If George hasn't seen When Harry Met Sally, then, Simone, I hope you make him watch it for the channel this upcoming NYE.
One great film by Castle Rock (which is actually Rob Reiner's company) -- I doubt you'll ever watch it because it's a very small movie and has no chance on polls -- is the excellent mystery-comedy Zero Effect.
I just rewatched Zero Hour (I own the DVD). It’s not as good as I remember it, but it’s still a solid and enjoyable movie.
I don't think George would care much for Sleepless in Seattle, lol.
@@JoeMama410 I was talking about Zero Effect, which is not the same as Zero Hour.
@@tylerfoster6267 Oops, that’s an unfortunate typo. I was talking about Zero Effect too. Zero Hour is what Airplane was based on.
If you liked Nicholson's performance, you ought to see "Witches of Eastwick". He was the perfect choice for that movie...
"You can't handle the truth!" Tom Cruise was brilliant in this film. He's a great actor.
Debatable lol
It's worth noting that Jack Nicholson said the line, to Cruise.
Have you seen the remake of "The Mummy"? Cruise is passable if he has an excellent script to work with. A great actor can be excellent with any script, like Nicholson.
@@Kiernan5 There are some scripts that no actor can fix. I don't agree that Cruise is a great actor, but a consistently good one, definitely.
@@mikeduncan3953 I'm not saying a great actor can save a bad script, I'm saying the a great actor can turn in a great performance even with a bad script.
MAD magazine's name for Jack Nicholson's character was "Colonel Fessup". So fitting.
You want me on that wall! You need me on that wall!!
I can never look at that movie poster the same after I saw a photoshop with title changed to “A Few Goodman” and each picture of the movie poster was a different picture of John Goodman.
Dishonorable discharge is a TERRIBLE fate. Yeah they didn’t go to prison, but they’ll never be able to get a job, never pass a background check. It follows you like being a felon, and in some cases it’s worse.
Part of the oath is you don't obey illegal or immoral orders.
@@motorcycleboy9000 And their punishment isn’t a fun one. Not mutually exclusive.
One of my all-time favorite movies. Amazing performances. Great writing and directing. When you really think about it, Dawson and Downey were screwed the second they were told to give Santiago the code red. If they refused, they probably would’ve been kicked out of the military on some bogus charges made up by Kendrick or Jessup, or code-redded themselves. They listened, and got kicked out of the military.
Since you guys watched this film as well as My Cousin Vinny, yet another 1992 movie that has sort of a courtroom aspect is Scent of a Woman starring Al Pacino. For more great dialogue, check out Glengarry Glen Ross, also featuring Pacino that same year.
"I'll show you out of order!"
@@joelwillems4081 Put. That coffee. Down!
I was watching this movie when it came out on VHS in 1993. My father(rip) was a retired USAFSS (United States Air Force Security Service). He happened to be walking by the TV room at the time of this scene with Jack Nicholson on the stand. As he watched the scene unfold, he stated that this would have never happened...ever and walked away.
George he is not the boss, he is the commanding officer.
Also the red light on the Washington monument is so aircraft can see and avoid obstacles. They are on everything above, I think 150 meters, water towers, power lines, buildings, monuments, antennas etc. I'm sure it is the same all over Canada, and now you will start to notice it as of now.
Simone you look great in a uniform.
Keep up the great work.
For another great court drama, a real classic and different kind of one do "12 Angry Men" (1957). It's one many reactors have done and every one has loved it. Stars Henry Fonda and many well known actors of that period.
20:50 About that. That's one of several things this movie gets wrong about military protocol that suggests Aaron Sorkin may have confused the Marines for the Army. In the Navy and Marines, unlike in the Army, salutes are never rendered indoors, especially not without cover (a hat). Another big thing they get wrong is the call to attention. Numerous characters call "Ten-hut!" That's the call to attention in the Army, but in the Navy and Marines, the proper call is "Attention on deck!"
Civilians often assume everything is uniform across the branches.
Just to clarify I have never been in the military but I do know a great deal about the various branches.
@@Kiernan5 Neither am I. But I was in the play "A Few Good Men" a few years ago (I played Kendrick). I looked everything up to see if everything the military did was authentic... it wasn't.
@@anthonyvasquezactor military movies will purposely get certain things wrong as to not imitate.
21:00 I love the "savageness" of the lawyers interaction. They cut to the heart of the argument.
I love that you made the connection between Aaron Sorkin and "The Newsroom" HBO series...such an amazing show. Aaron is a great writer and show/movie creator. Check out some of his other hits: "Sports Night" tv series (2 seasons), "The West Wing" tv series (7 seasons), "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" tv series (sadly just the one season), "Charlie Wilson's War" movie (Tom Hanks, Phillip Seymore Hoffman, Julia Roberts), "The American President" movie (Michael Douglas, Martin Sheen), "Moneyball" movie (Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill)...just to name a few. One thing I love about "A Few Good Men" is that there are some nuances in guilt/innocence regarding the circumstances of this case. You all gave Nicholson's character a hard time in this comment, but he actually made a very strong point, that granting a sub-standard marine a reassignment just to get him out of his unit's hair would endanger lives. While I disagree with the method of the "additional training", giving a struggling soldier additional/proper training is to the betterment of the unit and the army. Shipping a problem soldier to another unit is just kicking the problem down the road and not dealing with it.
The thing that's insane about this is that Jessup et al. are so rah-rah about the danger they're in . . . in Cuba, a place the United States military is in for no reason anyone alive can explain or defend . . . talking about the danger they're in from the Cuban military, which is complete bullshit . . .
It's great that you reacted to this movie. Yes, George, Legal Eagle did an episode of this film.
One of my favorite films - such a great cast, all playing their roles to perfection!
I'm with you on the need for more Nicholson in this film! - for my money this is an absolute towering, scene-stealing performance from him - one of his finest (& let's face it, there's plenty to choose from!)
they showed this movie to us when i was a recruit in bootcamp in 1999. it was part our training in corps values: honor, courage, commitment
Why is it that I love it when George says, “Now, Kith!”
If they hadn't got the exact right guys for the Nicholson & Cruise confrontation then this whole movie would have fallen apart. They actually get us to believe Nicholson when he says "you can't handle the truth" and that is an impressive feat of acting, directing and, not least, writing.
I can imagine Al Pacino & Robert De Niro, as well as Denzel Washington & Gene Hackman, doing these same scenes back then.
@@jp3813 I'm not saying they were the only possible choices but they were great choices. You list great actors but I don't think any of them would have done it better.
@@jonasfermefors Pacino is no stranger to courtroom outbursts. Watch Denzel vs Gene in the mutiny scene of Crimson Tide.
@@jp3813 Young Pacino would have been great (although he's lost some sharpness of late). The nuclear launch scene in Crimson Tide is great as well, so they would both have been really good. Better? They are better actors overall, but I doubt they would have been better in this film.
@@jonasfermefors Better? Debatable. Worse? Definitely not. Equal? Most likely.
Nominated for 4 Oscars including Best Picture but lost to Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven.
This was the highest grossing courtroom drama of 1992, $230 million dollars against a $17 million dollar budget.
"The highest grossing courtroom drama of 1992"
It was a huge box office success, but that phrase just sounds like it flopped but the creators want to spin it otherwise. Like throwing "The #1 horror movie in America" onto a shitty movie that's the ONLY horror movie in theaters. 🤣🤣🤣
This was one of my favorite movies from the 90s as well as one of my favorite lawyer movies. Seeing your faces as you react to the ending I remember somewhat how I felt when I first watched this film. Another great reaction you guys, as always.
Director Rob Reiner, who was "Meathead" on "All in The Family" and is the son of comedian Carl Reiner, had a streak starting in the 80's making some of the best movies of the decade, in a variety of genres in styles.
Starting with:
Spinal Tap
The Sure Thing
Stand By Me
The Princess Bride
When Harry Met Sally
Misery
And then this movie.
After this he could pretty much have anything he wanted and stacked his next movie "North" with an all star cast... unfortunately it wasn't very good.
He never quite recovered. He still makes not-bad movies but has only made a couple others that are as well known ("This is Us" "The Bucket List")
To say that “North” wasn’t very good is exceedingly kind. At the time of its release, Siskel and Ebert considered it one of the worst movies they had ever reviewed. Ebert’s print review was famously scathing - “I hated this movie. Hated hated hated hated hated this movie. Hated it. Hated every simpering stupid vacant audience-insulting moment of it. Hated the sensibility that thought anyone would like it. Hated the implied insult to the audience by its belief that anyone would be entertained by it.” 😂
If Simone really wants to see Kevin Bacon in a movie, I would suggest Wild Things. That’s all I’m going to say.
Nah. Ide suggest 'super' the James gunn movie.
Kevin bacon fucking kills it in that movie
I'd suggest Friday the 13th
I'd suggest Hollow Man.
Erik: I like your play on words. Anyone who has watched Wild Things should get the comment. (And that's all I am going to elaborate about that).
It's a good choice if you ever wanted to see Kevin's... bacon.
Hey Simone you mention the lengendary Aaron Sorkin as the writer for this classic flick.
Now you see why the script was so clear, consise and infectious with spine tingling dialogue.
Check out some of his classics, "The Social Network", "West Wing" "Charlie Wilson's War", "Molly's Game"
You will love them for sure.
The drill (spinning weapons) in the opening credits was performed by the Texas A&M Fish drill team. It was nearly my team (North Georgia College Blue Ridge Rifles), but we lost a couple members at the last moment and were unable to meet the requirements of the movie.
Cpl. Barnes was played by Matthew McConaughey who stars in another courtroom thriller/drama. John Grisham's "A TIME TO KILL" ....Also starring Samuel L. Jackson, Sandra Bullock, Kevin Spacey, Ashley Judd, Charles S. Dutton, Donald Sutherland and Kiefer Sutherland.
The scene about Don't question my orders in front another officer, isn't about ego, even though Jack Nickelson's character do have a huge ego. In a hierarchical command structure it can be problematic to undermine a higher ranking officer in front of others in their command unless it's an illegal order. You can see this dynamic in other shows with a hierarchical command structure. It can play out as justifiable or egomania or anywhere in between. If you've ever watched Star Trek: The Next Generation there are multiple episodes where this event plays out in different ways. In some cases the junior officer realize they were wrong, in other cases they were right.
Oh if you do what Legal Eagle, he does like this movie. He's done a couple of videos on it. One by himself and one with another Lawyer more expertise in Military law.
Data: "The primary role of the second in command is to carry out the orders of the Captain. In this case... me."
Worf: "But... is it not my duty to offer you alternatives?"
Data: "Yes. But once I have made a decision, it is your job to carry it out. Regardless of how you may personally feel. Any objections may be given to me in private, not in front of the crew. I do not recall Commander Riker ever publicly showing any irritation with his Captain, as you did a moment ago."
@@Eidlones yeah that was the first scene that I was thinking about.
ua-cam.com/video/vMKtKNZw4Bo/v-deo.html
Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson also Demi moore produced some of the best acting in a military movie.... And sad to say but if you have not served in the military you cannot possibly understand how and why soldiers act they way they do and follow orders...
"And sad to say but if you have not served in the military you cannot possibly understand how and why soldiers act they way they do and follow orders..."
That right there is an insult to everything a member of the military has sworn to defend and uphold.
Incidentally, the US is an archaic relic of a bygone era with its military judiciary - most nations have abolished that concept in the context of criminal charges and have merely disciplinary boards for disciplinary issues. It's been a major lesson from history the US has yet to learn that a state within a state is not a solution but a problem.
@@ohauss Calm down Francis
That famous speech is known as a Gekkoism. In Wall Street, the Michael Douglas character Gordon Gekko gives the "Greed is good," speech and that became a symbol for ideas that people legitimately adhere to that were originally meant by their creators to be wrong-headed. I suppose you could classify the Rorschach speeches from Watchmen in the same way.
Here is a little fact that I recently found out. This was Kevin's Polacks first big movie role.
Great reaction!!! If you want to see more Jack Nicholson react to The Departed a great movie with Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio, Alec Baldwin and Mark Wahlberg.
The Departed is an excellent film.
and Martin Sheen. Oh, and Vera Farmiga too.
If you want the best of Jack Nicholsen, you must watch "As Good As It Gets" .... Best performance ever by Jack Nicholson
That was an excellent movie, I don't know if it was his best. "Something's Gotta Give" was just as good. He was also excellent in "Witches of Eastwick", "Batman" and "Anger Management." While I'm not a big fan of movies like "Chinatown", "The Shining" or "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" Nicholson's performance was probably the best thing about those movies.
@@Kiernan5 Departed too. I don't like the sleaziness of his character in Departed or Witches or even Anger Management, but that's because Nicholson is so good to make you not like that part, but still be a fan of him and even the character to some degree.
Dude that movie sucked ass
@@Fantomex. need to be specific, between the OP and replies 9 different movies have been mentioned
Re: Simone's musings about Jack Nicholson and Johnny Knoxville. As an old I can report that 30 years ago people were having the same musings about Jack Nicholson and Christian Slater...
Aaron Sorkin wrote this as a Play, which David Brown produced for Broadway.
It opened on Broadway at the Music Box Theatre in New York on November 15, 1989, in a production directed by Don Scardino, with Tom Hulce as Lieutenant Junior Grade Daniel Kaffee, Megan Gallagher as Lieutenant commander Joanne Galloway, and Stephen Lang as Colonel Jessep.
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Recognize the Doctor?
Christopher Guest, husband of Jamie Lee Curtis.
Nigel Tufnel in “This is Spinal Tap”, wrote & directed “The Mighty Wind”.
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Character actor J.T. Walsh plays Colonial Markinson.
Walsh was a long-time friend of Jack Nicholson.
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Notice Xander Berkeley ?
Seen in Apollo 13, Gattaca, and Air Force One (played villain, Secret Service agent).
George Mason in TV series “24”
The idea about Noah officer not questioning the orders if another in the presence of an enlisted men is not egomaniacal, it’s standard military procedure.
Irin emergency situations it’s important for men to hear one order from the commanding officer, and then to hear complete agreement from all other officers .
Having one senior officer question the orders of another senior officer in private and not during an emergency would be (or should) a very different story.
where was this enlisted man? There was only officers present..
@@louisenglish8069 Dogshit logic, Literal marines and Naval Officers have called bullshit on this, watch LegalEagle, an actual lawyer who is a marine and works as a Military Lawyer called the logic used in the movie stupid.
"Having one senior officer question the orders of another senior officer in private and not during an emergency would be (or should) a very different story."
Which is exactly what was happening that scene!
This was a private, non-emergency discussion between only officers.
Jack Nicholson's character was on a power trip, period.
My ass, this wasn't a emergency or war-like situation, Jack's character is on a power trip.
@@IAmHumongous
That's true. However Kendrick is considerably lower on the chain of command than the other two, so the same principle of showing a unified front to the lower ranks and only expressing disagreements privately probably still applies.
The reason service members swear an oath to the Constitution instead of unit or anything else is so we have an objective standard by which we can judge which orders are not to be followed. I would argue in this case the allegiance to both unit and god were actually allegiance to Jack Nicholson's character.
The oath includes following orders.
Something that you might have not noticed when the Kevin Bacon was asking the guy about being ordered, and looks over and repeats "Hal?" That's the guy that he said gave him the order, his friend that he is locked up with.
8:45
He’s referring to while on the battlefield.
You were talking about Kevin Bacon at the start, so if you want a great Kevin Bacon movie to watch, try Tremors. It's the most fun you're going to have in 90 minutes watching a movie.
Typically when filming a reaction shot specifically hear the legal team reacting to Jack Nicholson‘s temper , it’s another actor at a lower scale delivering the lines. Nicholson was having so much fun he insisted on doing it himself over and over again with the same level of intensity to film each actors reaction .
Kiefer Sutherland is always so good at playing a villain.
The ending was also brilliantly done with how it framed Tom Cruise's face then Demi Moore's face with the not guilty verdicts but then framed Kevin Pollak's face with the guilty verdict who always felt that they bore some responsibility for their actions.
Simone, at 4:47 you must have been thinking about The Usual Suspects, not Reservoir Dogs. Don't worry, we will forgive you.
Danny asking Kendrick for the transfer order was a master stroke in writing. He *KNEW* Kendrick was full of shit, and couldn't resist poking the bear.
He asked Jessup for the transfer order, not Kendrick.
@@jp3813 A master stroke of mistaken identity.
Kevin Bake’s father was a well-known urban planner in the city of Philadelphia. So yes, his last name is really Bacon.
23:06 , George snuck himself into the movie. 😊
My favorite courtroom drama right next to Amistad. Definitely need more reactions to Amistad
Kudos to pointing out that Lt. Kaffe's shirt was dirty in his first meeting with Lt. Cdr. Galloway. Everyone seems to miss that.
Legal Eagle brought in a former JAG lawyer to analyze this.
the red/ green lights on top of tall buildings/ structures like the Washington monument is so aircraft doesn't accidentally hit it and the color determines what side to pass it on like a boat.
Such a great movie. One of my faves. Saw it upon original release back in '92 and many times since. So hard to believe it turns 30 this year. Christ I'm old. 🙁
I’m gonna clarify this because a lot of US lawyers comment on this movie w alittle ignorance. US military tribunals often relax trial procedural rules and norms bc these trials are supposed to be carried out swiftly-as if in wartime. So even though calling a hostile witness doesn’t happen in a US criminal court, it’s at least…plausible? in a US military tribunal.
Are you a lawyer? I find this movie ludicrous.
Court Marshall, not tribunal.
@@Stevie8654 Court Martial, not Court Marshall
The Legal Eagle video on this movie is great, not just because Devin is awesome as always, but he has a JAG with him to give a military point of view.
Great reaction Simone and George!! If you want to watch another fantastic movie, watch 'The Firm - 1993', also by Tom Cruise!! 25:29:- If you want to watch a fantastic laywer drama, watch 'The Practice'!!
Have you seen 'Anatomy of a Murder'? - thats my favourite court room movie - watch it.
@@timmoleft7147 No, never watched it!! Every new court drama, I will accept!!
@@user-jn7tc3tp2x Oh, its not new, its old (its in Black and White) - but trust me, its really good. Hopefully you can find it somewhere. Cheers, my good man!
@@timmoleft7147 I searched on the internet and I know it is an old movie, I just meant that every new title I watch is worth it.
The Rifle Squad at the beginning was the Texas A&M Rifle Squad. They mostly train to do those cool maneuvers. I knew one of the kids in the squad at the time. He thought Demi More was just rehearsing her lines when she walked past instead of the scripted mumbling.
This is one of the best cast in cinema history. Everyone is incredible.
Another excellent movie! Jack Nicholson is always amazing. I agree with George, Nicholson should have had much more screen time.
If you want more Jack Nicholson you need to watch One Flew Over the Cockoos Next. He's great innit and has an incredible villain.
Aaron Sorkin also did the amazing show, The West Wing, and the movie The American President, which (like this movie) is based upon one of his plays.
Some of the best dialogue in the history of cinema. The standoff between Tom and Jack (two powerhouse actors) is so riveting everytime you see it. Great reaction!
More Jack Nicholson? Try the oldie but award winning "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest". It won't disappoint!
This movie made me a courtroom drama fan. Definitely check out The Rainmaker and A Time to Kill. Also GI Jane for a great Demi Moore film. And The River Wild for a great Kevin Bacon film.
I have always loved courtroom stuff. I remember when this came out thinking there was finally something better than 12 Angry Men.
i second The Rainmaker (1997) 👍🏼
When this movie was made, the Marines were producing a series of recruiting ads featuring the tagline “We’re looking for a few good men.”
Side note, on 23:05 it looks like Toms arm belongs to George.
I just want to clarify that while the Marine Corps can be very insular and intense, it's very much not like it's portrayed in the media and is very anti-cult like. There is definitely a fervor that Marines have that can be hard to explain to non-Marines, but gets a bad rap often due to movies like this.
I hate to disappoint you, but the "bad rap" of the Marines is not due to movies like this. This movie is from the 1990s, and yet in 2018, Marines stood trial for Parris Island hazing which resulted in a suicide death of a recruit. Add to that "Marines United" , the Tailhook scandal and sundry other scandals, and there's plenty of housecleaning to do just in terms of "cult-like" culture. But there have been plenty more incidents shaping a far more critical view of Marines worldwide than the Marines themselves would like to acknowledge. It is due to incidents such as Cavalese, where the perpretators got of scott free for the actual killing of a whole bunch of allied civilians and were merely punished for destroying evidence, and Haditha, were superior officers even aided in the attempted destruction of the evidence and only one person ended up being convicted and just for dereliction of duty.
@@ohauss You're conflating bad incidents that happened and continue to happen with the overall culture of the Corps itself. Yes, bad incidents happen. That's not the question. The question is the Marine Corps' attitudes towards said incidents and the steps taken to root out bad incidents. A "cult-like" structure doesn't allow accountability. The Marine Corps welcomes accountability, more or less. ...which is not very cult-like, imo.
@OliverH... Try and stay on target here. The Paris Island mention was literally the only thing that related to the topic of discussion.
The rest of your post is completely unrelated and comes off as a blatant slander attempt.
@@ohauss They’re talking about hazing, which is different than incidents that occur during missions or wartime. That’s the ‘bad rap’ that the OP is referring to, essentially.
@@codymoe4986 No, having lived in Beaufort, SC for several years, the only thing more insular and cultish than Parris Island Marines are the Hilton Head gated plantation inbred aristocrats.