I can't begin to tell you how many times I've seen this movie. To me it's the perfect movie in terms of covering every loose end with masterful writing. No stone left unturned and done so in a riveting manner.
I love the dialogue and performances especially, but I have to admit.. I never buy that Jessup would 'break' in that situation. It's such a silly logical trap that's trivially easy to wriggle out of
Yeah man, I love Caffeys loose, immature behavior and answering a call to action to get serious for a cause. Great dialogue and score, in the middle of rewatch8ng right now!
I agree with you. I always thought one additional line of dialog by Cruise when he is alone in the courtroom and turns around in the very last scene could have been "So, this is what a court room looks like?" as the music crescendos. FIN
While I get it, movies have to make the audience implicitly understand characters, the challenges to be overcome, the ultimate difficulty of the challenges, and make it all seem less than forced, or audiences won't sit still for 90 minutes to see how accurately a film illustrates the culture and military courtesy of the 1990s USN. In other words: it's a fuckin movie.
The movie is indeed a masterpiece but some of the "reckless lone wolf" and disrespectful bits just irk me. It seems out of place. Im not in the military but I just have a really hard time believing anybody would get a foothold behaving like him. He would probably get the lawyer equivalent of a code red. Like somebody went into his study and changed all his bookmarks to random pages.
There is no film that really accurately portrays the military. However, this picture came out three years after the Tailhook Scandal. Insubordination and sexism were obviously present to some degree in the US Navy.
@@mikeoyler2983 I was a Naval Officer when Tailhook happened. There was plenty of sexism in the navy at that time, but when things like that happened, it was always the case of a male behaving inappropriately towards a female subordinate or at least, someone of equivalent rank. In this case, you have a male O-2 lipping off to a female O-4. He would have been skinned alive. You always had to observe formal protocol when addressing female superiors because a lot of them were inclined to perceive slight even when none was intended. You just couldn't be as informal as you might be with a male superior.
@@mikeoyler2983 The events of *_Tailhook 1991_* occurred in early September of 1991. _A Few Good Men_ went into production approximately six weeks later, in mid-October of the same year, and premiered in theaters in December of 1992.
@@nobytes2 When this movie was made in 1992 things like code reds were still pretty common, but whatever hazing exists in the military now isn't gnat's ass compared to what it was like back then. In the 21st century, as the military became increasingly dependent on females to fill its ranks, they had to cut way back on the hazing. Things like crossing the equator and the Chief's initiation ceremony used to be downright brutal.
He even mentions it by name later on when he's arranging for them to bring certain things to his house to begin working on the case, he finishes off by saying the only food he has is coco puffs and yoohoo so if they want to eat they can bring their own food.
No one in the military would tell a superior officer he was sexually aroused by her, and have her just take it in stride as if it was nothing. Still a great scene though.
Watching this as a kid I couldn’t get over how smart all the adults seemed to be. So many big words. No stuttering. No “uh” or “we’ll..”. It was intimidating. Only later did I realize that every line of dialogue in the movie was written by Aaron Sorkin. Everyone in the film is is smart, verbose, and quippy. It was an eye opener as to how movies are constructed.
One of the things about this movie is very smart and that most people expected was that at one in the movie Lt, Commander Galloway, and Kaffee might become romantically involved since they are both about the same age and both are very good-looking, but that never happened, which it worked great because that would have taken some of the main issues which were two marines accused of killing another member of their unit! Very clever move! Great movie and great actors!!!
This is a great movie and all but least be real. Most people would all hate with a passion to have someone like Kaffee working under them. The man was a snarky little cretin in the beginning lol
Aaron Sorkin's lines can make any character look highly intelligent and sophisticated. Tom and Demi just added top tier sexiness into them. Hollywood doesn't get more 90's than this.
Aaron Sorkin's lines can make any character look obnoxious, arrogant, conceited and nowhere near as intelligent or sophisticated as they or he thinks they are.
The thing about this "story" is that in the real world the solider who was "hazed" actually survived! Sorkin has said as much in interviews when the movie first came out!
I've watched this movie million times... And realize now that is l it was demi performance that makes this movie!!... Don't get me wrong, i I love Tommy boy but WOW!!
It may not be part of the movie my friend, but you have an intelligent wit which points that out. I always took Hollywood's twists for granted. They think women think baseball players are macho....it adds a platform for Tom Cruise to speak from. I'm heterosexual but women do find Tom Cruise to be sexy, right?
I hate that trope in movies in which one of the characters tries to surprise how much they know about the other when they spout out their entire life as if they were reading their dossier.
it's just because they need a way to introduce the character to the audience. Yeah it's not realistic, but you also can't spend 30 minutes on backstory scenes either.
Demi Moore gives that huge patronizing speech stating Cruises background and psychoanalyzing him: Cruise: You're right you obviously do know me, and you're a stalker.
What a scene! Tom cruise later realized he was given this case, exactly because he always chooses the path of least resistance just like Demi Moore says!!!
This movie will always be Cinema Gold. Cruise the cocky genius lawyer and Demi Moore playing THE sexiest Naval officer of all time.....add to that the rest of the stellar cast and Sorkin's writing.....and BOOM!!
Basically that he was handpicked by a higher authority to head the defense. The question is whether he was handpicked because he was good at getting plea deals or because they felt he could get Dawson and Downey completely exonerated.
0:47 Sorkin recycled this line in The West Wing some years later. (Poor old Matthew Perry says it to Alison Janney, "Life on Mars" was the episode iirc)
@@chrisrains6464 I know it's a quick correction on set, but dude, it's a movie. Him batting incorrectly is perfectly reasonable considering that he's an armature, plus, the vast majority of viewers won't ever notice the flaw, hell, I didn't notice it until a few of you pointed it out.
For me it's only after his wise guy period I suddenly thought he could act MI Eyes and Vanilla Skies. But yeah this is a lot of fun. Demi 😊 got done in a spoof interview 90s Pennis Dennis UK - if it was done tastefully do you think you could keep your clothes on in a film?
@@loucasstjacques5131 Imagine being canceled and your career ruined by one comment in poor taste or doesn't fit the politically correct narrative? We should open gulags for people who day insensitive stuff.
@@gideondavid30 I think that, even today, the number of disrespectful comments that goes ignored or unpunished is still immensely superior to the ones that even get any form of follow-up (unless you're a celebrity of course). Obviously that depends on the setting you're working in but most of the time, you can get away with saying pretty much anything without serious consequences (and by serious, I mean more serious than two random white girls calling you an asshole)
Moore plays a massive pain in the ass in this film IMO. 3/4 of her lines are dewey-eyed one liners delivered in close up as she looks back, like: “What a pity” or “Because they stand on a wall and say ‘no one is going to hurt you tonight’” or “Sorry I lost your set of steak knives” before she walks off. She had no business making that steak knives comment after she screwed up so badly in the trial. I don’t know what Sorkin had in mind but he made her very annoying
@@wyskass861 but they spend the whole movie treating her like she was in the right and because Cruise ends up doing what she wants anyway, the movie still treats her that way. The movie acts like it was a good thing for her to demand he risk his career on a hail mary to fix a case she fucked up in the first place and then pout when he understandably says no.
I think in real life lawyer who plays baseball in the same time ,when his clients are in such a big problems ,should be at least suspended without pay .
I can’t understand why through his younger years, he did all of his better movies with dialogue less action more substance, and his older years old he wants to do is be an action start makes no sense. He should be doing films like this now.
He's an actor's actor. He showed a lot of his range. Outsiders, All the right moves, Days of Thunder, playing a vampire, Hollywood producer, future cop, astronaut soldier, Sports Agent, lawyer (2x), etc. He's done it all. Now he wants to finish his franchises & keep upping the ante like the FastFurious movies. And he's not done yet.
"Know what a code red is? what a pity." ultimate burn.
I can't begin to tell you how many times I've seen this movie. To me it's the perfect movie in terms of covering every loose end with masterful writing. No stone left unturned and done so in a riveting manner.
I love the dialogue and performances especially, but I have to admit.. I never buy that Jessup would 'break' in that situation. It's such a silly logical trap that's trivially easy to wriggle out of
Yeah man, I love Caffeys loose, immature behavior and answering a call to action to get serious for a cause. Great dialogue and score, in the middle of rewatch8ng right now!
I agree with you. I always thought one additional line of dialog by Cruise when he is alone in the courtroom and turns around in the very last scene could have been "So, this is what a court room looks like?" as the music crescendos. FIN
@@aservant320 He already says that when he enters the not-guilty plea.
Yea maybe but, he hits like shit!
As a Navy veteran I really don't think a JG would talk like that to a Lt. Cdr.
Probably not. And definitely not in the Navy of 2023.
@@tsukki_amv2848
"Navy of 2023"? You mean the sea-going orgy?
While I get it, movies have to make the audience implicitly understand characters, the challenges to be overcome, the ultimate difficulty of the challenges, and make it all seem less than forced, or audiences won't sit still for 90 minutes to see how accurately a film illustrates the culture and military courtesy of the 1990s USN. In other words: it's a fuckin movie.
Sorkin can’t write military detail. Lots of similar ‘errors’ in the West Wing.
"Do you know what a code brown is lieutenant?".
Whenever this comes up on TV, I stop what I'm doing and watch it all the way through.
There's only two movies that make a person do that: A Few Good Men (as you already stated) and Goodfellas.
@@District.24 There's another one: Shawsank Redemption.
All these clips popping up makes me want to watch too
I might have to put the Blu-ray on now
Cruise, always the professional, spent hours learning to mis-hit a baseball like that.
SOFTBALL!
He's left handed, batting right handed
Classic. Lol.
He needs the practice
Hands are twisted -- back elbow is flying away from his side -- for starters -- not a serious guy.
Man she killed it everyone in this film just bringing it all.
The movie is indeed a masterpiece but some of the "reckless lone wolf" and disrespectful bits just irk me. It seems out of place.
Im not in the military but I just have a really hard time believing anybody would get a foothold behaving like him. He would probably get the lawyer equivalent of a code red. Like somebody went into his study and changed all his bookmarks to random pages.
You must've seen that episode then. It's a stage production translated to the big screen. A lot of those elements don't even make sense.
@@ThatPianoNoob Yeah, the part where Jessup gets upset when asked for the transfer order is nonsense.
It's entertaining but even in the JAG Corp, you'd never get away with that degree of insubordination.
There is no film that really accurately portrays the military. However, this picture came out three years after the Tailhook Scandal. Insubordination and sexism were obviously present to some degree in the US Navy.
@@mikeoyler2983 I was a Naval Officer when Tailhook happened. There was plenty of sexism in the navy at that time, but when things like that happened, it was always the case of a male behaving inappropriately towards a female subordinate or at least, someone of equivalent rank. In this case, you have a male O-2 lipping off to a female O-4. He would have been skinned alive. You always had to observe formal protocol when addressing female superiors because a lot of them were inclined to perceive slight even when none was intended. You just couldn't be as informal as you might be with a male superior.
@@mikeoyler2983 The events of *_Tailhook 1991_* occurred in early September of 1991. _A Few Good Men_ went into production approximately six weeks later, in mid-October of the same year, and premiered in theaters in December of 1992.
Next thing you'll say, hazing never occurs in the military...
@@nobytes2 When this movie was made in 1992 things like code reds were still pretty common, but whatever hazing exists in the military now isn't gnat's ass compared to what it was like back then. In the 21st century, as the military became increasingly dependent on females to fill its ranks, they had to cut way back on the hazing. Things like crossing the equator and the Chief's initiation ceremony used to be downright brutal.
While a good scene in the structure of the story, it is a great scene that gives this film such wonderful replay value.
Kaffee basically only drinking Yoohoo throughout the movie is pretty hilarious. Great product placement.
There was one scene where he wasn't drinking Yoohoo later in the movie.
Yoohoo a great thirst quencher.
Yoohoo & cigarettes. The milk & cookies for pr0nstars everywhere.
He even mentions it by name later on when he's arranging for them to bring certain things to his house to begin working on the case, he finishes off by saying the only food he has is coco puffs and yoohoo so if they want to eat they can bring their own food.
That is pretty funny
I really love a good film like that
I agree with Kaffee, the second joke was damn funny.
Yeah gold lines that one, gold lines
Priceless!!! (Also, there you have it- proof that waves still can't take a joke.. )
No one in the military would tell a superior officer he was sexually aroused by her, and have her just take it in stride as if it was nothing. Still a great scene though.
It's almost like this was in the early 90's and we were watching a movie.
@@VicenzoV this wasn’t a documentary? 🤣
Quit acting like the military is honorable.
@@mss11235 Believe me, I am VERY critical of our military. But it's still unrealistic.
@Bønzëaux Błëuxgrēn Thanks!
Watching this as a kid I couldn’t get over how smart all the adults seemed to be. So many big words. No stuttering. No “uh” or “we’ll..”. It was intimidating. Only later did I realize that every line of dialogue in the movie was written by Aaron Sorkin. Everyone in the film is is smart, verbose, and quippy. It was an eye opener as to how movies are constructed.
Tom Cruise misses as soon as Demi asks why is the lawyer outside hitting a ball
At 2:08 m Ilove the deception. Until that point you seemed to believe that Lt Kafee was a lazy Lawyer, but no. He read the entire report.
....but didn't know what a Code Red was ....
@@1chishwhich is, of course, a pity.
One of the things about this movie is very smart and that most people expected was that at one in the movie Lt, Commander Galloway, and Kaffee might become romantically involved since they are both about the same age and both are very good-looking, but that never happened, which it worked great because that would have taken some of the main issues which were two marines accused of killing another member of their unit! Very clever move! Great movie and great actors!!!
This was a great scene and a great movie
This is a great movie and all but least be real. Most people would all hate with a passion to have someone like Kaffee working under them. The man was a snarky little cretin in the beginning lol
Aaron Sorkin's lines can make any character look highly intelligent and sophisticated. Tom and Demi just added top tier sexiness into them. Hollywood doesn't get more 90's than this.
Aaron Sorkin's lines can make any character look obnoxious, arrogant, conceited and nowhere near as intelligent or sophisticated as they or he thinks they are.
@@spookavision Well, it's entertainment...
I keep telling the comments, but Sorkin is an over-wrought douche canoe. It's all too cute to be truly good.
The thing about this "story" is that in the real world the solider who was "hazed" actually survived! Sorkin has said as much in interviews when the movie first came out!
Tom playing sports in movies is the best, lol
Great movie.
Thank You, Truly.
Shared.
🇺🇸
Just casually drinking a Yoo-hoo
Some things don't age well...🤣
I think the reason Cruise does the long sprints in the MI and Reacher movies is because he can't throw the ball or swing the bat.
Just realized he’s drinking Yoo-Hoo
Because that’s all he had. Yoo hoo and Coco Puffs.
🤣🤣🤣
Either that bat is 5 ounces too heavy or Cruise can’t swing a bat.
maybe it's a sound effect...
Definitely the latter
Everything revolves around Tom Cruise's dad in his movies 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Demi is a good actress.
I've watched this movie million times... And realize now that is l it was demi performance that makes this movie!!... Don't get me wrong, i I love Tommy boy but WOW!!
you know whata code red is? GOTTEN
Fitst time i saw a Red Sox hat and bought one in recent years. I am not from US but some day will visit.
damn, that's some rapid fire batting
Here come all the baseball experts 🙄 He is a lawyer not a baseball player. It has nothing to do with the film. Good grief.
😂
It may not be part of the movie my friend, but you have an intelligent wit which points that out. I always took Hollywood's twists for granted. They think women think baseball players are macho....it adds a platform for Tom Cruise to speak from. I'm heterosexual but women do find Tom Cruise to be sexy, right?
I really like Demi Moore in this movie.
she wears way too many clothes
@@pberPSR and yet she still looks hot...
Yeah her boobs should’ve gotten awarded for supporting cast
Her character was awful!
Her character is terrible. I can’t stand by her incompetency.
Rob Reiner: “Cut! Ok, let’s do that one again, but this time, I want you to do it as an even more patronizing prick.”
This was during the Monica Seles era, when grunting after physical exertion was the cool thing to do.
That was Funny
2:55 bass brings truth
I hate that trope in movies in which one of the characters tries to surprise how much they know about the other when they spout out their entire life as if they were reading their dossier.
Yeah, it’s pretty cliche.
it's just because they need a way to introduce the character to the audience. Yeah it's not realistic, but you also can't spend 30 minutes on backstory scenes either.
Can't help saying how gorgeous Demi Moore was, BTW people don't appreciate how good Tom Cruise is in this movie.
Demi Moore gives that huge patronizing speech stating Cruises background and psychoanalyzing him:
Cruise: You're right you obviously do know me, and you're a stalker.
Everything she said was correct though. He had to be dragged kicking screaming to do the basics of his job.
@@classicsmajor9699 No what she did was a breach of personal privacy and probably could be seen as unethical.
Me [being stalked by 1990s Demi Moore]:
Keep it up.
@@flankspeed Like it when they order you around do ya?
Nope, she was his supervisor for the case; she had every right to review his personnel file. 🙄
What a scene! Tom cruise later realized he was given this case, exactly because he always chooses the path of least resistance just like Demi Moore says!!!
This movie will always be Cinema Gold. Cruise the cocky genius lawyer and Demi Moore playing THE sexiest Naval officer of all time.....add to that the rest of the stellar cast and Sorkin's writing.....and BOOM!!
It was interesting going through marine boot camp
Worst part about this scene is his lack of baseball skills.
He said he needed the practice...
@@Livinghighandwise good point. My counter would be don’t be cocky while doing something poorly.
You know, if it wasn’t for Demi Moore’s character at the beginning of the movie, things would’ve ended pretty bad for Dawson and Downey.
Goid on Galloway for continuing to bust his b@lls. Kaffey had it coming.
I wonder if Daniel Kaffee (Red Sox) and Ray Ferrier (Yankees) ever crossed paths
The product placement in this movie worked for me at the time. I drank a few YooHoo's. (they suck)
Reminds me of typical supply folks.
For an actor who prides himself on doing his own stunts, you would think he’d learn how to not drop his hands when he swings a bat.
What does 'assigned by division' mean?
Basically that he was handpicked by a higher authority to head the defense. The question is whether he was handpicked because he was good at getting plea deals or because they felt he could get Dawson and Downey completely exonerated.
Roger Moore's daughter plays very well in this scene.
Deborah Moore is not in this movie
It's Demi Moore
I thought Tom Cruise was good at EVERYTHING! Those were the sloppiest swings.
He said they needed the practice.
0:47 Sorkin recycled this line in The West Wing some years later.
(Poor old Matthew Perry says it to Alison Janney, "Life on Mars" was the episode iirc)
lol for the fact that he wasnt reported in after saying he was sexually aroused. Just shows she was attracted to him.
This was a comedy. A career in the Navy before and after this allows me to know this conversation would NEVER happen.
Tom Cruise was from Jersey, would he wear a Red Sox hat off screen like Ben Affleck/Matt Damon would do?
Who are these young kids playing adults?
You can say what you want about tom cruise and his baseball activities At least he doesnt run like seagal
Still beautiful, but back then she was gorgeous.
Kaffee would NOT survive with that attitude
That's softball man...
I WANT THE TRUTH!
Nobody taught Cruise to keep his back elbow up for his batting stance..smh.
Are You An Instructor In The Yankees Organization?
@@chucklamantia3067 You don't need to be a professional baseball coach to see that Cruise's swing is bad Chuck.
@@chrisrains6464 Do You Watch Movies To Enjoy Or Pick Them Apart
He swings like a girl
@@chrisrains6464 I know it's a quick correction on set, but dude, it's a movie. Him batting incorrectly is perfectly reasonable considering that he's an armature, plus, the vast majority of viewers won't ever notice the flaw, hell, I didn't notice it until a few of you pointed it out.
Demi's big puppies were dying to be free from her blouse uniform.
Just cause you Wiki him doesn't mean you KNOW him
He was here 30 years old very young. Demi More older about 35
she was 29 or 30.
What a Rack!
Demi really looks beautiful in this scene
Col. Jessup wants to jump her in Cuba.
In all scenes where she appear over the movie.
@@angellestat2730 true
I disagree, Jo. It was funny. ☺
For me it's only after his wise guy period I suddenly thought he could act MI Eyes and Vanilla Skies. But yeah this is a lot of fun. Demi 😊 got done in a spoof interview 90s Pennis Dennis UK - if it was done tastefully do you think you could keep your clothes on in a film?
This was in the nineties before you could get in trouble for saying anything sexual.
Yeah, his a$$ would of been grass for sure
Imagine having to treat other people with respect...
@@loucasstjacques5131 Imagine being canceled and your career ruined by one comment in poor taste or doesn't fit the politically correct narrative? We should open gulags for people who day insensitive stuff.
@@gideondavid30 I think that, even today, the number of disrespectful comments that goes ignored or unpunished is still immensely superior to the ones that even get any form of follow-up (unless you're a celebrity of course). Obviously that depends on the setting you're working in but most of the time, you can get away with saying pretty much anything without serious consequences (and by serious, I mean more serious than two random white girls calling you an asshole)
A good chunk of these comments think he'd still get in trouble for saying that even in the 90s but whatever
It's just a movie folks.
Back then, you could say things like, "Im sexually aroused Commander" Now you would get drummed out of the military for that.
Imagine having to treat other people with respect...
Damn! Professional standards? How lame...
It depends. There are a lot of women in the military that would blow that off with a warning
I am highly skeptical one could get away with saying such a thing to a higher ranking officer I. 1991
I wonder if Bruce Willis made Demi wear that outfit in bed? Those fun bags were just itching to pop out.
we _need_ the practice
“Vowww! I was sexually aroused, commander!” 😂
That's not baseball, it's softball.
Baseball? Isn't that a softball?
01:54 Tom Cruise, even back in 1993 (or whenever this movie was made) would have hammered for making that stupid remark.
Demi is gorgeous.
Moore plays a massive pain in the ass in this film IMO. 3/4 of her lines are dewey-eyed one liners delivered in close up as she looks back, like: “What a pity” or “Because they stand on a wall and say ‘no one is going to hurt you tonight’” or “Sorry I lost your set of steak knives” before she walks off. She had no business making that steak knives comment after she screwed up so badly in the trial. I don’t know what Sorkin had in mind but he made her very annoying
Maybe just that. Some people in life are annoying.
@@wyskass861 but they spend the whole movie treating her like she was in the right and because Cruise ends up doing what she wants anyway, the movie still treats her that way. The movie acts like it was a good thing for her to demand he risk his career on a hail mary to fix a case she fucked up in the first place and then pout when he understandably says no.
That bat was too heavy for him. They shoulda used a lighter one for the scene.
In every movie, Tom has dad issues.
I think in real life lawyer who plays baseball in the same time ,when his clients are in such a big problems ,should be at least suspended without pay .
Theres a difference betweeen baseball and softball, and this is softball!
Tom Cruise can do so many amazing things! Pretending to play baseball is not one of them.
It's called softball
what a babe
a few good men-1992
a bunch of bad men 1942
Yes we knew this.
It’s softball. Not baseball.
demi moore is simply divine.
It was softball...not baseball.
Cruise is definitely not a baseball player.
Its softball. Not baseball.
Ofcourse...it's a flavor of Mt Dew!
I can’t understand why through his younger years, he did all of his better movies with dialogue less action more substance, and his older years old he wants to do is be an action start makes no sense. He should be doing films like this now.
He's an actor's actor. He showed a lot of his range. Outsiders, All the right moves, Days of Thunder, playing a vampire, Hollywood producer, future cop, astronaut soldier, Sports Agent, lawyer (2x), etc. He's done it all. Now he wants to finish his franchises & keep upping the ante like the FastFurious movies. And he's not done yet.
A code red is a flavor of mountain dew
Not when this movie was made. 🙄
Softball scene.
Sometimes you just have to be really dismissive of attractive women's concerns. But only for fun.