After spending this past weekend watching and reviewing some really bad movies, I decided to spend yesterday evening watching one of my long-time favorite films: “A Few Good Men,” first released in 1992, and starring Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, Demi Moore, Kevin Bacon, J.T. Walsh, Kiefer Sutherland, and Kevin Pollack.
For me, “A Few Good Men” is a film that has it all. In addition to its all-star cast, it features an almost perfectly written screenplay by Aaron Sorkin, and expert direction by Rob Reiner.
For those not familiar with “A Few Good Men,” it is a legal/courtroom drama about a young, supercilious Navy lawyer, Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee (Cruise). With no courtroom experience at all, Kaffee is assigned to defend two young enlisted Marines (played by Wolfgang Bodison and James Marshall) accused of murdering another Marine. Kaffee and his co-counsel, Lieutenant Sam Weinberg (Pollack), are both being closely monitored by Lieutenant Commander Jo Galloway (Moore), a Navy Internal Affairs lawyer.
As the case unfolds, big problems loom for Kaffee, Weinberg, Galloway, and the two accused Marines. The alleged murder was committed at the Marine Corps base in Guantanamo, Cuba. The commanding officer there is Colonel Nathan Jessup (Nicholson), a politically well-connected senior officer who’s about to be promoted to a staff position inside the White House. Marine Captain Jack Ross (Bacon), the prosecutor in the case, initially appears receptive to making a plea deal, but then suddenly backs away. A Marine Corps counter-intelligence officer (Walsh) and an untrustworthy platoon leader (Sutherland) further complicate matters for Kaffee and his legal team, who face an ever-increasing number of legal obstacles to securing an acquittal for their clients…
I can always count on “A Few Good Men,” with its superb cast, beautifully crafted story, and tremendous production values, to provide me with two-plus hours of wonderful entertainment. I’ve watched it dozens of times over the past quarter-century, and I never tire of it. It’s always a pleasure for me to sit down, fire up my Blu-ray player, HDTV, and surround-sound home theater system, and view this marvelous film in glorious high definition. Most highly recommended.
Digitally Mastered Audio & Anamorphic Video
Audio Commentary from director Rob Reiner
"Exclusive Documentary: Code of Conduct, Featuring interviews with Rob Reiner, Aaron Sorkin and cast"
From Stage to Screen with Aaron Sorkin and Rob Reiner
Bonus Trailers
Filmographies
Production Notes
Interactive Menus
Scene Selections with Motion Images
Audio Commentary from director Rob Reiner
"Exclusive Documentary: Code of Conduct, Featuring interviews with Rob Reiner, Aaron Sorkin and cast"
From Stage to Screen with Aaron Sorkin and Rob Reiner
Bonus Trailers
Filmographies
Production Notes
Interactive Menus
Scene Selections with Motion Images
