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."

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.

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.

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.

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

*"We were supposed to fight for Willy."* - That line made the entire outcome make sense for everyone, myself included. Such an amazing line

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.

George: “That’s some good Bacon.” Also George: “Sniggers at his own joke.” You’re both top-shelf. Love you guys. :)

*"Pa, look. A mailbox!!!"* I made that joke so many times when my kids (18 & 12) were babies. Nobody got it.

I never get tired of watching Nicholson on the stand. The way he steps right into the trap is just delicious.

"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.

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.

It wasn't Colonel Jessup who disappeared (or who was in counter-intelligence), that was Lieutenant Colonel Markinson.

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.'"

Same director: A Few Good Men, Misery, When Harry Met Sally, The Princess Bride, This Is Spinal Tap. Quite a range.

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.

23:00 Anyone else appreciating just how amazingly Tom Cruise's arm lines up with George's in this scene? 💪🏻🤣

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".

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.

Legal eagle did do a very good breakdown. He brought on an expert in Jag because it's different than regular civilian law.

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. 😂

The actor who played Demi Moore's Commanding Officer, later played a very similar role on the TV show, "JAG".

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.

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.

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.

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 😀

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 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.

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.

MAD magazine's name for Jack Nicholson's character was "Colonel Fessup". So fitting.

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!

"You can't handle the truth!" Tom Cruise was brilliant in this film. He's a great actor.

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.

If Simone really wants to see Kevin Bacon in a movie, I would suggest Wild Things. That’s all I’m going to say.

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.

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

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.

If you liked Nicholson's performance, you ought to see "Witches of Eastwick". He was the perfect choice for that movie...

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.

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)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!"

If you want the best of Jack Nicholsen, you must watch "As Good As It Gets" .... Best performance ever by Jack Nicholson

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.

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")

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.

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.

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

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.

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!)

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.

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.

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...

You want me on that wall! You need me on that wall!!

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.

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.

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.

It's great that you reacted to this movie. Yes, George, Legal Eagle did an episode of this film.

Here is a little fact that I recently found out. This was Kevin's Polacks first big movie role.

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 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.

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.

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.

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!

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 .

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.

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.”

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.

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.

Jack is terrifying in this movie, such a classic. I used to think this movie was boring when I was a kid, then watched it when I was a bit older and was absolutely blown away.

This movie is actually based on a true story of PFC William Alvarado. Unlike Santiago, Alvarado survived the hazing. Another Marine David Cox was one of the 10 that carried out the code red and was later charged. He insisted that he was just following order and did nothing wrong just like the 2 Marines on trial. However, Cox was acquitted of attempted murder. He finished his time in the Marines and was honorably discharged in 1989. He was found shot to death on a riverbank in 1994. I remember they did a story on this case on the very awesome TV show "Unsolved Mysteries" . It was Season 8, episode 15.

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.

My favorite courtroom drama right next to Amistad. Definitely need more reactions to Amistad

Simones intros , and George’s confused but still laughing reaction is great lol

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. - Recognize the Doctor? Christopher Guest, husband of Jamie Lee Curtis. Nigel Tufnel in “This is Spinal Tap”, wrote & directed “The Mighty Wind”. - Character actor J.T. Walsh plays Colonial Markinson. Walsh was a long-time friend of Jack Nicholson. - Notice Xander Berkeley ? Seen in Apollo 13, Gattaca, and Air Force One (played villain, Secret Service agent). George Mason in TV series “24”

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.

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.

This is one of the best cast in cinema history. Everyone is incredible.

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...

More Jack Nicholson? Try the oldie but award winning "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest". It won't disappoint!

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'!!

I've been having so much fun watching you two watch movies I watched in theaters and grew up on

Take a shot every time Simone reacts "Jesus!" She even says it over just the opening credits.

Another excellent movie! Jack Nicholson is always amazing. I agree with George, Nicholson should have had much more screen time.

How come no one acknowledged Kiefer Sutherland? This is a stacked cast - he won Emmys for his performances and producing "24", one of the best TV shows in 2000s.

2nd TRULY GREAT movie posted in CineBinge in a 2nd consecutive day!!!!!!!!!!! - "You can manipulate someone with that ego!" ~ George - "The only thing I can think of is Santiago's closet." ~ Samone - "YOU CAN"T HANDLE THE TRUTH!" ~ the immortal line of this movie Those comments and the tears are what makes a great reaction to a great movie!

There's an early short section on this film on Legal Eagle, and a newer full episode with the host and a Marine lawyer - well worth a watch

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’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.

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. 🙁

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.

That scene with Jessup telling Markinson about "saving lives" drives me bonkers every time. It's such a strawman argument. You'll never convince me that transferring Santiago off the base to stock shelves in the commissary and replacing him with a marine as fanatical as Kendrick (of which there are PLENTY) weakens our position in Cuba. It's terrible logic, but Jessup uses an extreme nonsense example of surrendering Cuba to conceal his actual purpose: to bully a man that he perceives as weaker. It's not only ego, it's bad military tactics on top of it. Also, as soon as he mentioned the Legal Eagle channel, I thought he meant the Robert Redford lawyer movie Legal Eagles, which is very enemies-to-lovers and is also awesome (though I can't argue as to how accurate it is).