The Oscar-nominated A Few Good Men charts the hazardous line between duty and conscience in a powerful, brilliantly directed adaptation of the stage play.

At Guantanamo Bay, Marine Private William Santiago (Michael DeLorenzo) is found dead after a brutal nighttime assault. Two enlisted men—Harold Dawson (Wolfgang Bodison) and Louden Downey (James Marshall)—are charged with his murder. Assigned to defend them is Navy JAG Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee (Tom Cruise), a skilled but complacent lawyer known for plea bargains rather than trials. His co-counsel, Lieutenant Commander JoAnne Galloway (Demi Moore), suspects a deeper injustice. Santiago had requested a transfer, supported by Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Markinson (J.T. Walsh), but Base Commander Colonel Nathan Jessep (Jack Nicholson) instead ordered Santiago’s unit commander, Lieutenant Jonathan Kendrick (Kiefer Sutherland), to discipline him.

Galloway believes Dawson and Downey carried out a “code red,” an unofficial and illegal punishment. Kaffee resists her theory and negotiates a lenient plea deal with prosecutor Captain Jack Ross (Kevin Bacon), hoping to avoid the risk of a life sentence. Dawson and Downey refuse, insisting they followed Kendrick’s orders and never intended to kill Santiago. Forced into court, Kaffee realizes he was chosen to quietly dispose of the case. As testimony unfolds, the defense establishes that Dawson had previously been punished for refusing an unlawful command, and that code reds were a known—if denied—practice at the base.

The defense hinges on Markinson, who secretly tells Kaffee that Jessep never approved Santiago’s transfer. Crushed by guilt and unwilling to testify against his longtime friend, Markinson dies by suicide before taking the stand. With their key witness gone, Kaffee believes the case is lost and collapses into despair, blaming himself for rejecting the plea deal. Galloway urges him to take a final gamble: calling Jessep as a witness, even though confronting such a powerful officer without direct evidence could destroy Kaffee’s career.

On the stand, Jessep clashes with Kaffee, until careful questioning exposes contradictions in his testimony. Provoked, Jessep erupts and ultimately admits he ordered the code red. He is arrested as he attempts to leave the courtroom. Dawson and Downey are acquitted of murder but discharged for conduct unbecoming. Downey is confused by the verdict, while Dawson realizes they failed to protect a fellow Marine. Kaffee explains that honor isn’t defined by uniform or rank, earning Dawson’s salute as Ross leaves to arrest Kendrick.

If not for Aaron Sorkin’s sister, Deborah, signing up for three years with the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps, A Few Good Men might not even exist. While the film does not state that it is based on a true story, a lawsuit was filed after its release. The end result is a powerful story that arguably demonstrates what can happen when people abuse their own power.

In his portrayal of a defense attorney, Tom Cruise drives the film. It is through his interrogation that Rob Reiner is able to draw out strong performances from the rest of the cast. Demi Moore delivers some of her best work here, while the courtroom scenes rank among the film’s strongest moments, bolstered by excellent supporting performances from Kevin Bacon and Kiefer Sutherland. This is all before even getting to the genius that is Jack Nicholson. Without Cruise anchoring the film—including a key breakdown scene while drunk—A Few Good Men simply would not be what it is.

I cannot say enough good things about Jack Nicholson’s performance in A Few Good Men. His courtroom monologue is one for the ages, particularly in its back-and-forth with Cruise. Nicholson performed the scene multiple times, nailing it while cameras rolled from every angle. None of this happens, of course, without the decision to put Colonel Jessep on the stand. It is interesting to note that James Woods auditioned for the role, but he simply is not operating on the same level. Nicholson makes the film what it is, which is why his is the only performance to earn an Oscar nomination—and deservedly so.

Wolfgang Bodison, who had previously served as an assistant to Rob Reiner, makes his acting debut in A Few Good Men. He had never acted a day in his life, yet you would never know it watching him on screen—especially given that he is acting opposite Tom Cruise. Credit is due to Reiner for casting his former assistant and then–location scout in such a demanding role.

Even though A Few Good Men originated as a stage play, it never feels overly theatrical. The filmmakers open up the staging whenever possible, particularly during the courtroom scenes. To Sorkin and Reiner’s credit, the material is fully reshaped for the screen, allowing for moments that would not have worked on stage. Markinson’s suicide, in particular, plays very differently—and far more powerfully—in the film.

If not for advances in technology over the past 33 years, the film would otherwise feel almost timeless. A Few Good Men ranks among the best films of Rob Reiner’s directorial career and remains his highest-grossing effort. While the back half of his career never quite matched his remarkable 1984–1992 run, his later reunion with Sorkin on The American President stands as a notable exception. The latter of which would inspire Sorkin to create The West Wing.

Beyond Nicholson’s performance, A Few Good Men earned Academy Award nominations for Best Picture, Film Editing (Robert Leighton), and Sound Mixing (Kevin O’Connell, Rick Kline, and Robert Eber). The film also received guild recognition with nominations from the ACE Eddie Awards, DGA Awards and Producers Guild Awards.

A Few Good Men endures not because of a single iconic moment, but because of how confidently it examines authority, loyalty, and moral responsibility. Tom Cruise anchors the film with a performance that evolves from casual arrogance to hard-earned conviction, while Demi Moore brings intelligence and resolve to a role that grounds the story in principle. Towering over both is Jack Nicholson, whose volatile turn crystallizes the film’s central conflict between power and accountability. Under Rob Reiner’s direction, Cruise, Nicholson, and Moore elevate Aaron Sorkin’s dialogue into something timeless, ensuring the film remains as compelling today as it was upon release.

DIRECTOR: Rob Reiner
SCREENWRITER: Aaron Sorkin
CAST: Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, Demi Moore, Kevin Bacon, Kevin Pollak, James Marshall, J.T. Walsh, and Kiefer Sutherland, Christopher Guest, J.A. Preston, Matt Craven, Wolfgang Bodison, Xander Berkeley, John M. Jackson, Noah Wyle

Columbia Pictures released A Few Good Men in theaters on December 11, 1992. Grade: 5/5

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