You know that feeling when you're flipping through channels, and you see a young Tom Cruise in a crisp white Navy uniform, and you just have to stop? That’s the power of A Few Good Men. It’s a 1992 courtroom drama that shouldn't feel this fresh in 2026, yet it does. Honestly, most people just remember the yelling. "You can't handle the truth!" has been memed, quoted, and parodied into oblivion. But if you actually sit down and watch the movie with Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson, you realize it’s not just about a soundbite. It’s a masterclass in tension.
It’s kinda wild to think this was Aaron Sorkin’s first big swing. Before The West Wing or The Social Network, he was a bartender writing dialogue on cocktail napkins. He’d hear stories from his sister, Deborah, who was a Navy JAG lawyer. She told him about a hazing incident at Guantanamo Bay. Sorkin took that kernel of truth and turned it into a screenplay that defines the "legal thriller" genre.
The Power Struggle You Didn't See Coming
Most movies give you the hero and the villain right away. In A Few Good Men, it's more of a slow burn. Tom Cruise plays Lt. Daniel Kaffee. He’s a guy who’d rather play softball and plea-bargain his way through life than actually step foot in a courtroom. He’s living in the shadow of his famous father. Then you have Jack Nicholson as Colonel Nathan R. Jessep. He’s not just a guy in charge; he’s a force of nature.
Kaffee is cocky. Jessep is certain.
When they finally meet, the air in the room changes. It’s not just acting; it’s a collision. Nicholson actually only appears in three scenes. Can you believe that? He was paid $5 million for ten days of work, which averages out to a staggering amount per minute of screen time. But he earned every cent.
Why the Courtroom Scene Was Actually Dangerous for the Actors
There's a bit of movie lore that’s actually true: the courtroom was packed. Not just with extras, but with people from all over the studio lot who heard that Cruise and Nicholson were "going at it." Cruise later mentioned that the rafters were literally filled with people watching.
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Nicholson didn't just phone it in when the camera wasn't on him. Usually, a big star will go back to their trailer while the other actors get their "coverage" shots. Not Jack. He performed that "You can't handle the truth" speech about 40 or 50 times. He did it at full volume, full intensity, every single time, just so Cruise and Demi Moore had the right energy to react to. He was "quite spent" by the end of it. That’s the difference between a movie star and a legend.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Plot
A lot of folks think the movie is about whether the two Marines, Dawson and Downey, killed Private William Santiago. They did. That’s never the question. The real question is why.
A Few Good Men dives into the "Code Red." This was an unofficial disciplinary measure—basically a hazing ritual—meant to "straighten out" a weak link in the chain. Santiago was struggling. He went outside the chain of command to report a fenceline shooting, hoping for a transfer. In the eyes of Jessep and his subordinates, that was the ultimate sin.
The Real Story Behind the "Code Red"
The movie is based on a real-life incident from 1986. A group of ten Marines at Guantanamo Bay did indeed give a fellow Marine a "Code Red." They tied him up and shaved his head, but in the real story, the victim didn't die. He survived, though the legal fallout was massive. David Cox, one of the real Marines involved, later felt the movie maligned him. In a tragic twist that feels like a separate movie altogether, Cox was mysteriously murdered in 1994, a case that remains unsolved to this day.
The Sorkin Effect: Dialogue as a Weapon
If you listen closely to the movie with Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson, you’ll notice the rhythm. Sorkin writes like a composer. Characters don't just talk; they overlap. They interrupt.
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- Lt. Sam Weinberg: "Why does a counselor's appearance in this case suddenly make it a matter of national security?"
- Lt. Commander JoAnne Galloway: "Because I think there's more to this than we're being told."
It’s snappy. It moves. Demi Moore’s character, Jo Galloway, is often the one pushing the ethics, while Kevin Pollak’s Sam Weinberg provides the cynical reality check. It’s a perfect tripod of personalities.
Interestingly, the role of Jo Galloway was highly coveted. Linda Hamilton and Jodie Foster both auditioned. Demi Moore eventually won the part, even though she was eight months pregnant during filming. They had to be very creative with camera angles and costumes to hide it.
The Ending That Still Sparks Debate
Roger Ebert famously gave the film a mixed review. He argued that the movie "telegraphed" its ending. He felt that because Kaffee explains his strategy to his friends the night before the big trial, the suspense was gone.
I sort of disagree.
The suspense isn't in what Kaffee is going to do; it’s in whether or not Jessep will take the bait. You’re watching a high-stakes poker game. Kaffee has nothing—no evidence, no witnesses who haven't been silenced or "disappeared" like the flight logs. All he has is his ability to poke at Jessep’s ego.
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Kaffee knows that Jessep doesn't just want to be right; he wants to be thanked. He wants the "people who sleep under the blanket of freedom" he provides to acknowledge that he’s the one who tucked them in. When Kaffee suggests that Jessep’s orders weren't followed, it insults the Colonel's sense of absolute control. That’s the hook. And Nicholson bites it with terrifying conviction.
Actionable Insights for Your Next Rewatch
If you’re going to revisit this classic, keep an eye on these specific details to appreciate the craft:
- The Salutes: Notice how the salutes change. At the start, Kaffee’s salute is lazy, almost a joke. By the end, when he salutes Dawson, it’s a sign of hard-earned respect.
- The Lighting: Robert Richardson, the cinematographer, uses harsh, high-contrast lighting in the courtroom. It makes the white uniforms pop and emphasizes the "black and white" morality the characters are struggling with.
- Wolfgang Bodison: The actor who plays Harold Dawson wasn't an actor. He was Rob Reiner's personal assistant. Reiner saw him and thought, "That guy looks like a Marine." He nailed it.
- The Score: Marc Shaiman’s music is subtle but effective. It builds the "military" feel without being overbearing or "patriotic" in a cheesy way.
A Few Good Men isn't just a 90s relic. It’s a story about the cost of blind obedience and the necessity of questioning authority—even when that authority is wearing a chest full of medals. It’s about the difference between a "Code" and the law.
Next time you see it on a streaming list, don't just skip past it. Watch the way Cruise transforms from a lazy jock into a formidable lawyer. Watch Nicholson turn a three-scene cameo into a career-defining performance. It reminds us why we love movies in the first place: for those rare moments where the writing, the acting, and the tension all align perfectly.