Kevin Bacon has this face. It’s lean, a bit sharp, and honestly, it looks like it was born to wear a dress uniform. You’ve seen him in everything from dance movies to horror, but when you look at military movies with Kevin Bacon, you realize he isn't just playing a part. He’s basically become the cinematic face of the American officer corps. He doesn't do the Rambo thing. He doesn't scream through the jungle with a machine gun. Instead, he plays the guys who live in the tension between duty, law, and the heavy emotional cost of service.
Most people immediately think of A Few Good Men. That’s the big one. But if you really want to understand his impact, you have to look at the quietest movie he ever made.
Taking Chance: The movie that changed everything
In 2009, Bacon starred in an HBO film called Taking Chance. It’s not a war movie in the traditional sense. There are no explosions. No enemy soldiers. Basically, the whole thing is just a journey. Bacon plays Lt. Col. Michael Strobl, a real-life Marine who volunteered to escort the body of a fallen 19-year-old Marine, Lance Corporal Chance Phelps, back to his hometown in Wyoming.
It’s a tough watch. Not because it’s violent, but because it’s so incredibly respectful. Bacon’s performance is almost entirely silent. He has to convey everything—guilt, reverence, sorrow—through the way he adjusts his cover or salutes a cargo hold. It’s probably the most accurate depiction of military honors ever put on screen. Veterans often cite this as the most "real" military film because it focuses on the ritual of the return, not the politics of the war.
🔗 Read more: Anjelica Huston in The Addams Family: What You Didn't Know About Morticia
Bacon actually met with the real Michael Strobl to prep for the role. He even dyed his hair to match Strobl’s premature grey. He wanted to get it right. He wasn't looking for an Oscar—though he did win a Golden Globe and a SAG Award for it—he was looking to honor a process most civilians never see.
The courtroom tension of A Few Good Men
Then there’s Captain Jack Ross. If you haven't seen A Few Good Men lately, you might remember Bacon as the "bad guy." But he’s not. Not really. He’s the prosecutor. He’s a Marine doing his job.
Why Jack Ross matters
- The Nuance: Ross isn't a villain; he’s a professional. He knows Col. Jessup (Jack Nicholson) is a "dinosaur," but he also believes in the system.
- The Relationship: He’s actually friends with Tom Cruise’s character, Danny Kaffee. They play softball. They grab drinks.
- The Moral Center: In a movie full of screaming and "You can't handle the truth!", Bacon is the anchor. He’s the one who has to follow the evidence, even when it’s uncomfortable.
There is a specific scene where Ross warns Kaffee about going after Jessup. He isn't threatening him; he’s trying to save his friend’s career. It’s a subtle bit of acting that often gets lost in the shadow of Nicholson’s iconic performance. Honestly, without Bacon playing the "straight man" in the courtroom, the movie wouldn't work. You need that foil.
💡 You might also like: Isaiah Washington Movies and Shows: Why the Star Still Matters
Beyond the uniform: Apollo 13 and X-Men
We have to talk about Apollo 13. Technically, Jack Swigert was a civilian astronaut by the time he flew, but he was an Air Force veteran. Bacon plays Swigert with this sort of "outsider" energy. He was the backup who got called up last minute. The scene where he has to manually pilot the command module while the world holds its breath? Pure stress.
And look, if we're being broad, even his role as Sebastian Shaw in X-Men: First Class has a military bent. He’s a former Nazi collaborator (the ultimate military villain) who uses the chaos of the Cold War to try and trigger World War III. It’s a far cry from the honorable Lt. Col. Strobl, but it shows his range. He can play the guy you’d follow into fire, and the guy you’d want to see hit with a coin.
Why does Hollywood keep putting him in boots?
It’s about the posture. Bacon has this disciplined energy. When he puts on the uniform, he doesn't look like an actor in a costume. He looks like a guy who has spent twenty years following a chain of command.
📖 Related: Temuera Morrison as Boba Fett: Why Fans Are Still Divided Over the Daimyo of Tatooine
Kinda weird, right? For a guy who became famous for Footloose, he’s spent a massive chunk of his career playing the most "buttoned-up" characters imaginable. Maybe it’s the Philadelphia roots. His father was a famous city planner, a guy who valued structure and order. That seems to have bled into Kevin’s "officer" roles.
What to watch next
If you're looking to dive into the world of military movies with Kevin Bacon, don't just stick to the hits.
- Start with Taking Chance. It’s only 77 minutes long. It will stay with you for weeks.
- Rewatch A Few Good Men. This time, watch Bacon’s face during the "Truth" monologue. He’s not rooting for Jessup. He’s horrified.
- Check out Patriots Day. He plays Richard DesLauriers, the FBI Special Agent in charge during the Boston Marathon bombing. Again, he’s the guy in the suit managing the chaos.
The next step for any fan is to look at the "Six Degrees" from a different angle. Instead of looking for connections to other actors, look at the real-life service members these movies represent. If Taking Chance moves you, read Michael Strobl’s original journal entry—it’s available online and provides even more depth to what you see on screen. It makes the movie even more powerful when you realize how little they had to "Hollywood-ize" the truth.