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A Few Good Men (1992)
In Rob Reiner's courtroom/military drama about the
difficult defense of two Marines (Dawson and Downey) accused of causing
the death of another soldier at the U.S. Navy base at Guantanamo
Bay, Cuba, who died during a questionable hazing ritual known as
"Code Red":
- the first confrontational meeting between passionate
Navy lawyer and investigator Lt. Cmdr. JoAnne Galloway (Demi Moore)
and inexperienced hot-shot US Navy lawyer Lt. J.G. Daniel Alistair
Kaffee (Tom Cruise), while he was swinging at balls during softball
practice; Kaffee was well-known for frequent plea bargains without
ever going to trial; she delivered an extensive biographical account
of Kaffee's past to intimidate him: "I do know you. Daniel
Alistair Kaffee, born June 8th, 1964 at Boston Mercy Hospital.
Your father's Lionel Kaffee, former Navy Judge Advocate and Attorney
General of the U.S., died 1985. You went to Harvard Law, then you
joined the Navy probably because that's what your father wanted
you to do. And now you're just treading water for the three years
you've gotta serve in the JAG Corps, just kinda layin' low 'til
you can get out and get a real job. If that's the situation, that's
fine, I won't tell anyone. But it's my feeling that if this case
is handled in the same fast-food, slick-ass, Persian Bazaar manner
with which you seem to handle everything else, then something's
gonna get missed. And I wouldn't be doing my job if I allowed Dawson
and Downey to spend any more time in prison than absolutely necessary
because their attorney had predetermined the path of least resistance";
he insultingly responded: "Wow, I'm sexually aroused, Commander"
The Two Defense Lawyers
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Lt. Cmdr. JoAnne Galloway
(Demi Moore)
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Lt. J.G. Daniel Alistair Kaffee
(Tom Cruise)
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- the breakfast scene at the Guantanamo Bay (Cuba)
Naval Base scene in which the two defense lawyers encountered and
earnestly demanded information about an unofficial disciplinary
(hazing) ritual-procedure termed "Code Red" (that resulted
in the death of young Marine PFC William Santiago (Michael de Lorenzo)
when a rag treated with a toxin was stuffed down his throat to
gag him while they shaved his head, however he also could have
died of heat exhaustion); next to a reluctant Kaffee, the out-ranking
Galloway questioned the formidable, meal-eating base officer Col.
Nathan R. Jessup (Jack Nicholson) with a simple question: "My
point is that I think Code Reds still go on. Do they?"; deflecting
her question, Jessup replied with a degrading sexual insult: "There
is nothing on this earth sexier -- believe me, gentlemen
-- than a woman that you have to salute in the morning. Promote
'em all, I say, 'cause this is true. If you haven't gotten a blow-job
from a superior officer, well, you're just letting the best in
life pass you by...'Course my problem is I'm a Colonel, so I'll
just have to go on taking cold showers until they elect some gal
President"; then he answered that he discouraged the practice
of "Code Red" (on the record), but off the record, he
claimed: "it is an invaluable part of close infantry training.
And If it happens to go on without my knowledge, so be it"
- as the two lawyers were leaving, Kaffee casually asked
for Santiago's transfer order for his files (allegedly arranged by
Jessup to have Santiago be transferred for his own safety's sake,
although he died before it could happen); Jessup responded that he
would comply, but demanded that Kaffee properly acknowledge his superior
rank with a properly-phrased request: "You have to ask me nicely.
You see, Danny, I can deal with the bullets, and the bombs and the
blood. I don't want money and I don't want medals. What I do want,
is for you to stand there in that faggoty white uniform and with
your Harvard mouth extend me some f--king courtesy. You gotta ask
me nicely"; Kaffee was completely cowed and obeyed Jessup's
demand by repeating his request more courteously, and Jessup replied: "No
problem"
- later during the investigation when the case appeared
lost and Kaffee gave up and became drunk, the scene of the still-optimistic
Galloway ("I still think we can win") urging Kaffee to
subpoena Col. Jessup to appear in court in order to confront him
- and somehow have him admit that he personally ordered the "Code
Red": "Now dammit, let's put Jessup on the stand and end
this thing!"; Kaffee became incredulous and melted down at her
- with sarcasm and a vicious tirade at what he imagined might happen
as a result: "Well, for our defendants, it's a lifetime at exotic
Fort Leavenworth! And for Defense Counsel Kaffee, that's right, it's
a court-martial! Yes, Johnny! After falsely accusing a highly-decorated
Marine officer of conspiracy and perjury, Lieutenant Kaffee will
have a long and prosperous career, teaching typewriter maintenance
at the Rocco Globbo School for Women! Thank you for playing Should
We, or Should We Not Follow the Advice of the Galactically Stupid!"
- during Kaffee's initial cross-examination questioning
of Col. Jessup in the court-martial trial regarding Santiago's transfer
order (about whether it was phony or not), Kaffee was quickly defeated
and taken aback by Col. Jessup's clever out-smarting, but Kaffee
wouldn't let the triumphant and smug Jessup leave the witness chair:
"Excuse me, I didn't dismiss you. I'm not through with my examination,
sit down"
- in further questioning, Jessup asserted that the
military's effectiveness was based upon discipline: "We follow
orders or people die. It's that simple"; then, Kaffee asked
a pertinent question that tripped up Jessup: "If you gave an
order that Santiago wasn't to be touched, and your orders are always
followed, then why would Santiago be in danger? Why would it be necessary
to transfer him off the base?"; then after a flurry of accusations,
Kaffee explosively confronted the tough-talking Col. Jessup with
the central question: "Colonel Jessup, did you order the Code
Red?"; the emotionally-riled up Colonel ferociously snarled: "You
want answers?...You can't handle the truth!!"
Kaffee: "Did you order the Code Red?"
Col. Jessup: "You can't handle the truth! --- You're goddamn
right I did!"
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- during the climactic conclusion to the questioning,
Jessup became unnerved by Kaffee and spoke about his duty to his
country by serving faithfully and loyally - something that Kaffee
never did: "And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible
to you, saves lives! You don't want the truth because deep down
in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on
that wall. You need me on that wall. We use words like honor,
code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent
defending something. You use them as a punchline! I have neither
the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises
and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide,
and then questions the manner in which I provide it! I would
rather you just said 'Thank You' and went on your way. Otherwise,
I suggest you pick up a weapon and stand a post. Either way, I
don't give a damn what you think you are entitled to!"; when
Kaffee continued to press Jessup for an answer, he became so exasperated
that he admitted that he personally ordered the "Code Red": "You're
goddamn right I did!"
- in the aftermath, Jessup was detained by MP and about
to be arrested, as he incredulously asked: "I'm being charged
with a crime?" and then he physically charged at Kaffee, but
was restrained as he shouted out: "I'm gonna rip the eyes outta
your head and piss in your dead skull! You f--ked with the wrong
Marine!...You f--kin' people. You have no idea how to defend a nation.
All you did was weaken a country today, Kaffee! That's all you did.
You put peoples' lives in danger. Sweet dreams, son"; Kaffee
calmly responded with dignity: "Don't call me 'son'. I'm a lawyer
and an officer in the United States Navy. And you're under arrest,
you son of a bitch"
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Galloway Questioning Col. Nathan Jessup
Kaffee's Casual Request for Santiago's Transfer Order
Jessup: "You got to ask me nicely"
Galloway: "Let's put Jessup on the stand"
Kaffee's Tirade: "Should We, or Should We Not Follow
the Advice of the Galactically Stupid!"
Downey and Dawson on Trial
Kaffee to Jessup: "I didn't dismiss you"
Jessup: "We follow orders or people die. It's
that simple"
Jessup's Unnerving by Kaffee's Intense Questioning
"I'm being charged with a crime?"
To Kaffee: "You f--ked with the wrong Marine!"
To Jessup: "Don't call me 'son'"
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