Jessep: You want answers?!
Kaffee: I want the truth!
Jessep: You can't handle the truth!note
Kaffee: I want the truth!
Jessep: You can't handle the truth!note
A Few Good Men is a 1992 American drama film adapted by screenwriter Aaron Sorkin from his own 1989 play, directed by Rob Reiner and starring Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson and Demi Moore.
It is a military-themed courtroom drama in which young Navy lawyer Daniel Kaffee (Cruise) defends Harold Dawson (Wolfgang Bodison) and Louden Downey (James Marshall), two Marines accused of murdering fellow Marine William Santiago (Michael DeLorenzo) at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba. The accused, however, say they were acting under orders from Col. Nathan Jessep (Nicholson) for what was supposed to be a routine hazing punishment - a "Code Red".
The film's supporting cast includes Kevin Bacon as Jack Ross, Kiefer Sutherland as Jonathan James Kendrick, Kevin Pollak as Sam Weinberg, and J. T. Walsh as Matthew Markinson.
You Can't Handle the Parody is based on Jessep's rant in the film's climactic courtroom scene.
In 2018, NBC announced they would produce a live broadcast of the play, following the success of their live musical productions, which was set to air sometime in 2019. However, as of early 2026, it has yet to be produced.
You want examples?!note You can't handle the tropes!
- All for Nothing: Played with and ultimately averted. Dawson and Downey are offered a deal pre-trial that will take their charges all the way down to involuntary manslaughter and stick them with a mere six months in prison and a dishonorable discharge. Dawson and Downey reject the deal and take the case to court in the hopes of convincing the jury that they were just following orders, unwilling to sign a false confession and be dishonorably discharged for doing their duty as Marines by following orders. They end up winning the case and get charged only with conduct unbecoming a U.S. Marine, which carries a sentence of time already served (the trial seemed to take at least a couple months to play out)...and a dishonorable discharge, so virtually indistinguishable from the deal they were offered initially and something that initially upsets them both. However, it's clear that as far as Dawson and Downey are concerned, the loss of integrity and honor that would have come with falsely admitting guilt was far more important than the punishment, so to them it's still worth it.
- Anachronic Order: The film opens with Dawson and Downey ambushing Santiago in his quarters and assaulting him. Col. Jessep's meeting with his officers about Santiago, which leads to the assault (or Code Red), is shown later.
- Arc Words:
- Colonel Jessep has a preference for saying "we're in the business of saving lives" to justify the bullying way he manages his base.
- "Code Red", the unwritten, unofficial (and quite illegal) order to punish (read: haze) any Marines that Jessep considers incompetent.
- Artistic License: Boy, howdy.
- As You Know: Jessep to Markinson, when the two are alone (partially justified in that Jessep is trying to put Markinson in his place):We go back awhile. We went to the Academy together, we were commissioned together, we did our tours in Vietnam together. But I've been promoted up through the chain with greater speed and success than you have.
- Awful Truth: Jessep's rant at the end is about why he admits his actions might disgust people, but he feels they are necessary to protect the nation.
- Backfire on the Witness Stand: The cross-examination of Downey almost single-handedly derails the defense when Ross manages to make Downey confess that he was not given the orders for the Code Red directly from the brass, but rather that it was Dawson (a man who would want Santiago dead as accuser and sole witness of the fence shooting Dawson allegedly committed) who got them and told Downey to come along. As for why neither Marine told Kaffee this little bombshell, the answer is "You Didn't Ask"note .
- Badass Bookworm: Danny Kaffee and Jack Ross both qualify. They are leading counsel for the defense and prosecution, respectively, in the case and display extensive legal knowledge in both public and private situations.
- Bait-and-Switch Comment: As Galloway and Weinberg are leaving Kaffee's apartment the night before the trial starts:Galloway: Kaffee, I—
Kaffee: I know what you're going to say. You don't have to. We've had our differences. I said some things I didn't mean, you said some things you didn't mean, but you're happy I stuck with the case. And if you've gained a certain respect for me over the last three weeks...well, of course, I'm happy about that. But we don't have to make a whole big deal out of that. You like me? I won't make you say it.
Galloway: I was just going to tell you to wear matching socks tomorrow.
Kaffee: (Beat) Okay! Good tip. - Batman Gambit:
- Knowing that the Dawson/Downey case is potentially embarrassing to a high-ranking marine official and trying to make it go away quickly and quietly, the powers that be assign it to Lt. Kaffee anticipating that he will follow his usual tactic of avoiding trial by making a plea-bargain for a reduced sentence. Kaffee eventually realizes this himself, and it feeds into his motivation to do the exact opposite.
- Kaffee uses Obfuscating Stupidity quite a bit on the Marines to either box them up or get their reactions. Unfortunately, Galloway clearly doesn't understand what he's doing and tips Kaffee's hand during the lunch with Jessep, clearly frustrating Kaffee.
- This also plays into the final scene in court, where Kaffee uses Jessep's hard-nosed reputation against him to set him up for the Armor-Piercing Question.
- Bittersweet Ending: The Marines get cleared of their charges of murder but not of "conduct unbecoming of a Marine", and are to be dishonorably discharged following the trial. On the other hand, the right man who ordered the attack has been arrested (with the subordinate who passed said order along set to be arrested as well), Kaffee has become respected and learned to take his job seriously, and the Marines accept that they deserve their punishment.
- Black-and-Gray Morality: Jessep and Kendrick are certainly the villains here, issuing illegal orders and then denying involvement when things went awry. But Dawson and Downey both display practically no remorse over killing a fellow Marine (accident or not, they entered his cabin with intent to hurt and humiliate), sticking to their belief they did nothing wrong because they were following orders against a known screwup. In the end, they do receive just punishment (a dishonorable discharge), and Dawson realizes it's fair, even if Downey probably would have gone to his grave thinking he was in the right if Dawson didn't spell it out for him. Even Santiago, though put in a difficult situation, was willing to rat on a fellow Marine, the one who wouldn't allow the others to harass him no less, for his own benefit, and may have been knowingly lying about the nature of Dawson's fence shooting in order to get transferred out. None of the three parties comes out looking all that great.
- Bowdlerise: Kaffee's "FUCK YOU HAROLD!!!" is changed to "FORGET YOU, HAROLD!!!" in at least one TV edit.
- Brutal Honesty: At the beginning of the movie, at the end of Galloway's interview for taking the case, it is suggested that she go get some coffee. She doesn't get the hint, and one of them bluntly asks her to please leave the room so they can talk about her behind her back.
- Call-Back: Jo asks Weinberg why he dislikes Dawson and Downey so much, and Weinberg fiercely replies that he hates them because they beat up and killed a weak kid because he couldn't run very fast, and everything else is just legal gameplaying. Later in the scene, Weinberg asks Jo the opposite question — why does she like them so much? She replies that they're willing to stand on a wall in the middle of the night and protect everyone else, and she thinks that's noble. This ultimately bears on the movie's conclusion, when Dawson acknowledges that Weinberg was (basically) right — Marines are supposed to stand up for the weak, not torment them.
- The Cameo: Christopher Guest, who'd starred in two of Reiner's previous films note , plays a doctor on the stand.
- Chekhov's Gun: Santiago's closet at the crime scene near the middle leads to Kaffee's "Eureka!" Moment when he goes to retrieve the baseball bat at the end of the movie and looks up at his own array of uniforms, where he begins Spotting the Thread needed to challenge Jessep's story. For a guy who had been begging and pleading for a unit transfer and had supposedly received word he was finally getting his wish and was leaving on the first flight out the next day, why were Santiago's personal belongings and uniforms still squared away as though he wasn't leaving at 6 AM?
- Chest of Medals: Because this is a film based around a court martial, all of the major characters wear dress uniforms with their ribbon stacks on display. Galloway states that she has been awarded a medal during her time in Internal Affairs. Kaffee is a notable exception to this trope, only having a single ribbon on his uniform representing his National Defense Service Medal, which he would have been eligible for serving during Operation Desert Storm. This highlights his inexperience, something Jessep is keen to highlight.
- Clear Their Name: What Kaffee must do for Dawson and Downey, who, while they carried out illegal orders, were forced to do so by a higher authority who left them high and dry.
- Cliché Storm: Invoked; Kaffee has a throwaway conversation with the local newsstand vendor involving each of them trying to wryly out-cliché the other.
- Complete-the-Quote Title: Comes from a well-known USMC recruitment slogan of the era: "We're looking for a few good men."
- Conviction by Contradiction: Played with.
- A murder victim in Guantanamo Bay's military base in Cuba had supposedly received long-awaited transfer orders for a flight early the next morning, but had not packed by the time of his murder later that night nor called any friends or family back home to make preparations. When his commander is asked about this at trial, he quickly points out that there could be any number of explanations for those facts (maybe he liked to pack in the morning), and he can't be expected to explain them. However, the contradiction is enough to irritate the witness and put him on the defensive—just as planned.
- Another contradiction underpins Kaffee's entire line of questioning, and serves as the Armor-Piercing Question that sets Jessep off, culminating in his Accidental Public Confession:Lt. Kaffee: 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?
- Court-Martialed: The entire premise of the movie. Kaffee's Heroic BSoD included saying to Galloway that putting Jessep on the stand and failing would get him court-martialed.
- Deadly Hazing: It's eventually uncovered that the case was not murder, as the troopers had been ordered to haze a recruit, but unbeknownst to them, their teammate had a heart condition and, as a result, died from the stress.
- Deadpan Snarker: This is a Sorkin film, so this is expected. Even in a cast full of snark, Kaffee reigns supreme.
- Desk Sweep of Rage: It looks like the case is about to be lost, and Kaffee is drowning his sorrows. Galloway says that Kaffee should just put Jessep on the stand, but the risk involved gets Kaffee to go on an angry rant, finishing with doing this to the paperwork on his desk.
- Empathic Environment: It's pouring rain on the day the team has a bad day in court and seriously considers that the guys are doomed. It's a beautiful and sunny day when they get over their collective Heroic BSoD and get their acts together. After Markinson commits suicide, a rainstorm starts up again and lasts the whole night as the group believes that they've just lost the whole case.
- The End: Used straight, in a fairly rare example for a film made in the 1990s. Rob Reiner says on the DVD commentary that it felt right, with the story being a sort of old-fashioned morality play.
- "Eureka!" Moment: Kaffee retrieves his baseball bat from his closet and has an epiphany.Sam: He does think better with his bat.
- Expecting Someone Taller: A variation is inverted and then played straight. Earlier in the film, Kaffee makes fun of Downey's Aunt Ginny (as Downey is from somewhere rural and is not that bright, Kaffee assumes Aunt Ginny is some kind of elderly hillbilly). When the trial begins, he finally meets Aunt Ginny... and is surprised to find she's an attractive, intelligent woman who isn't all that impressed with him.Kaffee: I'm sorry, it's just... I was expecting someone older.
Aunt Ginny: So was I. - Failed Future Forecast: Can affect perceptions of Jessep's attitude. The play was written in the mid-'80s, but the Soviet Union broke up during the production of the film, which makes it even less likely that the Cuban Revolutionary Army forces on the other side of the Guantanamo perimeter fence would be stupid enough to pick a fight with Jessep's Marines: said another way, Cuba's most significant military ally was in no position to back them up even if it wanted to be the aggressor in World War III. But Jessep still appears to think the Cold War could go hot at any moment.
- Fatal Family Photo: Subverted. We see Sam taking a walk in the park with his baby daughter, and the whole business seemed shady. Then nothing happens.
- The Film of the Play: A film adapted from a play by its screenwriter, Aaron Sorkin, a play that was first produced on Broadway by David Brown in 1989.
- Foil:
- Jo suffers from Detrimental Determination. She is so unable to compromise that she needed two years to close three cases (including one where the original sentence was just 15 days) and needed to be Kicked Upstairs to get her away from trial work. By contrast, Kaffee has spent his career coasting and closing cases as quickly and easily as possible. Their personality differences come to a head when Dawson, in defiance of all logic and self-preservation, decides to take his case to trial and Kaffee wants to quit. Kaffee accused Jo of living in a fantasy world, and Jo accused Kaffee of avoiding the difficult parts of his job.
- Jo and Jessep are both uncompromising in their beliefs of how things should be done. Both have a tendency to run their mouth to their own detriment (Jo asking accusatory questions while Kaffee was trying to use Obfuscating Stupidity and her "strenuously object" blunder, Jessep flat-out confessing on the stand), both are the recipients of undeserved promotions (Jo was Kicked Upstairs, Jessep was tapped for the National Security Council), and both respond to subordinates (Kaffee and Markinson) recommending practical courses of action by getting angry, insulting, and threatening them. Jo insists that everything be done by the book, whereas Jessep believes that everything should be done his way, regardless of how illegal his way is.
- Foreshadowing: Markinson criticizes Kendrick over his handling of "the Curtis Bell incident" in the first meeting the pair have with Jessep about Santiago. This incident forms the basis of Kaffee's questioning of Kendrick in the courtroom and is revealed to have been another Code Red.
- Freudian Trio: The defence team serves as this:
- Id: Kaffee - Impulsive, comfort‑seeking, and initially driven by avoidance. He relies on instinct and short‑term ease, only stepping up when pushed.
- Superego: Galloway - The moral center. She insists on duty, ethics, and doing what’s right, even when it’s inconvenient or unpopular.
- Ego: Weinberg - The mediator. He balances Kaffee’s impulsiveness with Galloway’s idealism, grounding the team in realism and practicality.
- Godwin's Law: Weinberg points out that the Just Following Orders defense didn't work for the perpetrators of the Mai Lai massacre or the Nazis at Nuremberg. Kaffee counters that the crime they’re dealing with is nowhere near as extreme as those examples.
- Good Lawyers, Good Clients: Averted. Ross is the opposing prosecutor in the court case where Kaffee is the defense attorney, but both respect each other, and Ross's anger at Kaffee's last-ditch plan to make Jessep confess to his involvement is clearly tinged with some concern, as Kaffee would have certainly been held in contempt and been court-martialed himself if Jessep hadn't slipped up.
- Gory Discretion Shot: When Markinson puts his Beretta 92SB inside his mouth, we cut away to the window just before he shoots himself dead.
- Ham-to-Ham Combat: The famous climactic scene between Kaffee and Jessep.Jessep: You want answers?!
Kaffee: I want the truth!
Jessep: You can't handle the truth! - Gruel and Unusual Punishment: It is mentioned at one point that Lt. Kendrick had placed a misbehaving Marine Private on "barracks restriction" where he was confined to his barracks and given nothing but water and vitamin supplements for a week.
- Highly Conspicuous Uniform: Zig-Zagged. Weinberg tells Kaffee to wear his white dress uniform when they go to Guantanamo Bay because of how hot it is in Cuba. When they arrive, Galloway is wearing a khaki work uniform, and the Marine Private who drives the trio from the airfield suggests that Kaffee and Weinberg put on a pair of camouflage jackets he keeps in his jeep, reasoning that "if the Cubans see an officer wearing white, they might think it's something they want to take a shot at."note Kaffee: Good call, Sam.
- Hollywood Law:
- Jo's infamous "I strenuously object" scene, which she justifies by saying that she got their objection to the doctor's testimony noted for the record. Objections are always noted for the record. Everything (with certain particular exceptions) said in the trial is supposed to be noted for the record; that's what the record is for. Granted, it's been established by this point that Jo's understanding of the law is limited, which is why she works in Internal Affairs in the first place.
- From the very beginning, Jo looks down on Kaffee because he resolves all of his cases with plea bargains, while she is so opposed to plea bargaining that, as a trial lawyer, she only resolved three cases in two years. In real life, Jo would be considered too inefficient to be employable as a lawyer, and too many lawyers like her would cause the justice system to collapse. Plea bargains don't make for compelling stories while trials make for better drama, so Hollywood writers love the latter. In the movie, it is made to appear that Jo showed Kaffee the true meaning of justice by getting him to do a trial, but she's actually looking down on him for being good at his job, while she is not.
- Witnesses in real life are rarely, if ever, allowed in the courtroom during the proceedings, for the precise reason that Kaffee puts them there: their presence, if noted, may alter another witness's testimony, and they may hear testimony that alters their own.
- Honor Before Reason: The whole reason why there's even a movie in the first place. Dawson and Downey were presented with a extremely lenient deal (six months in prison and a dishonorable discharge) before the trial, almost indistingushable from them winning the case at trial. At the end of the movie, they actually do win the case, but are still sentenced to time served and a dishonorable discharge. Objectively speaking, they risked spending decades in prison by going to court (in a case that was considered a guaranteed win for the plantiff by everyone who wasn't biased) in order to spare themselves a couple extra months of jailtime. They're both well aware of this, but are unwilling to disgrace and dishonor themselves by giving a false confession.
- Hurricane of Aphorisms: Kaffee exchanges sayings with an old guy at a newsstand (this appears to be the entire basis of their relationship). Inevitably, it ends with, "It ain't over till the fat lady sings." "You can say that again." "It ain't over till the fat lady sings."
- Hypocrite: Jessep and Kendrick preach about codes and honor, but they certainly have no problem lying through their teeth to save their own asses and, by extension, throw their underlings under the bus.
- Improperly Placed Firearms: Lt. Colonel Markinson commits suicide with a nickel-plated Beretta 92SB. While this is a fairly common stand-in for the M9 variant of the Beretta 92 and is only really visually distinguishable by the rounder trigger guard, later on in court, it's mentioned that Markinson used a .45. This is probably due to the original play being written in the late eighties, only a few years after the M1911A1 was replaced - it was probably originally supposed to be this, but was never updated in the script. Some cuts of the film redubbed the line swapping out ".45" for the more generic "pistol".
- Indy Ploy: Ultimately, all the false transfers, doctored logs, and witness testimonies mean nothing in regard to proving the case. Kaffee's last-minute Hail Mary to Jessep's ego saves the day.
- I Never Said It Was Poison: When Kaffee and Ross first meet about a plea bargain, Ross offers up a deal when Kaffee brings up Code Reds, but makes a point of telling him that Kendrick had met with all the Marines of the company right before Santiago was killed and ordered them not to touch Santiago. When Kaffee tells Weinberg about this later, he realizes he never even brought up Kendrick, and that's the first time he realizes there's more to the case than he originally thought.
- Inter-Service Rivalry: The good guys are all Navy while the villains are Marines. The good guys see the Marines as Knight Templar fanatics who will endanger their own men's lives for the sake of reputation, while the villains see their Navy counterpoints as weak and having no concept of what it truly takes to keep the country safe. Somewhat qualified by Col. Randolph, the judge, a Reasonable Authority Figure; Ross, who's friends with Kaffee and is at worst a Punch-Clock Villain; as well as the likable Corporal Barnes, who offers the visiting Navy officers friendly advice on how not to get shot.Kendrick: I like you Navy boys. Every time we gotta go fight somewhere, you always give us a ride.
- Iwo Jima Pose: Washington's Memorial is displayed multiple times.
- Just Following Orders: Kaffee proposes using this as the basis for his court defense of Downey and Dawson: they were ordered by superior officers to discipline Santiago, and their "Code Red" just got out of hand. Weinberg retorts that that line of defense didn't work at Nuremberg, it didn't work at My Lai, and it's not going to work now. Kaffee fires back that the difference with the Marines is that they were just carrying out a routine order they didn't think would result in any physical harm...but, of course, Code Reds are illegal, regardless of what harm might ensue, so their clients should properly have refused the order. Kaffee ultimately gets them acquitted of the most serious charges largely by tricking their CO into admitting on the stand that he had given said illegal orders.
- Mass "Oh, Crap!": When Jessep confesses, the whole courtroom goes dead silent. Galloway looks like she's seen a ghost, Judge Randolph's face is funereal grim, Jack Ross looks like he's about to cry, and Kaffee's expression is a mixture of "I cannot believe that actually worked" and "you guys all saw that too, right?"
- Mildly Military:
- One Marine salutes Kaffee near the end of the movie. Indoors. And without any headgear. This one is forgivable, however; indoor salutes are done during ceremonies and certain other occasions, and Dawson is deliberately signaling his newfound respect for Kaffee.
- The chain of command for the Gitmo Marines is incredibly strange. For a situation involving a Private's death, the Company Commander (the officer who should theoretically stand between Col. Jessup and Lt. Kendrick) is nowhere to be found. The idea that a full bird Colonel would be communicating directly to a Platoon Leader about an enlisted serviceman is laughable. Can be explained as being due to Jessup's micromanagement tendencies and/or the Company Commander being absent at the time, but it's still not how the chain of command in the military works.
- Miranda Rights: Ross recites these after Jessep confesses on the stand. Impressively, he recites the whole of the terms without missing a beat while Jessep is in the middle of yelling and raving at the courtroom and threatening Kaffee.
- Misidentified Weapons: Lieutenant Colonel Markinson is described as shooting himself with a .45 caliber pistol. However, his suicide is captured onscreen, and in the scene in question, he uses a Beretta 92 variant, which is chambered in 9mm. Likely, the writers didn't bother to update the relevant dialogue from the original stage production, which was written when the Marines were still using the M1911 in .45, promptly making it The Artifact when the props department for the movie grabbed the Beretta that most of the Marines had since switched to.
- Mistaken Age: Kaffee, to Aunt Ginny. Aunt Ginny, to Kaffee.
- Mood Whiplash: After Jack tells Kaffee he was bullied into the courtroom by the memory of his dead father, Kaffee responds by shouting the mildly hilarious, "YOU'RE A LOUSY FUCKING SOFTBALL PLAYER, JACK!" Then it turns sad when Jack ignores his outburst and replies with apparently genuine regret, "Your boys are going down, Danny. I can't stop it anymore."
- My Master, Right or Wrong: This is the Marine's code ("Semper Fidelis" - Always Faithful/Loyal) and is integral to the chain of command, as highlighted in the film; you obey your superior officers, no matter what, or people die. Colonel Jessep hides behind this code as justification for his actions and uses it to command absolute obedience from all his men. It ultimately comes back to bite him when he can't explain the actions of Lance Corporal Dawson and PFC Downey, who gave Private Santiago an illegal "Code Red" disciplinary punishment, which killed him. On the one hand, he insists that he gave orders that Santiago was not to be harmed, and on the other hand, he was arranging for Santiago to be transferred to another base to prevent him from being harmed.note If his orders are always followed, why did he have to protect Santiago by transferring him to another base? It is this key point that Lieutenant Kaffee uses to put Jessep in a bind and force him to admit the truth via the Armor-Piercing Question.
- The Neidermeyer: Colonel Jessep and Lieutenant Kendrick. Neither show the honor and loyalty to their troops which they espouse, and they would sooner have one physically punished illegally and so dangerously that he dies from the encounter, which they then cover up, rather than send him away on point of principle.
- Never My Fault: Many of the Marines suffer from this, believing that they are above reproach because of the nature of their work and their ultimately good intentions. Jessep is the worst for it; even after admitting to being behind Santiago's death, he's still incensed at being held responsible for it, blaming Kaffee, whom he accuses of endangering the country by having him arrested. Dawson and Downey have a case of this as well, but they grow out of it by the end.
- No Hugging, No Kissing: Despite the two main characters being young singles, there's no trace of a romantic subplot. The closest it comes is when Kaffee and Galloway go out for drinks together, but they never discuss anything apart from the law. Granted, it would be an extreme ethics violation for a superior officer (particularly one effectively working for the Navy's HR department) and her subordinate to begin a romantic relationship, and the two are already in potentially hot water via this case as it is.
- Noodle Incident: The Curtis Bell incident is mentioned several times throughout the film, but never explained. This turns out to be a Chekhov's Gun because the trial discusses details about the incidentnote driving the point home to Dawson to never disobey an order.note Kendrick: That won't be necessary, Colonel, I'll handle the situation.
Markinson: The same way you handled the Curtis Bell incident? - Not Even Bothering with an Excuse: Lt. Kaffee walks into a meeting late, and his CO says, "Don't worry, I know you don't have a good excuse, so I won't force you to come up with a bad one," to which Kaffee responds with a cheerful, "Thank you, sir!"
- Not His Sled: In the play, Kaffee exposes Jessep because Markinson sent him the flight log book from Andrews Air Force Base, which Jessep forgot to change to match the GITMO book, indicating that the earlier flight Santiago could have been on did in fact exist. In the film, Jessep remembered to do this, so instead Kaffee exposes him by pointing out a flaw in Jessep's testimony: If Jessep ordered that Santiago was not to be harassed by his squad and Jessep's orders are always followed without question, then why would Santiago be in danger of being harmed and have to be transferred?
- Not-So-Well-Intentioned Extremist: All of the Marines repeatedly talk about loyalty and their code. Throughout the movie, it becomes clear that loyalty is used as an excuse to not talk about abusive behavior, and their code is just a means of intimidating people not to report criminal activity to law enforcement. They come across as no different than gangs and crime syndicates.
- Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping: Kiefer Sutherland doesn't quite get the hang of his character's Kentucky accent.
- Open Secret: The conversation between the JAG officers at the beginning of the movie establishes that the "Code Red" tradition of unofficial internal punishment was at one point a fairly widely known practice, though believed to be dying out.
- Penultimate Outburst: At the climax, Kaffee starts shouting at Jessep. The situation quickly devolves into a heated confrontation. They ignore orders from both sides to stop, and Randolph can be heard threatening to hold him in contempt.
- Plea Bargain: Dawson refuses to take one."We joined the Marines because we wanted to live our lives by a certain code, and we found it in the Corps. Now you're asking us to sign a piece of paper that says we have no honor. You're asking us to say we're not Marines. If a court decides that what we did was wrong, then I'll accept whatever punishment they give. But I believe I was right sir, I believe I did my job, and I WILL NOT DISHONOR MYSELF, MY UNIT, OR THE CORPS SO I CAN GO HOME IN SIX MONTHS! [beat] Sir."
- Police Are Useless: The M.P. security detail keeping custody of Markinson didn't feel it necessary to take away his sidearm for some reason, which allowed him to blow his brains out rather than use any other method to commit suicide. Kaffee lampshades their effectiveness when he drunkenly points out the absurdity of the situation.
- Poor Communication Kills: Dawson and Downey's tendency to only give information when specifically asked leads to them leaving a very vital piece of information out of their story to their lawyers. It severely damages their case and nearly costs them their freedom.
- Privacy by Distraction: This exchange:Capt. West: Commander Galloway, why don't you get yourself a cup of coffee.
Galloway: Thank you, sir, I'm fine.
Capt. West: Commander, I'd like you to leave the room so we can talk about you behind your back.
Galloway: Certainly, sir. - Pull the Thread: Used with Col. Jessep. Lt. Kaffee continues to question Jessep until he catches the latter in a contradiction: Jessep had ordered that Santiago was not to be harmed, and assured the court that his orders were always followed to the letter. Thus, Kaffee poses an Armor-Piercing Question that if this were true, there would be no reason to transfer Santiago off the base, as Jessep claims to have done, because Santiago shouldn't have been in any danger if Jessep's orders are always followed. It's the slight Oh, Crap! moment from Jessep which follows that begins to unravel his entire testimony. Kaffee had started pulling this same thread earlier in the questioning, asking Jessep what he'd packed for the day-trip to DC for the case. By contrast, Kaffee points out that, despite the alleged transfer order, and his having requested such a transfer multiple times in the past, none of Santiago's kit was packed for travel by the time of his death.
- Quote-to-Quote Combat: Done twice between Lt. Daniel Kaffee and Luther, the newsstand attendant. It appears to be part of their daily routine, a friendly verbal quote competition. Here's the first one:Kaffee: How's it goin', Luther?
Luther: Another day, another dollar, captain.
Kaffee: You gotta play 'em as they lay, Luther.
Luther: What comes around, goes around, you know what I'm sayin'.
Kaffee: If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.
Luther: Hey, if you've got your health, you got everything.
Kaffee: Love makes the world go round. I'll see you tomorrow, Luther.
Luther: Not if I see you first. - Reminder of Duty: The tragic lesson that the two soldiers on trial must learn, even after Col. Jessep exposes that he gave the order that led to Santiago's death, as they are dishonorably discharged.Downey: What did we do wrong? We did nothing wrong.
Dawson: Yeah, we did. We were supposed to fight for the people who couldn't fight for themselves. We were supposed to fight for Willie. - Riddle for the Ages: Whether or not the fence shooting actually happened and the specifics regarding it. The only one who can testify is Santiago, and not only is there plenty of implication that he was lying that he had evidence in order to try to save his own ass, but he also takes the information to the grave.
- Semper Fi: The memorable quote "YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!" is mentioned when trying to explain the idea that Marines do what only they can, and that no one outside the culture could possibly understand the difficult decisions that need to be made to keep America safe.
- Share the Blame: After Jessup admits in open court that he gave the command that led to Santiago's death, Dawson and Downey are still given a dishonorable discharge. Downey doesn't understand, saying they were Just Following Orders and they did nothing wrong. Dawson, however, understands, and says they share in the blame for Santiago's death.Dawson: We were supposed to fight for the people who couldn't fight for themselves. We were supposed to fight for Willie.
- Ship Tease: Kaffee and Galloway eventually develop a mutual attraction, and the latter actually shows up at the former's house to ask him out on the spot; however, it doesn't go anywhere, and they both go their separate ways at the end of the film.note
- Shout-Out: The title, to the Marines recruiting commercial whose tagline is "We're looking for a few good men".
- Small Name, Big Ego: Jessep isn’t exactly a small name, but to keep it in perspective he’s a Colonel, meaning there are still four ranks of General above him. He also only commands the Marines at Gitmo, which only make up about ⅛ of the total personnel on base. Basically, he’s the equivalent of all the Navy Captains of the ships on base, but there's at least one Admiral and likely a few others on the base who outrank him. The "Big Ego" part is a massive understatement—Jessep wants everyone to believe that the defense of the entire nation depends solely on him. Ultimately, it’s this huge ego that brings him down, as Kaffee is able to trap him into a Logic Bomb and his arrogance gets him to finally admit his actions.
- Spanner in the Works: It becomes apparent that the Department of the Navy very much wants the case of United States v. Dawson & Downey to be quietly resolved by a Plea Bargain so as to prevent the incident from causing too much embarrassment to the Marine Corps, particularly since the Colonel involved is about to receive a huge promotion and become much more prominent. This plan is undone by the dual spanners of Galloway and Dawson; Galloway, because she senses something isn't right and goads Kaffee in doing his due diligence for once instead of rushing to a Plea Bargain, and Dawson because he's too hardcore a jarhead to willingly accept a dishonorable discharge simply for it being easier for him, telling Kaffee to take his plea bargain and shove it.
- Spotting the Thread:
- On Kaffee's first meeting concerning the case with Captain Ross, they haggle over the plea bargain. Ross wants twenty years in prison for Dawson and Downey, Kaffee says twelve. It takes less than a minute for Ross to agree to twelve years, despite the fact that this is a murder case where neither defendant is even denying what they did (only disputing the context and some of the details) and it's expected to be a guaranteed win for the plantiff if it goes to court. The only thing Kaffee did to 'persuade' Ross was say the phrase 'code red'. It's the first thing that clues Kaffee into how desperate the Marines are to make sure the case doesn't go to court.
- A downplayed example when Kaffee explains why he decided to stay on as lead counsel:"Why does a Lieutenant Junior Grade with nine months' experience and a track record for plea bargaining get assigned a murder case? Would it be so it never sees the inside of a courtroom?"
- Jessep's initial questioning, in which Kaffee points out that Jessep had packed quite a few items for a one-day trip - while Santiago hadn't done any packing whatsoever, despite his reported imminent transfer out of Guantanamo.
- Strictly Professional Relationship: LT Kaffee and LCDR Galloway clearly seem attracted to each other, but focus more on solving the case at hand than pursuing a relationship, which would likely cause them even more trouble at their respective professions. Once the trial ends, they both go their separate ways.
- Surprise Witness: Subverted when Kaffee points out two airmen who he implies would prove that part of Jessep's testimony was a lie. After he pulls a Perry Mason and gets Jessep to launch into a Motive Rant, he admits to the prosecutor that it was a bluff and the "surprise witnesses" would probably not testify to anything on the stand (though he didn't specify the reason).
- Tagline: "In the heart of the nation's capital, in a courthouse of the U.S. government, one man will stop at nothing to keep his honor, and one will stop at nothing to find the truth."
- Take Five:Capt. West: Commander Galloway, why don't you get yourself a cup of coffee?
Lt. Cmdr. Galloway: Thank you, sir, I'm fine.
Capt. West: Commander, I'd like you to leave the room so we can talk about you behind your back.
Lt. Cmdr. Galloway: Certainly, sir. - Those Two Guys: Dawson and Downey. They are the direct co-actors in Santiago's demise, and Downey relies on Dawson's judgement for everything.
- Tough Room: After Corporal Barnes testifies about a Code Red he received at Gitmo following an incident where he dropped his weapon during training, he jokes that he hasn't dropped his weapon since because of the punishment. No one laughs, and he awkwardly resumes answering Kaffee's questions.
- Trailers Always Spoil: The Motive Rant that undoes Col. Jessep was the best-known moment of the movie before it came out, due to "You can't handle the truth!" being such a catchy line.
- Unresolved Sexual Tension: Kaffee and Galloway become attracted to each other as they work on the trial together. However, other than Galloway asking Kaffee out on a date, nothing comes of it, and the ending implies that they'll go their separate ways now that the trial is over.
- Unspoken Plan Guarantee: Averted, where the night before Jessep is put on the stand, the lawyers have an onscreen meeting about their plan to make him confess, and the next day it's executed perfectly. Roger Ebert cited this as a flaw in the film, saying it's no fun if nothing goes wrong after you've already heard what's going to happen.
- Very Loosely Based on a True Story: Sorkin based the story on a real case where his sister worked for the JAG corps, where a marine in Guantanamo was nearly killed in a hazing that a superior officer ordered.
- Villainous Breakdown: The moment Jessep realizes he’s being arrested, he lunges at Kaffee, only stopped by the officers surrounding him.
- Walk and Talk: It first appeared here by accident, as Rob Reiner needed a way to move the first scene with Jack and Danny along. It has since become one of Aaron Sorkin's trademarks.
- We Help the Helpless: The Marines realize that "We were supposed to fight for the people who couldn't fight for themselves."
- "Well Done, Son" Guy: Kaffee's late father was of the overachieving variety.
- Wham Line:
- "He was never going to be transferred off that base" from Markinson changes everything for the defense, giving them a real weapon with which to fight back. In-Universe only, however, since the audience already knows Jessep had no intention of transferring Santiago.
- Jessep's confession on the stand shocks the whole courtroom, including Kaffee, who was employing The Perry Mason Method. Kaffee is so visibly shocked that it actually worked that it takes him a few moments to recover and seek a recess so Jessep can be formally arrested.
- What You Are in the Dark: Kaffee has secured a dream plea bargain for his clients, an order of magnitude better than what he was initially aiming for, but they both reject it out of a sense of honor that he has no understanding of, and one of them openly disrespects him for suggesting they take a deal at all. Exasperated, he seeks to pass the two on to a different lawyer, not interested in wasting time in a courtroom with an unwinnable case. The only person who judges him for this at all is Joanne, who he just recently met and openly dislikes, and will likely never see again as soon as he gets rid of the case. After a night of thinking things over, however, he decides to stick it out with the clients and go to trial, suspecting that the Marines are attempting to cover up what actually happened and wanting to do the right thing.
- You Can Say That Again: Kaffee trades clichés with the guy at his newsstand, resulting in this exchange:Luther: It ain't over till the fat lady sings.
Kaffee: You can say that again.
Luther: It ain't over till the fat lady sings.
Kaffee: [with him] ...the fat lady sings. I walked into that one. - You Have GOT to Be Kidding Me!: After being a nervous wreck for a two hour flight, Kaffee freaks out again because they have to take a ferry across Guantanamo Bay and he doesn’t like boats, prompting this reaction:Jo: Jesus, Kaffee, you’re in the Navy!!!
