The Task: Watch and write about every movie on my shelf, in order (Blu-rays are sorted after DVDs), by June 10, 2015. Remaining movies: 268 Days to go: 262
Movie #109: A Few Good Men
Nobody remembers the beginnings of movies, do they? I mean, you remember the big moments, the climaxes, the great lines. And if you catch it on TV, you almost always miss the very beginning. At least I do. So I put on A Few Good Men excited to see the gorgeous opening of naval officers doing their patterned, ritual marching and gun exercises on the lawn. Only that’s not how the movie starts. It starts with the night-time attack on William Santiago (Michael DeLorenzo) at the Guantanamo Bay marine base. Director Rob Reiner did that on purpose. He’s letting the audience know that with all the pageantry and code of the military to come, this movie is about the death of a young man. Writer Aaron Sorkin knows the importance of that as well, which is why he gives us the character of Sam Weinberg (Kevin Pollak). He may joke that he has “no responsibilities here whatsoever,” but it’s not true. As he says, “I believe every word of their story, and I think they ought to go to jail for the rest of their lives.” His responsibility is to be the conscience, to say that even if Dawson (Wolfgang Bodison) and Downey (James Marshall) were ordered to attack Santiago, they should’ve known it was wrong. They should’ve protected him instead, whatever the cost.
Let me back up.
A Few Good Men is about the trial of Marines Harold Dawson and Louden Downey for the murder of their fellow soldier William Santiago. It’s about a gifted yet lackadaisical Naval attorney named Daniel Kaffee (Tom Cruise) with a history of fast-talking insouciance and plea bargaining, sent to cover a murder case the military would most definitely like to go away. It’s about a passionate and intelligent attorney from the JAG Corps named JoAnne Galloway (Demi Moore) who is the backbone of the defense’s case and their most vocal supporter, despite being inexperienced as a litigator. It’s about the culture of a Marine base that encourages the discipline of soldiers by other enlisted men, of hazing and torture as means of “training” their troops. It’s about the blurred lines between truth and the law and the gray area that exists between right and wrong.
Aaron Sorkin definitely has a reputation for letting his biases take over his storytelling, but I think A Few Good Men succeeds as his most measured and even-handed piece. Yes, Colonel Jessup (Jack Nicholson) and Lt. Kendrick (Kiefer Sutherland) are portrayed as fanatical and arrogant and wrongheaded, but most of the military members are not — not even most of the Marines. It’s the (admittedly) rare moment when Sorkin has something thoughtful to say about an institution that is absolutely honorable and should absolutely be respected, but which at times conducts itself in ways that aren’t honorable at all and should not be tolerated or respected at all (not just hazing either — he also manages to slip in the lazy, categorically ignored instances of sexual harassment toward JoAnne, though the movie doesn’t deal with that issue). And, beautifully, the court members — the jury, in this case — are able to parse the difference. Just like Sam Weinberg, they know Dawson and Downey are not guilty of murder or conspiracy to commit murder. But they are guilty of conduct unbecoming a United States Marine and that they should be punished accordingly. (Not with prison for the rest of their lives, but accordingly.)
My husband and his brother were having a conversation recently about the numerous claims of late all over the news of police overstepping their bounds with regard to force and detaining citizens and whatnot. While I think my brother-in-law had a point about not courting trouble and the law enforcement professionals being due a lot of respect for their sacrifices, the idea that someone can be handcuffed and detained simply for not “respecting” the police to an adequate degree doesn’t sit well with me. Yes, police officers — and members of the military, for that matter — put their lives on the line every single day for the good of the country and its people. But that’s just it: They’re there for the good of the people. Their mission is to protect and to serve. A police officer is literally a public servant (as is any government official), so while I feel they deserve respect, I also believe they need to earn it by respecting the people in their towns and communities — by being patient with and understanding of those in their jurisdictions, those they’re meant to protect. Not to bully them or boss them around or otherwise abuse their power in any way. A Few Good Men understands that. In fact, it’s its primary lesson. In the words of Dawson (the true heart of the film), “We were supposed to fight for people who couldn’t fight for themselves. We were supposed to fight for Willy.”
In the middle of everything else: Kaffee thinking better with his bat, Markinson (J.T. Walsh) killing himself in full dress uniform, Jessup wanting to be asked nicely, Sam telling Danny to wear his (“effety” — Trademark, Veronica Mars) white uniform, Jo getting authorization from Aunt Jenny, Jack Ross (Kevin Bacon) being “a lousy fucking softball player,” all the gorgeous marching drills, Sorkin favorite Josh Malina doing stellar work as the guy who’s going to call the President for Jessup so he can surrender their position in Cuba, and reciting every single one of a billion great lines, the thing to remember is that soldiers are there to fight for the powerless. Above all else, that’s what matters. Anything less is conduct unbecoming.
Viable Option 