Fans of courtroom dramas can watch A Few Good Men on Film4 tonight at 9pm. The 1992 legal drama, hailed by fans as 'the best film of all time', stars Jack Nicholson, Tom Cruise, and Demi Moore in the lead roles, with Kevin Bacon, Kevin Pollak, J. T. Walsh, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Kiefer Sutherland in supporting parts.
An 'enthralling classic' directed by Rob Reiner
Directed by Rob Reiner with a screenplay by Aaron Sorkin, the film is adapted from Sorkin's 1989 play of the same name. Sorkin was inspired to write the play after a phone conversation with his sister Deborah, a Boston University Law School graduate who had signed up for a three-year stint with the US Navy Judge Advocate General's Corps.
The film's official plot states: “A military lawyer intends to prove that two US Marines charged with murdering a fellow Marine were only following their base commander's orders.”
Box office success and critical acclaim
A Few Good Men was released on December 11, 1992, and grossed $243 million at the worldwide box office on a budget of $40 million. It received four Academy Award nominations for Best Picture, Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Best Sound, and Best Film Editing.
Sorkin wrote most of the film's story on cocktail napkins while working as a bartender at the Palace Theatre on Broadway. He and his roommates had bought a Macintosh 512K, and after his shifts he would empty his pockets of the napkins and type the scribbled words onto his computer. These napkins formed the basis of many of the play's earlier drafts.
Critics and audiences praise the film
Critics praised the film, with one writing: “A Few Good Men has a whole cast of good men - and one good woman - and it's this ensemble that makes director Rob Reiner's conventional courtroom drama so enthralling.” Another reviewer said: “The courtroom scenes are gripping, the complexities of the plot (screenplay by Aaron Sorkin from his play) well controlled. And Jack Nicholson lights up the screen with his rage and bitterness and his final bluster.”
Audiences have been equally enthusiastic. One fan wrote on Rotten Tomatoes: “This movie is a classic and I have watched countless times over the years. It has everything a great movie needs. The cast is amazing, story line is fantastic, plot will keep you interested and the ending is brilliant!!!” A user review on IMDB reads: “This is my all-time favorite movie. I've probably watched it 300 times and I can recite it line by line. The acting is superb and Aaron Sorkin's story sucks you in from the opening minute. There is so much great dialogue, headlined by Tom Cruise's courtroom battle with Jack Nicholson at the movie's climax.”
A Few Good Men airs tonight on Film4 at 9pm. It is also available to rent on Amazon Prime Video.
