A Few Good Men

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A Few Good Men is a 1992 film about the trial of two U.S. Marines accused of murder while serving at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Directed by Rob Reiner. Written by Aaron Sorkin
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.

Contents

[edit] Lt. Daniel Kaffee

  • I want you to know that I think the whole fucking bunch of you are certifiably insane. This code of honor of yours makes me want to beat the shit out of somebody.
  • I'm sorry, I forgot, you were sick the day they taught law at law school.
  • It doesn't matter what I believe. It only matters what I can prove. So don't tell me what I know or don't know. I know the law!
  • You don't need a patch on your arm to have honor.

[edit] Col. Nathan R. Jessep

  • Who the fuck is PFC William T. Santiago?
  • I run my unit how I run my unit. You want to investigate me, roll the dice and take your chances. I eat breakfast three hundred yards from four thousand Cubans who are trained to kill me. So don't think for one second that you can come down here, flash a badge and make me nervous.
  • There is nothing on this earth sexier, believe me, gentlemen, than a woman you have to salute in the morning. Promote 'em all, I say, because 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 guess I'll just have to keep taking cold showers until they elect some gal president.
  • We follow orders, son. We follow orders or people die. It's that simple.

[edit] Others

  • Kendrick: Commander, I believe in God and his son Jesus Christ and because I do, I can say this: Private Santiago is dead, and that is a tragedy. But he is dead because he had no code. He is dead because he had no honor, and God was watching.

[edit] Dialogue

Galloway: Why do you hate them so much?
Lt. Weinberg: They beat up on a weakling, and that's all they did. The rest is just smoke-filled coffee-house crap. They tortured and tormented a weaker kid. They didn't like him. So? They killed him. And why? Because he couldn't run very fast!
Galloway: Tell your friend not to get cute down there. The Marines at Gitmo are fanatical.
Weinberg: Fanatical about what?
Galloway: About being Marines.
Kaffee: Lieutenant Kendrick- may I call you John?
Kendrick: No, you may not.
Kaffee: Have I done something to offend you?
Kendrick: No, I like all you Navy boys. Anytime we gotta go someplace to fight, you fellas always give us a ride.
Jessep: Transfer Santiago? Yes I'm sure you're right. I'm sure that's the thing to do. Wait, I've got a better idea. Lets transfer the whole squad off the base. On second thought- lets transfer the whole Winward Division off the base. John, tell those boys to get down off the fence. They're packing their bags. Tom?
Tom: [Enters the office] Sir?
Jessep: Get me the President on the phone. We're surrendering our position in Cuba.
Tom: Yes, sir.
Jessep: Wait a minute, Tom. Don't get the President yet. Maybe we should consider this for a second. Dismissed, Tom.
Tom: Yes, sir.
Jessep: The Corporal will take you by Personnel on your way back to the flight line and you can have all the transfer orders you want.
Kaffee: [to Weinberg & Galloway] Let's go.
Jessep: [Passive-aggressively] But you have to ask me nicely.
Kaffee: I beg your pardon?
Jessep: 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 fucking courtesy! You gotta ask me nicely.
Kaffee: Colonel Jessep, if it's not too much trouble, I'd like a copy of the transfer order, sir.
Jessep: [politely] No problem.
Kaffee: Cutie-pie shit will not win you a place in my heart, Corporal. I get paid no matter how much time you spend in jail.
Dawson: [contemptuously] Yes sir, I know you do, sir.
Kaffee: Fuck you, Harold!
Dawson: After six months we'll be dishonorably discharged. Right, sir?
Kaffee: Probably.
Dawson: Well, what do we do then, sir? 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 that we're not Marines. If a court decides that what we did was wrong, then I'll accept whatever punishment they give. I believe I was right. I believe I did my job. But I will not dishonor MYSELF, MY UNIT, OR THE CORPS SO THAT I CAN GO HOME IN SIX MONTHS! Sir.
Kendrick: I have two books at my bedside, Lieutenant: the Marine Corps Code of Conduct and the King James Bible. The only proper authorities I'm aware of are my commanding officer, Colonel Nathan R. Jessep, and the Lord our God.
Kaffee: At your request, Lieutenant Kendrick, I can have the record reflect your lack of acknowledgment of this court as a proper authority.
Captain Jack Ross: Objection: argumentative.
Judge: Sustained. Watch yourself, counselor.
[Col. Jessup chuckles while on the witness stand]
Kaffee: Is this funny, sir?
Col. Jessep: [face falls to a look of disgust] No, it isn't. It's tragic.
Kaffee: Do you have an answer to the question, Colonel?
Col. Jessep: Absolutely. My answer is I don't have the first damn clue. Maybe he was an early riser and liked to pack in the morning. And maybe he didn't have any friends. I'm an educated man, but I'm afraid I can't speak intelligently about the travel habits of William Santiago. What I do know is that he was set to leave the base at 0600. Now, are these the questions I was really called here to answer? Phone calls and foot lockers? Please tell me that you have something more, Lieutenant. These two Marines are on trial for their lives. Please tell me their lawyer hasn't pinned their hopes to a phone bill.
Kaffee: Alright, let's go. Let's get two.
Sherby: Sorry.
Kaffee: Nothin' to be sorry about, Sherby, you just look the ball into your glove. Shooting two.
Sherby: Sorry.
Kaffee: You gotta trust me Sherby. If you keep your eyes open, your chances of catching the ball increase by a factor of ten.
Dave: Kaffee.
Kaffee: Let's try it again.
Dave: Kaffee!
Kaffee: Dave, you seem distraught.
Dave: We were supposed to meet in your office fifteen minutes ago to talk about the McDermont case. You're stalling on this thing. Now we either get it done, and I mean now, or no kidding Kaffee, I'll hang your boy from a fucking yardarm!
Kaffee: Yardarm? Sherby, does the Navy still hang people from yardarms?
Sherby: I don't think so.
Kaffee: Dave, Sherby doesn't think the Navy hangs people from yardarms anymore.
Dave: I'm going to charge him with possession and being under the influence while on duty. You plead guilty, I'll recommend thirty days in the brig with loss of rank and pay.
Kaffee: It was oregano, Dave. It was ten dollars worth of oregano.
Dave: Yeah, well, your client thought it was marijuana.
Kaffee: My client's a moron, that's not against the law.
(Jessep testified that he ordered Lt Kendrick that Santiago "Wasn't to be touched")
Kaffee: Lieutenant Kendrick was clear on what you wanted?
Jessep: Crystal.
Kaffee: Any chance Lieutenant Kedrick ignored the order?
Jessep: (Left eyebrow lifted to indicate astonishment) Ignored the order?
Kaffee: Any chance he... forgot about it?
Jessep: (Confidently) No.
Kaffee: Any chance Lieutenant Kendrick left your office and said "The old man is wrong?"
Jessep: (Flatly) No.
Kaffee: When Lieutenant Kendrick spoke to the platoon, and ordered them not to touch Santiago, any chance they ignored him?
Jessep: You ever served in an infantry unit, son?
Kaffee: No, sir.
Jessep: Ever served in a forward area?
Kaffee: No, sir.
Jessep: Ever put your life in another man's hands, ask him to put his life in yours?
Kaffee: No, sir.
Jessep: We follow orders, son. We follow orders or people die. It's that simple. Are we clear?
Kaffee: Yes, sir.
Jessep: Are we clear?
Kaffee: Crystal; sir I just have one more question before I call Airman O'Malley and Airman Rodriguez....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?
Jessep: (Reciting) Santiago was a sub-standard Marine, he was being transfered beca...
Kaffee: (interrupting) That is NOT what you said! You said he was being transfered because he was in grave danger.
Jessep: That's correct-
Kaffee: You said danger, I said grave danger? You said "is there any other kind?"
Jessep: I know what I said.
Kaffee: I can have the court reporter give back to you-
Jessep: I know what I said! I don't need to have it read back to me like I'm some kind of-
Kaffee: Then why the two orders? Colonel?
Jessep: (Awkwardly) Sometimes men take matters into their own hands...
Kaffee: No, sir. You made it clear just a moment ago that your men never take matters into their own hands; your men follow orders or people die. So Santiago shouldn't have been in any danger at all, should he have, Colonel?
Jessep: You snotty little bastard.
Ross: Your Honor, I would like to ask for a recess.
Kaffee: I'd like an answer to the question judge.
Judge: The court will wait for an answer.
Kaffee: If Lieutenant Kendrick gave an order that Santiago wasn't to be touched, then why did he have to be transferred? Colonel? Lieutenant Kendrick ordered the Code Red, didn't he, because that's what you told Lieutenant Kendrick to do.
Ross: Object!
Kaffee: And when it went bad...
Judge: [interrupting] That'll be all councilor.
Kaffee: [finishing] ...you cut these guys loose!
Ross: [interrupting] Your Honor!
Judge: [interrupting] Councilor, I'll hold you in contempt!
Kaffee: You had Markinson sign a phony transfer order.
Ross: [interrupting] You Honor!
Kaffee: ...and you doctored the log books.
Ross: Damn it, Kaffee!
Kaffee: And now I'm asking you!
Judge: Consider yourself in contempt!
Kaffee: Colonel Jessep, did you order the Code Red?!
Judge: You don't have to answer that question!
Jessep: I'll answer the question. You want answers?
Kaffee: I think I'm entitled.
Jessep: You want answers?!
Kaffee: I want the truth!
Jessep: You can't handle the truth! Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lieutenant Weinberg? I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom! You weep for Santiago and you curse the Marines. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know: that Santiago's death, while tragic, probably saved lives. 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!
Kaffee: Did you order the Code Red?
Jessep: I did the job that—-
Kaffee: Did you order the Code Red?!
Jessep: You're goddamn right I did!!
Captain Jack Ross: Colonel Jessep, you have the right to remain silent. Any statement you make-
Jessep: I'm being charged with a crime? Is that what this is? I'm being charged with a crime? This is funny, that's what this is. This is... [tries to lunge at Kaffee but is stopped by MP's] I'm gonna rip out your eyes and piss in your dead skull! You fucked with the wrong Marine!
Captain Jack Ross: Colonel Jessep! Do you understand these rights as I have just read them to you?
Jessep: You fuckin' 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 people's lives in danger. Sweet dreams, son.
Kaffee: 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. The witness is excused.

[edit] Cast

[edit] External links

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