Flix & Sips: A Few Good Men (1992)

And welcome to uh Flicks and Sips here with uh with John and Andrew. What's going on, John? Hey, all good here, man. Hanging out. Uh trying to stay warm in the winter. How about you, man? Well I'm doing all right. I'm doing all right. It it's uh it's a cold one here in Atlanta. I think we're we're somewhere in the thirties. Uh maybe, maybe hitting uh

forty, but it's a cold one here. Uh what are you looking like over in Austin right now? Oh better than that. Uh it probably got up to about like uh high fifties today or something. Okay. Okay. shining. Yesterday was a little breezy. Yeah, but we've been kind of riding that cuss. I figured out now forty nine is my when I start hating weather. And uh so forty nine below is uh when I go, I think this weather sucks. And uh anything above that's bearable for me.

That's why it's good to live in Texas. All I got about this. I lo I love me some Texas. Love me some Texas. Um in fact I you know, for the listeners that don't know, I actually saw you here in in Texas a week ago. It was it was a great time. Uh got to get a little FaceTime with you and had had some fun. Got to meet some of your friends. Heard you got recognized, which uh which I was really happy to hear. And um yeah, that was just a really, really fun event.

Uh so thanks, man. Uh yeah, for the listeners that don't know, I was in and most of you probably wouldn't. Uh I was in Texas. We I had a work event in in San Antonio and um reached out to John, said, Hey, I'm gonna be in San Antonio. That's just an hour, hour and a half away from where you're at. What are you doing? And John being the amazing friend he is, he's like, Oh, I'm coming to pick you up from the airport and we're gonna hang out and

So we had a good we had a good two days uh down in San Antonio. It's a good time, man. Yeah. It was a blast. Wish more of y'all were there. Yep, yep, yep. All right. Well We are gonna be covering the what is it? I don't even remember the year in all my research. I didn't even look at the year, but I wanna say ninety one, ninety-two. We're gonna be covering the nineteen ninety new uh nineteen ninety two courtroom drama A Few Good Men. uh written by the legendary Aaron Sorkin, directed by

the legendary and recently departed uh Rob Reiner. Um coincidentally uh enough, as we're re we are recording this, Rob Reiner unfortunately, uh you know, recently uh lost his life. He and his wife and the the details are really new, so we're not gonna take a a deep dive into the facts of what are going on right now, but I think this, you know, is a good opportunity to say, you know, um We're saddened at the at the at the loss of Rob and his wife. Um

You know, he was seventy eight, I believe she was sixty eight, and um it's a major loss. Uh Robert Reiner was a an amazing filmmaker. very, very gifted uh comedian, actor in his own right and did a lot uh for for Hollywood, America as a whole, just you know, just a real talent and and and it's a bummer but

We won't we, you know, we won't get into a ton of it as the the details are still really new, but because it is timely, we did want to bring up what was going on. Is that fair? Is that kind of like a fair way to

Yes, absolutely. You'll be missed. You will be missed. Yes. And I think in this conversation we will probably take a you know, a few moments here and there to recognize some of the the many, many amazing Rob Reiner films because The the catalogue that Rob Reiner had was amazing and this film right here. Oh boy. I don't know the last time you saw this movie, but this is a movie that I that I love watching. It's just a if you're a fan of the cinema, this is a movie that

lends itself r you know to to re watching time and time again. It's just it's it's beautifully acted. The the the set direction, the you know, the overall direction is i it it's a strong film. So at least that's my initial take. You know, I uh we'll learn a little bit more about how John feels about this movie. But for me, whenever I watch this movie, it there there's something very

classic Hollywood about this movie. It even ends with the the classic the end uh crawl at the end of this movie and there's just something

I don't know, just kinda something very timeless about this movie. But before we get into a few good men, this is a flicks and sips, so I gotta know, John, what are you drinking tonight? Oh, thank you, man. Uh well, I decided to go with something kind of top brass, something like uh a colonel or you know, generals or lawyers would drink. So I'm doing the uh Glen Fitdock Scotch uh 14. So decide to go a little classy tonight. I like that. I like that because

When Tom Cruise gets hammered, he's drinking he's drinking some whiskey. Now I believe it's a little Jack Daniels, but hey, he's drinking he's drinking some he's drinking some whiskey, so I support that. It is. And then right after that He leaves and drives after Joe. Yeah. I I think it's a good thing. A little drinking and driving from an attorney. Probably not the not the right call.

No, probably not the first time uh an attorney's done it either, but Yeah, probably not the first. Probably not the first. Well, for me, I wanna take a little nod to uh the fact that a lot of this movie takes place in Guantan in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Um, but here's the thing, there aren't a lot of Cuban beers that I can get my hands on. And, you know, there's rum, but beer is all over the the map in this film as well. So I thought, okay, what do I know about Cuba?

Well I know like they they like beer, but they also like Black bean soup, right? So we'll what's a a Latino based beer that has a little black in it? So I'm drinking a little negro Medella, you know? So not not that you're regular Medello, but a negro Medello. So it is It was on my radar. Yeah. Yeah. I was saying the same. But I also was thinking rum, but I didn't think I could outrum you.

So so I thought I might be able to hopscotcha, you know, with my Scottish blood. Hey but you know, I I'm I'm never gonna, you know, uh frown at somebody drinking a little Glenfitic, you know. Uh good stuff, man. Fourteen year. That that's a that's a that's a good pour. That's a good pour right there. So I'm cheer, sir. Yeah. Or uh or as we like to say sometimes they sing tau. Sing Tao. That is our toast. Sing Tao. In Scot in Scotland, they'll say slancha. in Mexico, I guess, Salute, but here on

a little flicks and sips. It's singtao. Singtao. All right. So I'm gonna have a little taste right now before I kind of open up the conversation here. Unless you want to open it up, but I'm gonna I'm gonna have a little sippy sip.

Oh go for it. W while you're doing that, I'm just gonna say, yeah, this scene uh movie not it's low action but high pressure. uh just drama. So it's just uh like what you said, well well shot movie. But you know, it's a military movie that It has only like one beat up scene. Like it there there's not a lot of uh action going on. There you go. That's it. Of a code red which I've been doing some thinking about code reds. They don't usually go well.

Like in Full Metal Jacket, whenever they beat the dude up with like the soap bars and stuff. That didn't turn out well. Didn't end well for anybody. There's also, I was thinking about it, Jon Snow pulls a code red on this guy named Chet one night. And he puts his wolf you know, ghost right over him and growls in his face. He's like, You don't get to mess with Sam anymore. Yeah. For the listeners right there, that is our first social of the evening whenever John possibly.

Up uh a uh Game of Thrones reference. You gotta you gotta have a sip right there. So sing tau on that one. All right. So really good points. Now for for the people out there that haven't seen this movie, and I I'm actually shocked, there are a lot of people that haven't seen this movie. But what's amazing is even though there are many people that haven't seen it.

A lot of people know the references of this movie. A lot of people know about You Can't Handle the Truth, right? They know about Code Reds, but they don't know what any of this shit means. So For those out there, just as a little recap, A Few Good Men is a courtroom drama nineties flick that blends a lot of military culture. Moral accountability and most importantly, like razor sharp uh dialogue, all in the vein of like Aaron Sorkin films, right?

And A Few Good Men is one of the the more quoted nineties films, right? And it's set within the military legal system. Uh and it follows a lieutenant. Uh Lieutenant J G junior grade, uh Daniel Caffey played by Tom Cruise at one of his absolute best performances. And he plays like this very talented

but also very complacent, uh, young naval lawyer who's more interested in like in plea deals than courtroom battles. It's the easy it's a lesser of two evils, right? And he's assigned to a case when Two Marines that are stationed in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba are charged with a death of a private. And he's assigned to uh defend them. He and his buddy, um, Lieutenant um what is it, Lieutenant

Pardon me? Weinberg. Yeah, yeah, Sam Weinberg, right? And they're they also have Lieutenant Commander Joanne Galloway, uh played by uh uh Demi Mort. But anyway, as a case unfolds. This what they seem as a simple murder. We discover uh we discover that Sonnyago may have, you know, died as a result of a code red. which is like this unofficial disciplinary order that allegedly may or may not have been authorized by the commanding officers. And

the the mar the Marines that are on trial insists that they w they were ordered to do so. They were following orders. And so Tom Cruise, Lieutenant Caffey, Basically, it is gonna take down this rigid, like, military hierarchy. And um Yeah, you know, with that comes a lot of consequences, you know, when you question a very, very highly decorated uh Marine officer and it it it looks at you know, the movie explores a lot of themes of of ranking military structure, um discipline, code of honor.

You know, all these really, really complex issues. And uh it it's there's an insane cast that is involved. I've already mentioned Tom Cruise, Cindy Moore, um, Jack Nicholson, Kevin Bacon, Kiefer Sutherland. JT Walsh. Oh my God. The Six Fingered Man. An uh uh I can't believe I forgot his name that was in um uh the listeners that are like, oh my god, the six fingered man, yes. Um, the Princess Bride. Um, I can't believe he forgot his name. But anyway, the the actor that was in those films

As a writer who's a writer-director now, whose name I'm I'm losing as I'm trying to do this. Anyway, um, written by Aaron Sork and directed by Rob Reiner and

There's to John's point very little like physical confrontations. It's all about verbal confrontations. And it's so, so, so tense and Just the the tension of the movie is just amazing. And then you get that climatic showdown between Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson, which does ultimately culminate in the the the you can't handle the truth monologue. And you know, the movie explores that

that meditation between power and truth and responsibility. And uh yeah, just just an absolute amazing film. And, you know, it questions you know, whether loyalty to institutions should ever outweigh loyalty to justice. And it's beautiful in that respect, you know, like um and the mov one of the final lines in the movie is that you don't need like a badge on your sleeve to have honor. And that's one of the the themes that the movie explores is the fact that

you know, honor doesn't isn't dictated by a ranking structure. Honor comes from within. And I love this movie. I love this movie. I I I've really enjoyed this this journey that you and I have gone on where, you know, we started with a basic training, you know, although a little a little tongue in cheek. And then we, you know, we've we've done a couple like Vietnam films. And then this

to see the other side of the military. It's just I think this has been a really good four film block to look at at military films. And we could go on forever. I mean, there there are literally hundreds of of, you know, military films. But I think each of these four movies have done things a little bit different, um, that does just paint a really complete full picture of of the the you know, from the beginning of someone's journey to quite frankly the end.

of of of someone's military journey when power can, you know, uh corrupt. And I'm kind of curious just to see what your thoughts on just kind of like my my my summary of that film just as we are about to kick start this episode. Yeah, summary's great. Also full circle with the the films we've done in that we started with the slapstick, but also where is

You know, the losers are are better than the winners. Are you, you know, like the the slum you know, uh we talked about that where this one, Kathy is a Harvard grad. And uh he you know, so it's it's the kind of the elite are kind of pushing back against the the blue collar people and Jack Nicholson. But also Jack Nicholson is a Vietnam vet wartime and and it's peace time.

So we kinda started in peace, we went through some more time, now we're back to peace time with a One of the major characters being a guy who's a you know, a little bit Past the cell date, perhaps. Uh you know, they they were they've made points to change the system and uh he did not follow the instructions. So that's what put him in the situation. Yeah, so I'm I'm curious and we can

We can start from the beginning, we can kinda like go all over the map, but I'm kinda curious, just and you're watching, um, not necessarily from a plot device, but what are some of your thoughts when you look at this? You know, whether it is

the the courtroom aspect or the military um protocols. What are some things that you're interested in? Some questions that you have because that I have always enjoyed this movie, but having having served and seen a little bit of kind of like military protocols, having been on a ship versus actually being um an ashore duty where I worked around admirals and, you know, other military officers.

seeing a different side of it. I'm just kind of curious, what are some of the what are some of your just general thoughts? What are things that you find interesting or questions that you have about this movie that you're kind of curious about? Some of it's the structure and if like being in the military, you're able to follow it a little bit better. Like uh d Demi Demi's more uh character being a a higher ranking officer you mentioned.

uh Tom Cruise character being a less one. Uh some of it's the outfits and the suits. Uh they talk about the browns and the whites and uh and there's a part where Y you know, whenever uh Jack Nicholson's in the courtroom, that's one of the questions he asks him, I see you wear your class A or something like that. And so curious about that. Um

But as for, you know, the core of the film and the the idea, it's it's one of the best lawyer movies I've seen. It's or more enjoyable to watch. I think it's cause you feel for the characters that are on trial, uh Downey and uh Harold. Um Thank that. Or is it the same guy? Yeah, yeah, Louton Downey and then Harold Dawson. Dawson, Dawson and Downey. I feel like they can start a bakery now that they're now that they're uh

But uh one of the things I like following throughout the movie is their sentence that they're uh negotiating. Cause you know, at one point it's about 20 years or he could get life, and then it gets down to 12, then it gets down to two years. And then at the end of the film, uh, they are uh They're let go, basically, right? You know, they're uh sentenced to time served already, but they are dishonorably discharged and you get the great line about

You don't have to have honor on your sleeve. Uh, but there's a great part halfway through the film where Tom Cruise is asking him questions and uh the corporal it, you know, tells him it's like, I'm not gonna, you know, give up everything I've worked my whole life for. Yeah, just So I could be home in six months and stuff. So uh the characters are very just uh realistic. There's a part where I think it's Joanne's or Jimmy Moore's character where she says, uh

You know, in Guantanamo, they're fanatical. And fanatical about what? Being Marines. And uh so I always thought like watching now. in how just committed to uh I think that's one of the things they nail it just how committed those Marines were or uh would be.

Yeah, I mean the movie takes place in a different time, right? I mean, we're talking the nineties. Obviously a lot has happened in the past thirty years, but you know, this uh guant you know, Gitmo, you know, that was a that was a big deal, you know, uh being stationed there and But two let l I will you you brought up a few things, so I'm gonna try to tackle

Try to try to tackle them as I recall them. So uniforms, I think, was something that you brought up. The okay, so when it comes to being an officer or high ranking, even a high ranking enlisted. Um, you've got your seasonal dress, which in the Navy, you're either In the whites or the blues, and the blues are technically black, right? But um if you're an officer, you also have the ability to wear khakis.

And khakis are considered a little bit more working, uh, where whites are a little bit more formal, uh, blues are a little bit more formal, but your khakis are a little bit more considered like a working type uniform. And before they go to Cuba, Sam tells Tom, you know, hey, make sure you put on your whites. It gets really hot there. Um, not really thinking about the real ramification, which is those that work in Guantanamo Bay.

They're fucking working. You know, there's nothing formal. There's no like there is no you're you're gonna wear your dress uniform, sir. You're gonna be you're gonna be in your khakis. So there was a little breach of etiquette as far as Jack Nicholson was concerned when Sam and Tom Cruise show up in their in their whites. So when Tom when uh Jack Nicholson calls them their their quote, you know, faggoty white uniforms, it's because that was a little bit A little bit more. formal and not

not serious about where they're at. You know, kind of so when Jack Nicholson later has the you, you know, you want me on that wall, you need me on that wall, the the idea of where they're at is serious business, you know, where Sam's thought was it's hot. So white is a better better color to wear than than khaki. But that just that's mis that's a miscalculation and just kind of like

Stupidity. Meanwhile, what is Joanne wearing? What is, you know, Lieutenant Galloway or Commander Galloway wearing? What is Demi's character? She's wearing her khakis, you know, because she understands They're You know, they're they're serious about being Marines, they're serious about the job. So when she shows up She's wearing the khakis.

Right. When you see her and you see she's in the whites, but she kn she's not gonna miscalculate what the big picture is. Now when they have the trial, what isn't clear is well they are now in their blues, right? But There's been there's been a time there's been a a time change. They're now in the blues, right? The summer summer attire is gonna be the white. the fall winter attire is gonna be the blues.

So there had been a shift in the univ in the the uniform code because you don't wear whites twelve months out of the year. You're whites for six months out of the year and then blues six months out of the year, but the khakis are twelve months. You can wear the khakis all year long. That's that's more of a working uniform if memory serves and things haven't changed in uh in uh the no uh Navy attire. Does that make sense?

Yeah. Oh, absolutely. Well, I mean, it also just seems like something you get dirty in. And uh, but it also makes me think though, like where he's wearing the blues in the courtroom, maybe he thinks that that's working. Uh But I I I wouldn't think he'd want to wear that that prissy white uniform in the courtroom. Right. Yeah. I I I guess I also took that line as

The Marine, you know, it's like there's a civil war going on almost within the Marines and the Navy within this film. And uh, you know, Kiefer Sutherland's character, he says, like, you know, every time we need to go somewhere, you boys give us a ride. Yeah. So there's just a Th that's another point of tension between'em or when they uh i it's a Marine uh that's the judge in it and but the I guess the court uh what would you call'em? The people who are uh

The people who was the jury. Uh it's like split pretty much down the middle or uh Navy Marines, but it has a little bit more and stuff. You would think the navy are the bigger branch, but the Marines probably have a A more gung ho uh yeah, there's a form like again, fanatical, at least to the the Guantanamo Bay w uh, you know, Marines specifically, because yeah, the the judge is has the same rank.

There he's a colonel as well as um Jack Nicholson's character. So when he he said, you know, refer to me as colonel or sir, and he's like, you know, well uh when you address the court, you'll you know address me as judge or your honor, I know I've earned it. Um, he's able to have that pushback'cause, you know, they they both they both have the same, you know, the same hardware on their on their collars. They're both kernels.

And in Marines where ranking is everything You know, like it's Jack Nicholson was like touche. They like Jack Nicholson had like a moment like Roger that. Okay. All right. Yeah. Uh I will refer to refer to you that as that. Yeah, I mean, and this is one of the things that things that I enjoy about this movie is the the the the ranking hierarchy, you know, and where it's it's it's questioned. At one point Dawson literally stuffs his hands in his pocket.

when when Tom Cruise is leaving us, I believe, you know, like military. What happened to support support or saluting an officer? Yeah, that's a big fucking deal. That's a big moment in the film that I don't I don't think a lot of people that have never served like that That's I mean that's a Marine literally saying fuck you, you know, like to an officer which

That's not part of their protocol at all. And so uh I think the actor did a good job. I I the the tension is so palpable in this movie and so like right in your face. And even Even the way that Tom Cruise Reacts to Denise's character, who Jack Nicholson calls and he's like, She outranks you. And she outranks him. by two full grades cause he's a lieutenant J G. They call him lieutenant, but he's only an O two. She's an O four. So she outranks him by two Um like two full ranks, you know. So she's

She's been in the military a lot longer and it the way that he kind of like talks to her is a little kind of like blase, but like Jack Nicholson, and it's like she outranks you. Uh now granted He also completely undermines her by talking, you know, by like trying to make it sexual about, you know, like You know, r uh senior officer

giving you a blow job, you know, which that is very demeaning to her. But the point is, is rank is something very, very important to the Marines. And he was kind of giving him a check yourself moment, but then also didn't have any respect for for them. So and turn it into, well, you know. I'm going to belittle you, but I'm also gonna belittle her and as a result, just belittle you because you're not us at all. And so it's it it's it's wild, man. Uh the movie

gets in explore so many and yeah if you've served you you you might pick up a little this, a little that. But even if you've never served, you can definitely see the power dynamic. very, very in focus in this movie and very clearly uh defined as it's exploring um, you know, as it as it opens up in the plot. Even though the gu Guantanamo Bay you know, Marines versus kind of the the Navy uh, you know, Kendrick perspective, like, well, you guys always give us a ride.

Truth of the matter is, even though they were on opposite sides of of the desk between Kevin Bacon and Tom Cruise. They're like best friends, man. You know, like they're really, really closely aligned. And I remember when I first saw this movie thinking Kevin Bacon versus Tom Cruise, like I think it like Kevin like Tom uh Kevin Bacon is a bit of a bad guy.

Kevin Bacon isn't a bad guy at all in this movie. He really, several times over, says, like, Hold on, you know, like you you Y you wanna you might wanna think about not because he was trying to protect his own ego, but at one point it's like, Hey, you know, as your counsel, I'm I'm suggesting you choose your words very carefully because the last thing you wanna do is take

you know, essentially this marine officer that's already shoehorned for like national intelligence, uh, and say, Mm, I'm gonna question you and so i is there a is he a form of antagon like a like kind of an antagonist in the in the plot narrative? Sure. But he's not a bad guy. In fact, to the contrary

you know, Kevin Bacon's role, uh, which I love. I I think the the more I see this movie, the more I love Kevin Bacon's performance and the more I love Kiefer Sutherland's performance in in this movie. It's kind of like two junior kind of officers and how how they react to Kevin Bacon. Everybody knows Tom uh Jack Nicholson is amazing in this movie and You know, and the fifteen minutes of screen time he crushes But

those two other performances are brilliant. And I think that's it one of the things I love about this movie. I'm I'm calling them out, but I think everybody, I don't think there's any wasted performance. Even Noah Wiley's character where like three squares uh three squares a day, right? You like every performance in this movie, Cuba Gooding Jr., you know, whatever everybody in this movie I think crushes.

Um, so I'm kind of ex you know, interested to see where we're gonna go in the back half of this conversation. But this first half is just kind of opening up the, you know, the the concept of what's going on in this movie, what are things that we're excited about. But uh the back half we'll you know, we'll we'll explore a few other dynamic uh how the movie has held up. We'll look into, you know, some of our favorite scenes, favorite bits of dialogue. Performances

Thoughts on Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, again, Rob Reiner. Maybe we can answer that question, who is the real bad guy? Oh, that's yeah, I think that's a good way to uh that's a good question to ask. Um in our in our in our back half of this episode. But I think I think this is our our first our our first half. So this I think this calls for our social Zing Tang. Yeah, a little sing tau.

And uh so yeah, we are at our halfway point. So grab yourself a a drink and we're gonna we're gonna explore some of those themes that we discussed in the first half and maybe close out with some our of our favorite bits of dialogue and maybe have a a couple of drinking games or two. But we'll see you here in part two of uh flicks and sips right after this.

You can't handle the truth! All right. So for the second half of this episode, we, you know, as a recap, we've covered a little bit, you know, about what this movie's about, some of the kind of questions that you've had, a little bit of military background.

Uh, what are some things else that you would like to get into? I mean, we can ask the same, you know, same old questions that we usually ask the first time that you've seen it. What are your favorite scenes? But I'm kind of more curious, just, you know, what is it about this movie that that that you would like to have a conversation about.

Well one of the little things was is it Demi or you had a conversation with Freddie Moore's wife? I did. And that's a good that's a good callback episode. Is it Demi? Or demi? Well, okay. So um back in the day, uh she was demi, according to those that knew her. Now I didn't know her. Uh you didn't know her. So um but back in the day she was demi more and something happened in the nineties where she became Demi Moore and

That's it. It's none of my business. You know, but uh but yeah, according to Freddie Moore, because where Demi Moore gets or Demi Moore gets her name, she was married to a a rock and roll singer in the the seventies and eighties named Freddie Moore. And um so she took his last name and I forget what her real maiden name is, but she's not more natively. But um but yeah, that's that's a good callback, man. A little that's a good reference to an old uh Stanford cinema episode.

Oh, it was a good episode. It's fun. I uh I remember she was putting out a book. So uh she was, yep. Mm-hmm. Anybody wanna learn more about Demi Moore's first husband? Uh I'll put a I'll put a link in the show notes. I'll put a link uh to that episode. And uh Listen, friend of the show, John Rowe, knowing knowing the old the old back catalog. Yeah, I know the classics. And then uh, you know, her second husband, it's a big time of year for him.

You know, with the uh twelve days of diehard going on. Oh yeah. Yeah. Shout out to uh to Bruce Willis. You know, I I hope his family's taking care of'em these days, you know, obviously, you know, um You know, uh getting older is hard and um, you know, uh neurological disorders are a real thing, but

This is a good moment to to to cheers uh John McLean, uh Bruce Willis. Uh what what a what a wonderful talent uh Bruce Willis was. And I hope wherever he is, his family's taking good care of him. Zing Tang. Yeah. Zing Tao. Zing um so We mentioned that. Dawson and uh Downey. Downey. Wol uh Wolfgang and James Marshall. Oh yeah, they are real humans and we call out a lot of people in the movie, but the the two people who were on trial we didn't even reference their real names and um

Great performances uh between the two of them. Was was Downey was he in that boxing movie with Bob? I was gonna ask you. So that was one of my questions. Because it had two actors. from this movie in it. Well, I know Brian Denehy, but I don't know who else was in this m uh in that movie. So it was Downey and who else was uh

was Dallas. So Kuba Gooding. Kuma Gooding Jr. was the other guy. He played he played Lincoln. Which it's it's a basically a revamp of the karate kid, but based on boxing. Uh you know Kid goes to a new town, he's gotta fight. What was the name of that movie? It was called Gladiator. Gladiator, yeah. Yeah. No gloves. Yeah. And what he like punches like. Top of the head, hardest part of the body or whatever. Like And when I saw these two movies,'cause similar to uh you know uh Oh shoot, man. Uh

the guy we were talking about in Platoon, like I thought he was about to be the next big thing, uh, James Marshall. And uh didn't, you know, it didn't work out probably as big a dreams, but I was also the guy who thought Eric Lamelo was gonna be the next reference. There you go. That's that's another a social moment when John busts out a Tottenham reference. You have to have a drink. So sing towel on that one. I care. I care.

But uh uh fun fact. Gitmo, Guantanamo Bay, it's it blows my mind a little bit that we've had a base based in Cuba. For all these years. But did you know when it opened? Nineteen oh three. And it's our oldest it's our oldest base, I guess, in a uh in a foreign territory that we've had. So interesting. It makes sense we'd wanna we'd wanna hold on to it. But it's just wild just because of uh the conflicts between us

the United States and Cuba. Yeah. Um that we've we've still been able to hold a base in their, you know, on Cuban territory. You know, I for some like they've tried to close it many times. If I if memory serves, right? They've tried to close it on more than one occasion, but it's still active, isn't it?

Yeah, well it was I mean, oh I remember after like nine eleven and stuff like that, it seems like a lot of the Guantanamo like people that were getting picked up in in the Middle East were getting sent to Guantanamo, which Kinda makes sense because even if you escape, I don't think the Cubans are gonna take you in. Uh So I see a detention center, but let me see, like is it still do we still marines there?

Let's see here. We're gonna we're gonna get we're gonna fact check right here. Guantanamo bay marine Base. Let's just see. Just confirm. Doo do do do Isn't okay, all right, host sign okay, all right, so all right, thank you, AI. Um Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, N S G A as a uh military base, yada yada yada. All right, all right. Um Yeah, it says operational in use nineteen oh three through present. Yeah, there you go. Yeah. Imagine we have Frankfurt, uh we have

And we got a few we got a few, you know. We the United States had a great run in the, you know, nineteenth to two thousand run. You know, we put a couple bases down and we're I could understand why we'd be reluctant to give'em up. Uh you know. Gotta put put our soldiers somewhere. We still have a lot of bases all over the world. But yeah, that that that's that's a big one because of obviously their relationship with uh with Russia and having a You know, kind of a uh communist.

you know, backing and everything that close to the the US borders now. Obviously I don't know nearly enough to know um Domino effect. They they all of a sudden Florida could go communist. They couldn't. You never know. You never know. Um

All right, so let's pivot into a little bit about this movie. And, you know, not to do like necessarily a rapid fire, but obviously this movie was adapted on the the Aaron Sorkin uh stage play. Uh we've covered the fact that it was it was based on a true story. His uh his sister was a JAG officer who actually covered a code red in 1986. Uh and uh of somebody who had died. So it was actually

At least that's what uh Google told me. Hey, I I I I But uh but he learned it from his sister, he wrote most of it on a cocktail napkin, I guess why Yeah.

Uh that I had heard. Uh but I yeah, I knew it was adapted from a stage play that he had written. Uh you brought up one like the key mom or not key moments, but one of like the key themes about this movie, which is dialogue like conflict through dialogue and not necessarily conflict through action, which for a military film, it's a little bit different, which is one thing I love about one of the things I love about this movie is there's so much tension and so much conflict.

But you know, there there aren't really any haymakers thrown at anybody. You know, there's there's something that that happens in the movie, but by and large it's it's just It's the it's the military protocol. It's the ranking structure. It it's the the honor and the code that is the conflict, which I eat that shit up, man. Like it it's it's kind of also like uh another Tom Cruise movie like War of the Worlds, the the Stephen uh Spielberg movie where

you know, it's war of the worlds, but it's really just through the eyes of one person who's just trying to keep, you know, keep his kids alive. You know, so it's the it's the war of his world, uh, which is interesting. So it's just like through like a singular lens. and this movie, you know, is gonna tell a military battle

uh, through a courtroom as opposed to on a battlefield, which I've I I always found really intriguing about this movie. Um, so just a little background on Aaron Storkin. For those that, you know, are hearing me reference this name, this guy that um, you know, did the West Wing, uh, social network, you know, to name a couple of things that he's done, you know, just very, very acclaimed uh screenwriter.

Tom Cruise. I believe this was his third military role. Because taps, I guess he was just a like a student, right? So it won't necessarily count taps, but you've got You've got um Born on the fourth of July. Born on the fourth of July, which we covered. And then uh Top Gun, which we also covered uh a season ago. So this is our third, our third Tom Cruise uh military film in here. And

I I think we I think in our previous episode, you know, we we give him a lot of love in Born on the Fourth of July. But this for me is where I think Rain Man showed like true acting chop.

I think this was the movie that really showed that he could go toe to toe with like some of like the the real elite in the industry. Just the the back and forth, you know, uh performance that he had with Jack Nicholson. And a little backstory. I uh I don't know if you know this, but and Jack Nicholson is only really on the screen. This is like a two and a half hour movie. He's only on the screen for about like fifteen, maybe twenty minutes out of this movie. But

what he when he is on camera, it's massive, right? It it's somebody like the most weight in this movie. But the big thing that whenever we think of Jack Mickelson, it's the you can't handle the truth monologue, right? Um, so they shot that shit like all day. Uh, if it was only one day, maybe, I don't know. But what I know is They They shot that scene and whenever you shoot something, you have to get like reaction shots. And so

You know, you'll have the camera on Jack Nicholson as he's delivering that monologue. But then you'll have reaction shots where, okay, uh, we're gonna get that monologue, but we're gonna get eight minutes of a footage of watching Demi Moore or eight minutes of watching footage of Kevin Pollack or eight minutes of watching Kevin Bacon or Tom Cruise or whatever it was, right? But what's amazing is the reactions that you see when you're seeing those reaction shots of the other actors.

It wasn't just, you know, like Uh Jack Nicholson reading the lines. He was going that hard each and every time. Uh so he shot that scene a good fifteen, twenty times in that same level of intensity. So Uh, he didn't cut any any corners and um Rob Reiner, you know, R. I. P., you know, was on like the Rich Eisen uh podcast and he was talking about just how like crazy's like, yeah, you know, I I I love I I I don't get any really great roles, you know, so I just wanna really act and I love acting.

And so he he ate that shit up so that that you can't handle the truth monologue. He delivered that that monologue. for hours and hours just so they can get all the other reaction shots. before before they even really like shot it just on him uh for that that iconic that iconic scene. So just kind of shows a little bit of the intensity that Jack Nicholson had. Um I've heard that The you can't, this is Google again, you can't handle the truth was ad lib.

I don't know if that line is Adela. I don't know, but the monologue itself, right? I mean that that is That is a real monologue. Um but it's just often called the You know, the the you can't handle the truth. Yeah. But it's also kind of like you want me on that wall, you need me on that wall, right? It's the same it's all part of like the same bit. Um but yeah that that was that was a big deal. And even before the long before they shot it.

Um did I say this or was I talking to my wife about the the table read? Uh did I say that on here or was I talking to No, you're talking to your wife on that one. Okay. So Noah Wiley, this was one of like his early, early rules, right? Like he was like twenty years old. And so they do a table read. So he he never he was on set with Jack Nicholson like one day, but he didn't act, you know, um opposite Jack Nicholson, but

He met him during like the table read. So before they ever shoot, they'll do a table read where they'll have all the you know, all the actors on a round table and they'll just read their lines. Now traditionally people just go through the motions like they'll say, all right, the yada yada. And for the galactically stupid, you know, they'll they'll say something, but they're not going to go full tilt. But...

Those are other people. That's not Jack Nicholson. So when Jack Nicholson started and you know, he's, you know, like trained four hundred yards and people are, you know, trying to kill me and you're sitting there with your faggoty white uniform. Like He um he he was delivering the lines in full Colonel Jessup and Noel Wiley's like, oh, oh.

This is a real picture. Like, okay, this is this is the prose, right? Like that this is a twenty year old kid um and Jack Nicholson in a table read is turned up to eleven. Pardon me? I'm in the big leagues. Yeah. Yeah. Um, and it's so funny. Like there's so many great stories about Shaq Nicholson. Um

And, you know, for the listeners, you know, when I when I reference some of these lines, I apologize my my language is a little like coarse. I'm I'm quoting the movie. Um I'm not I'm not trying to make any statements or anything, but just to to reference, but

Um, Kevin Pollack also has a really great story. And by the way, I know my Jack Nicholson uh impression is not good. I'm not trying to be good. I'm just I'm trying to have a little bit of a different inflection. So you know if I'm what I'm doing Jack Nicholson. But um There was a scene where Kevin Pollack was you know walking to his trailer and he he hears his voice behind him

It's surreal. It's all just so surreal. And Kevin Pollock is like, Is that Jack Nicholson behind me? And he keeps walking. And then he's about to get to his trailer. And Jack's like, You know what's surreal? And Kevin Pollack's like Jack Nicholson asking me what my definition of surreal is. You know, just like it's Jack Nicholson. Kevin Pollock is a comedian, you know, uh actor in this movie.

And he's like, Yeah, sure. He's like, So I'm doing this picture Chinatown. And Kevin Pollack's like, Yeah, you know, again, this is this is surreal that you're talking about quote, this picture, quote, Chinatown. one of the the most important films in like Hollywood history. But he he's going through the story about that he has a scene opposite uh John Houston. Uh yeah, John Houston.

Jack Houston, John Houston, um, who is the father of Angelica Houston. But anyway, there's a scene in Chinatown where John Houston and Jack Nicholson are having a conversation. And Jack Nicholson had started dating Angelica Houston, who's the daughter of John Houston, and they're hooking up.

And there's a scene in Chinatown where John Houston is talking to Jack Nicholson about sleeping with his daughter while Jack Nicholson is sleeping with his daughter. And he's just having this story. And Kevin Pollack's like, Is anybody else around? Like this is what surreal is, is Jack Nicholson telling me this story. Um and then he just goes in his trailer and slams the door and Jack Nicholson's like, what the fuck?

Um, I'll put that in the notes because it it it's just amazing to hear Kevin Pollack share that story. But this movie is loaded. Uh with really amusing stories and anecdotes. But

It all ties in also to the performances, which this movie has, millions of those. And John, sorry for just going on a little a rant for the past. You know she was in Lonesome Dove. Tell me a little bit about Lonesome Dog Oh it's just the greatest Western ever made. It has uh Robert Duval and Tommy Lee Jones. Robert Duval who was in Days of Thunder, which Tom Cruise was in before this, which also One thing s Google said was that uh Tom Cruise was kind of on a little bit of a a not hit streak.

And uh this movie was the movie that kind of brought like all of a sudden after ninety two he's he went on a run of successes in a row and stuff. I can see the same thing with Jack Nicholson if like I'm sure that's the same character he'd always tried to bring. And he came from the old days, you know, hanging out with guys like Dennis Hopper and stuff like that, or Bruce Stern.

Uh, but it is surreal that he should be having a scene. I thought you were about to tell me that he might be the illegitimate daughter or father of uh Angela. Yeah, the Halloween Wild.

Um, but yeah, I mean, what a great film. I mean, there's so many scenes in this movie, obviously everything in the courtroom. There's so many great monologues in this movie. Um Tom Cruise, you know, we we've s I we've we've mentioned uh him um but from a performance, I I what I love is this movie, and here's kind of like my sound bite, uh, if you will, for for this episode.

This is a movie that was written by Aaron Sorkin, where the best stuff of this movie is dialogue. Witty, witty back and forth, banter, boom, boom, boom, very crisp dialogue. But the most impactful moments of this film, from my perspective, are the reaction shots of Tom Cruise not saying anything, but just taking in the weight. of things that are happening. Um, you know, when, you know, like you c uh you're goddamn right I did. When Tom Cruise hears him actually say

that he ordered the code red and Tom Cruise like just general shock and awe, like, oh my God. Like he he said it. Um you know, like he he got him. Um when Jack Nicholson tells him, but you gotta ask me nicely. And Tom Cruise is like surprised by that. Like And y he pauses and he's just been a smart ass the entire time. And it's like You know, like Colonel, you know, like, you know, I would, you know, can you please send me the, you know, like like sir, but just the subtle silent moments.

of where Tom Cruise showed that he can act not just with really funny banter about You know, like We're a bad you know, we're a bad softball team. Or, you know, set uh I I get again, you know, it's a set of steak knives. You know, like the witty banter is really good. But it's the moments where where Tom Cruise isn't saying anything that are some of the most impactful moments from my lens.

Yeah. Well, I mean that reminds me also like one of the things that gets me is he's often out of uniform. Like there's a part where he goes and interviews the guy and it's the scene where, you know, put uh with uh you know Harold and you know he's just like I'm gonna get paid the same the either either way and he goes I know you are yeah uh

Fuck you, Harold. Fuck you, Harold. Yeah. But he's wearing it, you know, he's wearing like a sports jacket and stuff like that. Uh but there's parts with like Jack Nicholson's speech where I always think back to uh Sparta, like some of the early warriors, and where it's called laconic and it's very short and to the point. And so whenever he's talking to Jack Nicholson and uh in Cuba. And he's like uh

You know, we just gotta do this interview. If there's anything you'd like to add, and he's like, thank you. You know, just one word answered. Like it, like I think Jack Nicholson's everything he says is very just short and to the point for the most part. And then when he does get riled, he he does get emotional. And in in that scene, uh, that's what Tom Cruise understands and

But the all the whole idea is like going for a Hail Mary. It's like their court had their court case had nothing on it unless they they get the guy up there to confess. No, you want me on that wall. And the truth, and I guess maybe this is a scary truth. And it goes back to who's the bad guy. We do need people on our walls. You know, and uh the you know, we might need people like that on our walls. So I I want to tell you Who I had as the bad guy. It's the doctor, the doctor who misdiagnosed.

Christopher Gast. Yeah. So it's Christopher Gast. That was it was uh we brought him up in in in part one of this episode. So Christopher Gast is The the writer director of like best in show and Uh he's um the guitarist in Spinal Tap. He's a six-fingered man in uh the princess bride, but in this one he plays the doctor. And um fun fact, Christopher Guest is married to Jamie Lee Curtis.

Uh, Jamie Lee Curtis and Christopher Guest slash and Rob Reiner, they're all like friends. But yeah, Christopher Guest had a small role as Quite frankly, maybe, and you're making a compelling argument, the actual villain of this fucking film. He look he misdiagnosed what Priva Santiago's issues were. And I mean the the other thing is

It also goes to Private Santiago did the thing looking after a soldier that the other ones didn't do. Like Harold at the end of the say is like we should have been looking out for the weak. Now Santiago was a Marine. I don't think he was weak. But uh I think he got pushed too hard in the in the blazing heat and uh um and then

probably Kiever Sutherland's character knocked him down a few ranks because he wasn't making his time and uh other stuff. But anyways, he he's my number one character for who's to blame for Private Santiago's death.

Yeah, uh I mean that's just like gross negligence, right? I mean, in the end, and that's what makes a a movie good, right? When the the villain of the movie, you see their perspective, right? So Colonel Jessop, you know, he has his you know, hi his line about, you know, you want me on that wall. Uh Kiefer Sutherland, um has a really, really great line about about Saniago's death. Uh let's see, key I'm gonna pull it up right now. Uh whether it be tragic. Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Uh I mean there are just so many really great lines and although to do to do um Okay, yeah, Santiago's dead and that is a tragedy, but he is dead because he had no honor. You know, like he had no code, he had no honor, right? So that line, you know, he every they all everybody believes in what they believe in and that's

You know, that's what is so great about this movie is honor, is code. But how do you how do you define that honor? How you know, what is the the the right code, you know, like Well it's what one thing I guess being brought up. As children in America, we thought that set us apart from other people, like there's the Nuremberg trials where they would say, We were ordered to do this. Our soldiers aren't ordered or if they are ordered to do that, they're gonna be

Do the right thing. And though we may never have you know not always done that, that might be a bit of a myth, but i it it is something that Still the American people believe that our soldiers will do the right thing. Yeah. And they they bring up Nuremberg in this movie, you know. Uh that's one of the things that Sam brings up, you know, as far like he he he references uh Nuremberg.

But also, and not to make this movie a a modern day, you know, kind of like exercise in our own politics, but when you now even have the you know, the president of the United States getting angry at politicians who are coming out and say you don't have to follow unlawful orders. And then there's a big back and forth uh about that, where the truth of the matter is Yeah, no but y you don't y you know, you are

You are still going to be held accountable if you follow unlawful orders, right? And that's that's the thing. Nobody is saying just because a president says something, it's a lawful or unlawful order. But the fact remains.

you will be held accountable whether you know if you if you violate uh if you violate the law. You know, not every order is a lawful order in the case of this movie. And in the end, You know, they what are you know, they they weren't found guilty for this or that, but they were found guilty of being

you know, unbecoming of being a Marine. And that's that's the truth, right? You know, they didn't have to follow that that order was unbecoming of a Marine. They weren't trying to kill anybody. They weren't, you know, they weren't trying But the order itself was that of being unbecoming. And that's where the also the honor comes. You And you are still no matter whether you're an enlisted Marine or an officer in the military or a civilian or a kid, you will be held accountable for your actions.

Um, doesn't matter who told you to, you know, commit that action, you will be held accountable for that. And that's one thing I do like about this movie is the fact that The final thing is like, you know We their whole job was to protect and serve, right? That's the whole thing about being military, right? You know, like uh to be brave and you know protect.

And they were supposed to also protect for themselves and protect each other and they didn't do that. And so that that was the the the final moment in the movie. And it's beautiful and it it's sad and it's tragic, but You know, so the the the real hell for for you know for for Harold is, you know, what what now in six months, you know, like so but so that gut punch when he gets it, you know, like that

That was a bummer, you know, like uh but he had that moment where he recognized in the end and um and that's why the the like kind of like the final button between between him and Tom Cruise, like you don't have to have you know, a badge in your arm to have honor.'Cause he he had honor at the end. He he recognized and um Accepted. Tom Cruise went to battle for him. Mm-hmm. You know, even though he didn't want to. Or, you know, I d try to get out of him many times. But he

He still at the end of the day went to battle for them and they may not have won but they didn't lose. Yep. Yeah. Another shot another great shot was when um Jack Nicholson get you know, like Tom Cruise thinks he has he's played his Trump card. Like he's going home forever and he hadn't packed a thing. You know, like can you explain that?

He's like, I don't know the the the packing habits of Samiago, you know, maybe he was an early riser. Um and he he he he answered it and he's like, is that all you have for me? And then Tom is like Like what do I do? Like I don't have I think it's setting him up. No, he was he wasn't setting it up. He wasn't setting it up at all uh until you know he he looked at Sam, he looked at Kevin Bacon, he looked at Joe, and then he's like

I'm gonna fucking go for it because of like in the room the previous scene is like he wants to say it. He's he like and so he he had been doing a chess match but Jessup didn't want a chest mat. He wanted a fucking boxing match and that's what he did. And so he He violated kind of like the ethic. He went for it. He he's like, All right, I'm gonna fucking give you, you know, a like, you know, haymaker cross about.

And how are you gonna respond to that? I'm gonna give you another one. I'm gonna challenge your own like strength here. We've done this little dance, but I'm gonna come at you with that. And that's what makes that scene so great is the fact that Um Caffy lost it by play like lost the fight trying to play the nice guy. He didn't win it until he went he went and played Jessup's game. So I think if Jessup would have just stayed put, he he would have

Like that's the thing, is like I yeah. Maybe maybe I've been watching too much Days of Thunder and I I think at the at the fourth turn they try to set them up. Uh but uh you know it's like cause What Jessup hates most is a younger ranking officer telling him what to do. So in a way he wants him out of that chair. He needs him out of that chair. And just so he could tell him in his own domain, you got to get back in that chair.

And uh i i yeah, maybe not s setting them up so maybe not the right turn, but uh It it's w it's oh man, I it's great. It's great the way he does it. Uh But my favorite part with the in courtroom scene is when Jack Nicholson goes full marine. He goes, I'm gonna tear off your head to piss off your damn toe. Fucking with the wrong marine. Yeah. It's like I believe that. Yeah, yeah. That that's an old school Marine right there.

Yeah, I think the line is like, you just fuck with the wrong Marine. Um man, so good. All right. In our final minutes, you know, just to to wrap this episode up, and I think we've covered a lot again for the listeners. This isn't a new movie. You've had thirty some odd years to check it out. If you haven't seen it, highly recommend it. Um But hopefully uh you've had a good time listening to John and I kind of revisit this movie, some of our favorite scenes, things about what we enjoy.

And also uh had a little drink. You know, this is this is kind of like our fourth chapter of like these mil this military block that we've had. Uh we're gonna continue to explore other films, different themes, but Hopefully you've enjoyed this format. We'll continue to tailor it to figure out what works best. But uh John

As always, I want to give you an opportunity if there's any any final thoughts, any any any conclusions that you want to have on on this before we we wrap up this week. Only that uh I mentioned who I thought the villain the real villain was with the doctor. I would say the real winner. Would be The T V series Jag.

That went for like ten years. I you're a thousand percent right. Yeah. That as a result of this movie, that show had many seasons and then you got into like NCIS and all these other shows and then NC CIS completely evolved away from the military at all. Uh but yeah, yeah, Jag. Yeah. So the the big winner of this movie is is Jag. Yeah. A thousand percent. All right. But um final final thing that I wanna wrap up with real quick is again RIP to uh to Rob Reiner. What an absolute talent.

uh that filmmaker was. And for those that aren't completely familiar with his back catalog, he did This is Spinal Tap. He did Stand By Me, Uh The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, Um Misery, This Film. And those are just like the movies that he directed. Obviously he was in All in the Family, but

You know, he was in many, many films as an actor as well. And um his footprint in Hollywood, you know, like obviously he was the son of Carl Ry Carl Reiner, who was one of like the godfathers of American comedy. But man, uh an absolute loss and a very tragic, uh tragic loss in, you know, the way that that it all unfolded and over, you know, the next couple days, weeks, months, we'll learn more about the the facts of the case. But

you know, hearts uh thoughts and prayers and heart, you know, heartfelt messages go out to um, you know, friends, family and loved ones and anybody that enjoyed his work and I certainly, certainly do as well. Um But yeah, we didn't record this episode As a result of it, we had this episode planned for quite some time. It just it it worked out with really, really poor uh coincidental timing. So we're not trying to

Um, you know, capitalize on this. But um we had done the research and I was watching this movie again last night when when I saw the headlines come through and I was Yeah, it w it was a bummer, but I knew that we would have to uh mention it. But um John, uh of his work, do you have do you have any favorites? Princess Pride. Princess Pride, yeah. Fantastic. It's got Carol Carriolis, yeah. Yeah. Who is also in Days of Thunder. Days of Thunder as well, yeah. Uh but no, it's yeah.

Uh how about yourself? I love all the the six or seven I just mentioned, but I'm gonna say stand by me. I'm gonna go with stand by me. Um love it so much. It was such an important film for me growing up. I love this movie that we just covered, Princess Bride. When Harry met Sally. Oh my god. Spinal atta I'm I I I now I'm just seeing his movies over and over again. But I I love I loved his work and

Just a real talent. But I'm gonna say stand by me just because of how impactful that movie was for me growing up in the in the eighties. But um Yeah, he'll be missed and uh don't want to end on a downer, but I wanna say thank you to all the listeners. If you're still if you're still listening, we'll be back. Um

Sometime in the near future we'll uh John and I will get together and figure out what we wanna tackle next if we wanna do another war movie, if we wanna pivot. We've got a few other conversations that we've got booked, but There will be plenty more flicks and sips episodes. There'll be more uh regular Stamper Cinema uh pod episodes, but that will wrap it up for this week. As always, thank you so much. And John, if you want to close this on out, uh You've got the con.

Rest in peace, Rob. And uh as Bill and Ted once said, you know, be good to each other. You know, be good to yourselves. So that's all I gotta say. Love it. Thank you, buddy. Uh