Obviously I must be in the minority of people who don't think A FEW GOOD MEN is a great movie worthy of an Oscar nomination.  Personally, I find the directing too manipulative and the storyline full of too many contrivances to buy into fully.  Sure, the cast of actors is impressive, but only Jack seems to rise above the fodder to breather life into what is predictable fare.  In fact, if not for his performance, I doubt I'd really recommend the film at all.

The plot involves two navy lawyers (Cruise and Moore,) who must defend two Marines accused of murdering a fellow soldier in Cuba. Their defense is that they were told to perform a "code red," in which a soldier is humiliated to get them to shape up, but during the course of it, the soldier had a medical condition which resulted in his death. The superior officers in charge steadfastly deny ever issuing such an order.

Admittedly, A FEW GOOD MEN has its occasional moments, but is still marred by some weak screenwriting and unconvincing turns of events.  Jack Nicholson's performance leaves a lasting impression, and his two scenes not only gained him second billing, but also a Best Supporting actor as well, amazing when you realize that he is onscreen for less than 15 minutes of a 2 hour and 15 minute movie. There are lots of recognizable faces all around, and of course Tom Cruise.  I must say that as good an actor as Cruise can be, I didn't enjoy his performance, as he painfully hams his way through the film posing as a comedian, and a very bad one at that. Only the directing of Rob Reiner and a handful of well-done scenes keep the drama afloat to the point of being credible.

A FEW GOOD MEN may please the masses, but in my humble opinion, it's one of the most overrated films of 1992. 

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