Common Sense Note
Parents should know that this film's lack of gory violence or explicit sex makes it a relatively good choice for those who like political thrillers. However, the plot might be too complex and slow-paced for all but the most mature teenagers. There is some strong language and a graphic oral sex reference.
Families who see this movie might talk about the duties of a citizen to their family and their country. Was the death of the marine justified in favor of national security? Does Col. Jessup's military record automatically make him qualified to hold his position? How does the trial cause Lt. Kaffee to question his own values?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Joyce Slayton
When an unpopular Marine winds up dead after being hazed by two of his unit mates in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Navy lawyer Lt. J. G. Daniel Kaffee (Tom Cruise) is assigned to defend the presumed murderers at their court martial, in a presumably open-and-shut case. But as Kaffee probes further under the urging of Internal Affairs' Lt. Cmdr. JoAnne Galloway (Demi Moore in a role usually held by a man), he finds there's more to the case than meets the eye. A FEW GOOD MEN was adapted from a Broadway play and it shows; most of the film is filled with set pieces in which the actors sit at restaurants and in court rooms and offices, endlessly debating the case and the issues around it. Did the dead Marine bring on his fate by breaking the Marine's code of honor, as the base's commanding officer, Col. Nathan Jessup (Jack Nicolson), suggests? If so, does that make the dead soldier a victim or a perpetrator himself?
For adults or very mature teens, A FEW GOOD MEN brings up complex and interesting issues surround the military and the duties of soldiers in uniform: the nature of conformity, persecution of the weak, the price of unquestioning obedience to superiors. Younger teens will probably be bored by the film's lack of action, but for families looking for talking points on the military, or those who just like a courtroom drama, A FEW GOOD MEN is a solid choice.
Families who enjoy A FEW GOOD MEN may enjoy other legal dramas such as Jagged Edge or ...And Justice for All, or other military-themed movies such as An Officer and a Gentleman and Biloxi Blues.
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Sexual ContentNo nudity, but one scene discusses oral sex quite explicitly. |
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ViolenceGore is at a minimum but the movie begins with two marines forcibly tying up another and then blood is seen staining a bed. |
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LanguageSeveral F-words and a graphic oral sex reference. |
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Social BehaviorMany characters are seen taking political expedient but morally ambiguous actions. |
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