‘A Few Good (Re)Men’ Live From L.A. With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey
August 1, 2023 · A Few Good Men (1992) · Drama · Thriller · 1:58:05
Categories
Most Rewatchable Scene
Bill SimmonsThe scene at the end where Caffey and Dawson reconcile - 'Ten hut. Harold, you don't have to wear a patch on your arm to have honor'▶ 50:21
Sean FennesseyThe courtroom scene where Cruise cuts the guys loose and beats Nicholson - 'And when it went bad, you cut these guys loose'▶ 48:48
What's Aged the Best
Bill SimmonsEarly 90s Tom Cruise - comparing him to a relative you still like but worry about at family gatherings▶ 54:30
Chris RyanThe scene of lying on the couch with a baseball bat, watching baseball in a Hawaiian shirt, being disconnected from modern political anxieties▶ 52:32
Sean FennesseyGuantanamo Bay as the site of corrupt action - noting how it resonates and plays differently now▶ 54:16
Butch's Girlfriend Award
Bill SimmonsMultiple elements including Demi Moore's miscasting (though he enjoys it), the 'I strenuously object' scene, Christopher Guest as Dr. Stone, Luther the newsstand guy, Downey's character, and Markinson's suicide letter ending with 'Always'▶ 57:56
Chris RyanDemi Moore and Tom Cruise's lack of chemistry and sexual vibes, though not unwatchable▶ 59:51
Sean FennesseyDemi Moore's performance with Sorkin dialogue and Luther the newsstand guy scenes as 'absolute horseshit' and 'some of the dumbest shit ever in a Sorkin movie'▶ 59:59
Is There a Better Title?
Bill SimmonsSuggests 'Code Red' as a potential alternative title, then shifts to discussing porn parody titles like 'Dishonorable Discharge' and 'A Few More Good Men'▶ 1:08:56
Chris RyanBriefly suggests 'Two Orders' but immediately rejects it because it gives away the plot▶ 1:08:59
Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award
Bill SimmonsQuestions whether Private Santiago deserved to die, suggesting it might have saved lives▶ 1:11:28
Chris RyanDanny Caffey is the Jimmy Butler of law - bad locker room guy who undermines authority but delivers when it matters. Also questions whether this case is even a big deal, just bullying that got out of hand.▶ 1:10:40
Sean FennesseyTom Cruise should have been nominated for and won Best Actor, beating Tom Hanks - should have been the first of three Academy Awards he never received▶ 1:11:53
Casting What-Ifs
Bill SimmonsJason Alexander — Prefers Jason Alexander over Kevin Pollack for Sam Weinberg role, thinks James Woods would have 'killed us' as Jessup, notes various casting alternatives including Gene Hackman turning down Jessup for Unforgiven▶ 1:14:48
Chris RyanKevin Pollak — Disagrees with Bill about Jason Alexander being better than Kevin Pollack for Weinberg, prefers not having to think of George Costanza when watching the film▶ 1:14:52
Sean FennesseyJason Alexander — Gene Hackman turning down Jessup for Unforgiven was 'obviously a good move' since he won the Oscar, thinks Jason Alexander would have made Weinberg 'more interesting' due to his 'squirmy' quality▶ 1:12:46
Dion Waiters Award
Sean FennesseyWolfgang Bodison — Discusses Wolfgang Bodison's performance going toe to toe with Cruise in the courtroom scenes▶ 1:15:57
Overacting Award
Bill SimmonsTom Cruise — Mentions drunk Tom Cruise as a winner, considers the judge character, and highlights one of three guys interviewing Joe Galloway (played by the 90210 rapist actor)▶ 1:17:15
Sean FennesseyMichael DeLorenzo — Michael DiLorenzo (from New York Undercover) who plays Santiago▶ 1:18:21
Half-Assed Internet Research
Chris RyanConnecticut lawyers in the 2010s claimed to be the inspiration for Daniel Caffey character, with one having a website claiming 'you may have seen A Few Good Men, that was me' before removing it when investigated by NY Times▶ 1:23:47
Sean FennesseyWilliam Goldman was on retainer at Castle Rock and kept in office to fix scripts on every project they worked on▶ 1:25:28
Picking Nits
Bill SimmonsThe all-time movie trope where someone orders 'a beer' and they just bring a beer - never happens in real life▶ 1:36:26
Chris RyanNobody seems to care about keeping the case information secret - they're shouting sensitive details in public places like bars, basketball courts, and softball fields▶ 1:39:13
Sean FennesseyHearing the detailed description of crab eating technique was grotesque and disgusting▶ 1:39:59
Probably Unanswerable Questions
Bill SimmonsMultiple questions including: Are we sure Markinson killed himself? How did he get a gun in the hotel room? Can you really make a flight log disappear? What happens if Jessup just never admits the code red?▶ 1:42:33
Chris RyanWhat position did Kathy play in softball? Shortstop - he assigned himself shortstop and would pitch, play short, and bat fourth▶ 1:45:22
Sean FennesseyDid Markinson only kill himself because of Santiago's death or was there other stuff? What would Jessup's punishment have been - prison or dishonorable discharge?▶ 1:42:42
Best Double Feature
Chris RyanTop Gun — Either Top Gun (Tom Cruise double feature) or Presumed Innocent (legal drama double feature)▶ 1:50:20
Sean FennesseyThe Caine Mutiny — Paths of Glory and The Caine Mutiny (military courtroom movies, with Caine Mutiny being his preferred pick)▶ 1:49:53
Is This Movie Better With
Chris RyanCannot determine position from transcript
Movies Referenced (53)
| Title (year) | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oppenheimer (2023) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 7 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey | ▶ 18:35 |
| Top Gun (1986) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 7 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan | ▶ 13:58 |
| Jerry Maguire (1996) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | ▶ 10:50 |
| Unforgiven (1992) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | ▶ 24:30 |
| 12 Angry Men (1957) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan | ▶ 5:27 |
| Rain Man (1988) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 13:58 |
| Barbie (2023) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | ▶ 3:21 |
| Batman (1989) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 17:24 |
| Born on the Fourth of July (1989) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Sean Fennessey | ▶ 10:46 |
| Bright (2017) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | ▶ 1:02:16 |
| Chinatown (1974) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:24:37 |
| Days of Thunder (1990) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 13:58 |
Directors Referenced (5)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rob Reiner | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 11 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | This Is Spinal Tap, The Wolf of Wall Street | ▶ 2:31 |
| William Hoffa | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 6 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | Limitless, Furious 7, Creed | ▶ 17:45 |
| Jack Daniels | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 41:34 | |
| Paul Bellany | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Sean Fennessey | Stardust | ▶ 0:00 |
| Stanley Kubrick | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Sean Fennessey | A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon | ▶ 1:49:54 |
Actors Referenced (62)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tom Cruise | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 42 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan | Top Gun, Minority Report | ▶ 2:28 |
| Jack Nicholson | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 37 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan | Chinatown, As Good as It Gets, The Departed | ▶ 2:29 |
| Charlotte Caffey | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 33 | Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | Fast Times at Ridgemont High | ▶ 8:10 |
| Brian Markinson | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 23 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan | ▶ 33:18 | |
| Demi Moore | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 15 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan | Striptease, Indecent Proposal | ▶ 2:30 |
| Kevin Bacon | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 15 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan | Footloose, Hollow Man | ▶ 19:53 |
| Danny Trejo | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 14 | Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons | Machete, From Dusk Till Dawn, Predators | ▶ 32:16 |
| Brandon Soo Hoo | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 9 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | Tropic Thunder | ▶ 49:28 |
| Kiefer Sutherland | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 9 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | Phone Booth | ▶ 19:53 |
| J.T. Walsh | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 7 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | Sling Blade | ▶ 20:05 |
| Wolfgang Bodison | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 7 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | A Few Good Men | ▶ 33:40 |
| Gene Hackman | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey | The French Connection, The Royal Tenenbaums, Unforgiven | ▶ 24:40 |
Writers Referenced (5)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ted Jessup | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 33 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan | Ted 2 | ▶ 8:55 |
| Aaron Sorkin | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 24 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan | A Few Good Men | ▶ 20:26 |
| William Goldman | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 12 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan | Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, All the President's Men, The Princess Bride | ▶ 7:06 |
| Roger Ebert | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | ▶ 9:42 | |
| David Auburn | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | The Lake House | ▶ 1:44:46 |
Cinematographers Referenced (1)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Grantland | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Sean Fennessey | The Other Guys | ▶ 22:46 |