Fans are calling it ‘the best film of all time’ (Image: Mondadori via Getty Images)
Fans of goosebump-inducing courtroom dramas are in for a treat, because one of the ‘best films of all time’ is airing on television tonight.
Hailed as an ‘enthralling classic’ that fans have ‘watched 300 times’, this thrilling legal drama stars some of the most talented and beloved actors in Hollywood.
Dubbed a ‘masterpiece’ by fans, A Few Good Men will air on Film4 tonight, August 30, at 9pm.
The 1992 American legal drama stars Jack Nicholson, Tom Cruise, and Demi Moore in the lead alongside Kevin Bacon, Kevin Pollak, J. T. Walsh, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Kiefer Sutherland to round out an insanely talented supporting cast.
Directed by Rob Reiner with a screenplay penned by Aaron Sorkin, the pair has been highly lauded for their story and direction. A Few Good Men has been adapted from Sorkin’s 1989 play of the same name.
Viewers have said the ‘masterclass’ film gave them ‘goosebumps’ (Image: Columbia Tristar Films)
Sorkin was inspired to write the play after a phone conversation with his sister Deborah, who was a Boston University Law School graduate who had signed herself up for a three-year stint with the US Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps.
The film’s official plot states: “A military lawyer intends to prove that two US Marines charged with murdering a fellow Marine were only following their base commander’s orders.”
A Few Good Men released on December 11, 1992, and went on to become a massive commercial hit, grossing $243 million at the worldwide box office on a budget of $40 million.
Not only was the ‘gripping’ legal drama a commercial success, it was also critically acclaimed, receiving four Academy Award nominations for Best Picture, Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Best Sound, and Best Film Editing
Interestingly, Sorkin wrote most of the film’s story on cocktail napkins while he was a bartender at the Palace Theatre on Broadway. He and his roommates had bought a Macintosh 512K at the time, and when Sorkin would come back from his shifts at the bar, he would reportedly empty his pockets of the napkins and set out to type the scribbled words onto his computer. These napkins formed the basis of many of the play’s earlier drafts.
The movie stars legendary actors and it’s on Film 4 tonight at 9pm (Image: Columbia Tristar Films)
Critics were completely bowled over with the film, with one writing: “A Few Good Men has a whole cast of good men – and one good woman – and it’s this ensemble that makes director Rob Reiner’s conventional courtroom drama so enthralling.”
Another reviewer said of the legal drama: “The courtroom scenes are gripping, the complexities of the plot (screenplay by Aaron Sorkin from his play) well controlled. And Jack Nicholson lights up the screen with his rage and bitterness and his final bluster.”
While one critic commented: “With outstanding performances throughout the cast, superb direction by Rob Reiner and a fine, taut screenplay by Aaron Sorkin, who adapted his own Broadway success, the movie marches by at double-time.”
Audiences have been left equally enamoured with the film, with one fan writing on Rotten Tomatoes: “This movie is a classic and I have watched countless times over the years. It has everything a great movie needs. The cast is amazing, story line is fantastic, plot will keep you interested and the ending is brilliant!!!”
A user review posted to IMDB reads: “This is my all-time favorite movie. I’ve probably watched it 300 times and I can recite it line by line. The acting is superb and Aaron Sorkin’s story sucks you in from the opening minute. There is so much great dialogue, headlined by Tom Cruise’s courtroom battle with Jack Nicholson at the movie’s climax.”
While another audience review states: “What a film, absolutely a masterclass in acting, story. Just finished the movie for the first time, and let there be no doubt, it shall not be the last.”
One fan said: “Pure Gold. I still have goosebumps from this fine specimen of a movie. Such a wonderful script, so many brilliant performances.”
While another viewer declared in a glowing review: “It’s one of the best movies of all time.There are actually very few evergreen movies that one likes to see again and again, this is one of them, you always feel great after watching it.”
A Few Good Men will air tonight on Film4 at 9pm. It’s also available to rent on Amazon Prime Video.
