A Few Good Men Movie Synopsis
“A Few Good Men” Movie Synopsis
The movie centers around Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee, son of a former Attorney General and Navy Judge Advocate General, who is an inexperienced U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General's Corps lawyer who leads the defense in the court-martial of two Marines, Private Louden Downey and Lance Corporal Harold Dawson, who are accused of murdering a fellow Marine of their unit, Private William Santiago, at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba. Santiago compared unfavorably to his fellow Marines, had poor relations with them and failed to respect the chain of command. He went above his superiors to bargain for a transfer in exchange for blowing the whistle on Dawson for firing a possibly illegal shot towards the Cuban side of the island. In a flashback, Colonel Nathan Jessep, the Commanding Officer of the accused, reads the letter detailing the incident to two subordinates: his executive officer Lieutenant Colonel Markinson, and Lieutenant Kendrick, Santiago's platoon commander. Jessep and Kendrick are incensed at Santiago's actions, but decide not to transfer him despite the objection of Markinson. After giving Markinson a dressing-down for questioning his views on the matter, Jessep calls Kendrick in to discuss "the training of young William." When Dawson and Downey are later arrested for Santiago's murder, Naval investigator and lawyer Lieutenant Commander JoAnne Galloway suspects that they were carrying out a "code red": a euphemism for a violent punishment. Galloway requests to defend them but the case is given to Kaffee, who has a reputation for arranging plea bargains. Colonel Jessep is due to take up an important post at the National Security Council and it is implied that people in high places want the case settled with the minimum of fuss because of this. However, Galloway successfully argues her point of view to Kaffee after Dawson and Downey state they were ordered by Kendrick to shave Santiago's head, minutes after Kendrick
The movie centers around Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee, son of a former Attorney General and Navy Judge Advocate General, who is an inexperienced U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General's Corps lawyer who leads the defense in the court-martial of two Marines, Private Louden Downey and Lance Corporal Harold Dawson, who are accused of murdering a fellow Marine of their unit, Private William Santiago, at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba. Santiago compared unfavorably to his fellow Marines, had poor relations with them and failed to respect the chain of command. He went above his superiors to bargain for a transfer in exchange for blowing the whistle on Dawson for firing a possibly illegal shot towards the Cuban side of the island. In a flashback, Colonel Nathan Jessep, the Commanding Officer of the accused, reads the letter detailing the incident to two subordinates: his executive officer Lieutenant Colonel Markinson, and Lieutenant Kendrick, Santiago's platoon commander. Jessep and Kendrick are incensed at Santiago's actions, but decide not to transfer him despite the objection of Markinson. After giving Markinson a dressing-down for questioning his views on the matter, Jessep calls Kendrick in to discuss "the training of young William." When Dawson and Downey are later arrested for Santiago's murder, Naval investigator and lawyer Lieutenant Commander JoAnne Galloway suspects that they were carrying out a "code red": a euphemism for a violent punishment. Galloway requests to defend them but the case is given to Kaffee, who has a reputation for arranging plea bargains. Colonel Jessep is due to take up an important post at the National Security Council and it is implied that people in high places want the case settled with the minimum of fuss because of this. However, Galloway successfully argues her point of view to Kaffee after Dawson and Downey state they were ordered by Kendrick to shave Santiago's head, minutes after Kendrick