Playwright Aaron Sorkin originally conceived of the storyline for A Few Good Men after a telephone conversation with his sister, a military lawyer on her way to Guantanamo to defend a young Marine accused of attempted murder in a hazing incident. The original Broadway production starred Tom Hulce as the lead lawyer, Daniel Kaffee. Characterized by Sorkin’s briskly paced dialogue, the play tracks Kaffee’s reluctant defense of the two Marines to its bold, even courageous, conclusion. Although the two Marines are acquitted of the most serious charges, a top-ranking officer is held accountable for having ordered the hazing.
NOTE: Although a number of former military lawyers have claimed to be Sorkin’s model for the Kaffee character, Sorkin says the character is purely fictional.