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Every Rob Reiner Directed Movie, Ranked!

(L to R) Rob Reiner and Christopher Guest in ‘This Is Spinal Tap.’ Photo: Embassy Pictures.

Tragic news from Hollywood as legendary actor and filmmaker Rob Reiner has passed away.

While be began his career as an actor on the groundbreaking 1970’s TV series ‘All in the Family‘, Reiner would go on to become one of the most celebrated directors of his generation helming such classics as ‘This Is Spinal Tap‘, ‘Stand By Me‘, ‘The Princess Bride‘, ‘When Harry Met Sally…‘, ‘Misery‘, and ‘A Few Good Men‘.
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In honor of his passing, Moviefone is counting down every movie Rob Reiner has ever directed, including his last movie, 2025’s ‘Spinal Tap II: The End Continues‘.

Let’s begin!

Related Article: ‘When Harry Met Sally’ Filmmaker Rob Reiner Has Died at the Age of 78

22. ‘North‘ (1994)

Bruce Willis in ‘North’. Photo: Columbia Pictures.

Eleven-year-old North (Elijah Wood) has had it with his parents (Jason Alexander and Julia Louis-Dreyfus). They are always busy with their careers and don’t give North the attention he needs, so he files a lawsuit against them. The judge rules that North should either find new parents or return to his own parents within two months. Thus North starts off on a journey around the world to find parents that really care about him.
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21. ‘Rumor Has It…‘ (2005)

Jennifer Aniston in ‘Rumor Has It’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.

Sarah Huttinger’s (Jennifer Aniston) return home with her fiance convinces her that the sedate, proper, country-club lifestyle of her family isn’t for her – and that maybe the Huttinger family isn’t even hers – as she uncovers secrets that suggest the Huttingers are neither sedate nor proper.
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20. ‘Shock and Awe‘ (2018)

(L to R) James Marsden and Woody Harrelson in ‘Shock and Awe’. Photo: Vertical Entertainment.

A group of journalists covering George Bush‘s planned invasion of Iraq in 2003 are skeptical of the presidents claim that Saddam Hussein has “weapons of mass destruction.”
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19. ‘And So It Goes‘ (2014)

(L to R) Diane Keaton and Michael Douglas in ‘And So It Goes’. Photo: Castle Rock Entertainment.

Nobody likes self-centered realtor Oren Little (Michael Douglas), and he prefers it that way. He’s deliberately mean to anyone who crosses his path and wants nothing more than to sell one final house and retire. His life turns upside-down when his estranged son drops off a granddaughter he never knew existed. Suddenly left in charge of her and with no idea how to take care of a child, he pawns the girl off on his neighbor, Leah (Diane Keaton) — but he eventually learns how to open his heart.
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18. ‘Being Charlie‘ (2016)

Nick Robinson in ‘Being Charlie’. Photo: Castle Rock Entertainment.

Charlie (Nick Robinson) is a troublesome 18-year-old who breaks out of a youth drug treatment clinic, but when he returns home to Los Angeles, he’s given an intervention by his parents and forced to go to an adult rehab. There, he meets a beautiful but troubled girl, Eva (Morgan Saylor), and is forced to battle with drugs, elusive love and divided parents.
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17. ‘The Story of Us‘ (1999)

(L to R) Bruce Willis and Michelle Pfeiffer in ‘The Story of Us’, Photo: Universal Pictures.

After 15 years of marriage, Katie (Michelle Pfeiffer) and her husband, Ben (Bruce Willis), have grown apart. While they keep up the facade of having a contented marriage, mostly to not worry their children, they aren’t happy together and argue frequently. While the kids are away at camp, Katie and Ben decide to separate and try to reassess their relationship to see if they should stay together or split up for good.
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16. ‘Alex & Emma‘ (2003)

(L to R) Kate Hudson and Luke Wilson in ‘Alex & Emma’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.

Writer Alex Sheldon (Luke Wilson) must finish his novel within a month. If he doesn’t, he won’t get paid. And, if that happens, angry Mafia types to whom he owes money will come looking for him. In order to expedite things, Alex hires typist Emma Dinsmore (Kate Hudson) and begins dictating his novel. The book is about a doomed love affair between a character similar to Alex and a character named Polina Delacroix. But, as Alex falls for Emma, his work takes a different turn.
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15. ‘The Magic of Belle Isle‘ (2012)

Morgan Freeman in ‘The Magic of Belle Isle’. Photo: Magnolia Pictures.

In an effort to tap into his original talent, a wheelchair-bound author (Morgan Freeman) moves to a rural town, where he befriends a single mother (Virginia Madsen) and her three kids, who help reignite his passion for writing.
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14. ‘LBJ‘ (2017)

Woody Harrelson in ‘LBJ’. Photo: Castle Rock Entertainment.

The story of U.S. President Lyndon Baines Johnson (Woody Harrelson) from his young days in West Texas to the White House.
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13. ‘Flipped‘ (2010)

A scene from ‘Flipped’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.

When Juli (Madeline Carroll) meets Bryce (Callan McAuliffe) in the second grade, she knows it’s true love. After spending six years trying to convince Bryce the same, she’s ready to give up – until he starts to reconsider.
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12. ‘Spinal Tap II: The End Continues‘ (2025)

(L to R) Harry Shearer, Michael McKean, and Christopher Guest in Bleecker Street’s ‘Spinal Tap II: The End Continues’. Credit: Bleecker Street / Kyle Kaplan.

The now estranged bandmates of Spinal Tap are forced to reunite for one final concert, hoping it will solidify their place in the pantheon of rock ‘n’ roll.
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11. ‘The Bucket List‘ (2008)

(L to R) Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman in ‘The Bucket List’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.

Corporate billionaire Edward Cole (Jack Nicholson) and working class mechanic Carter Chambers (Morgan Freeman) are worlds apart. At a crossroads in their lives, they share a hospital room and discover they have two things in common: a desire to spend the time they have left doing everything they ever wanted to do and an unrealized need to come to terms with who they are. Together they embark on the road trip of a lifetime, becoming friends along the way and learning to live life to the fullest, with insight and humor.
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10. ‘Ghosts of Mississippi‘ (1996)

(L to R) Whoopi Goldbreg and Alec Baldwin in ‘Ghosts of Mississippi’. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.

A Mississippi district attorney and the widow of Medgar Evers (Whoopi Goldberg) struggle to bring a white supremacist (James Woods) to justice for the 1963 murder of the civil rights leader.
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9. ‘Albert Brooks: Defending My Life‘ (2023)

Albert Brooks in ‘Albert Brooks: Defending My Life’. Photo: HBO.

Reiner profiles Albert Brooks, comedic legend, acclaimed filmmaker, talented character actor and a lifelong friend, who Reiner first met in their high school drama club.
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8. ‘The Sure Thing‘ (1985)

(L to R) John Cusack and Daphne Zuniga in ‘The Sure Thing’. Photo: Embassy Films Associates.

Gib (John Cusack), a beer-guzzling slob, and Alison (Daphne Zuniga), an uptight Ivy-Leaguer, are an unlikely duo stuck together on a cross-country trip during Christmas break. At first they get on each other’s nerves but, as time passes, they find their divergent natures complement each other. Now they need to realize what they’ve already found before it’s too late.
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7. ‘The American President‘ (1995)

(L to R) Michael Douglas and Martin Sheen in ‘The American President’. Photo: Columbia Pictures.

Widowed U.S. president Andrew Shepherd (Michael Douglas), one of the world’s most powerful men, can have anything he wants — and what he covets most is Sydney Ellen Wade (Annette Bening), a Washington lobbyist. But Shepherd’s attempts at courting her spark wild rumors and decimate his approval ratings.
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6. ‘Stand by Me‘ (1986)

(L to R) Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Jerry O’Connell and Corey Feldman in ‘Stand by Me’. Photo: Columbia Pictures.

After learning that a boy their age has been accidentally killed near their rural homes, four Oregon boys decide to go see the body. On the way, Gordie (Will Wheaton), Vern (Jerry O’Connell), Chris (River Phoenix) and Teddy (Corey Feldman) encounter a mean junk man and a marsh full of leeches, as they also learn more about one another and their very different home lives. Just a lark at first, the boys’ adventure evolves into a defining event in their lives.
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5. ‘Misery‘ (1990)

Kathy Bates in ‘Misery’. Photo: Columbia Pictures.

After an accident, acclaimed novelist Paul Sheldon (James Caan) is rescued by a nurse (Kathy Bates) who claims to be his biggest fan. Her obsession takes a dark turn when she holds him captive in her remote Colorado home and forces him to write back to life the popular literary character he killed off.
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4. ‘When Harry Met Sally…‘ (1989)

(L to R) Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal in ‘When Harry Met Sally…’ Photo: Columbia Pictures.

Sex always gets in the way of friendships between men and women. At least, that’s what Harry Burns (Billy Crystal) believes. So when Harry meets Sally Albright (Meg Ryan) and a deep friendship blossoms between them, Harry’s determined not to let his attraction to Sally destroy it. But when a night of weakness ends in a morning of panic, can the pair avoid succumbing to Harry’s fears by remaining friends and admitting they just might be the perfect match for each other?
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3. ‘This Is Spinal Tap‘ (1984)

(L to R) Harry Shearer, Christopher Guest, and Michael McKean in ‘This Is Spinal Tap.’ Photo: Embassy Pictures.

“This Is Spinal Tap” shines a light on the self-contained universe of a metal band struggling to get back on the charts, including everything from its complicated history of ups and downs, gold albums, name changes and undersold concert dates, along with the full host of requisite groupies, promoters, hangers-on and historians, sessions, release events and those special behind-the-scenes moments that keep it all real.
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2. ‘The Princess Bride‘ (1987)

(L to R) Cary Elwes and Robin Wright in ‘The Princess Bride’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.

In this enchantingly cracked fairy tale, the beautiful Princess Buttercup (Robin Wright) and the dashing Westley (Cary Elwes) must overcome staggering odds to find happiness amid six-fingered swordsmen (Christopher Guest), murderous princes (Chris Sarandon), Sicilians (Wallace Shawn) and rodents of unusual size. But even death can’t stop these true lovebirds from triumphing.
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1. ‘A Few Good Men‘ (1992)

Tom Cruise in ‘A Few Good Men’. Photo: Columbia Pictures.

When cocky military lawyer Lt. Daniel Kaffee (Tom Cruise) and his co-counsel, Lt. Cmdr. JoAnne Galloway (Demi Moore), are assigned to a murder case, they uncover a hazing ritual that could implicate high-ranking officials such as shady Col. Nathan Jessep (Jack Nicholson).
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December 15, 2025
Filmmaker Rob Reiner Found Dead at 78
(L to R) Christopher Guest and Rob Reiner in Bleecker Street’s ‘Spinal Tap II: The End Continues’. Credit: Bleecker Street / Kyle Kaplan.

Preview:
- Rob Reiner and his wife Michele, have been found dead at their home.
- Reiner was a noted director and actor.
- His work includes ‘Misery,’ ‘Stand By Me’ and ‘When Harry Met Sally…’
Rob Reiner, the American filmmaker whose humane wit and classical storytelling helped define modern Hollywood comedy and drama, was found dead on Sunday at the age of 78. The cause has not yet been officially revealed.
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Among Reiner’s most enduring credits are ‘This Is Spinal Tap,’ ‘Stand by Me,’ ‘The Princess Bride,’ ‘When Harry Met Sally…,’ ‘Misery,’ and ‘A Few Good Men’ — a body of work remarkable not only for its success, but for its range.

Related Article: Udo Kier, Visionary Actor and Art-House Provocateur, Has Died Aged 81

Rob Reiner: Early life and Beginnings

(L to R) Jean Stapleton, Rob Reiner, Carroll O’Connor and Sally Struthers in ‘All in the Family’. Photo: Sony Pictures Television,

Born March 6, 1947, in New York City, Reiner was raised inside the machinery of American entertainment. The son of comedy legend Carl Reiner and actress Estelle Reiner, he grew up absorbing the rhythms of humor, performance, and timing almost by osmosis.

He first became a household name as an actor, playing the opinionated, self-assured Mike “Meathead” Stivic on ‘All in the Family.’ The role made him a cultural lightning rod in the 1970s — but behind the scenes, Reiner was already preparing for a different kind of authorship.

Rob Reiner: Films and Creative Reach

(L to R) Kathy Bates and James Caan in director Rob Reiner’s ‘Misery’. Photo: Columbia Pictures.

Reiner’s directorial debut, ‘This Is Spinal Tap,’ announced a filmmaker with a rare gift for satire — one sharp enough to skewer ego and absurdity without cruelty. What followed was one of the most astonishing runs in modern American cinema.

With ‘Stand by Me,’ he captured childhood with aching tenderness. ‘The Princess Bride’ became a timeless fairy tale, balancing irony and sincerity with effortless grace. ‘When Harry Met Sally…’ redefined the romantic comedy, pairing adult intelligence with emotional vulnerability.

Reiner refused to be boxed into a single genre. He pivoted to psychological horror with Misery, courtroom drama with ‘A Few Good Men,’ and political movies like ‘The American President,’ each time bringing a classical sense of structure and character-driven storytelling.

Reiner also continued to act through his directing career, showing up in movies such as ‘Sleepless in Seattle’ and a wide variety of TV series including ‘The Bear,’ ‘30 Rock’ and ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm.’

Rob Reiner: Voice and Values

(L to R) Rob Reiner and Christopher Guest in ‘This Is Spinal Tap.’ Photo: Embassy Pictures.

Beyond filmmaking, Reiner has remained an outspoken civic presence, unafraid to align his art with his convictions. His work often grapples with power, responsibility, and the cost of silence — themes that echo his own engagement with social and political discourse.

He has also been a tireless advocate for creative collaboration, frequently crediting writers, actors, and crew as equal architects of his films’ success. In an industry increasingly dominated by spectacle, Reiner’s reverence for story has only grown more pronounced.

Rob Reiner: Legacy

Jack Nicholson in director Rob Reiner’s ‘A Few Good Men.’ Photo: Columbia Pictures.

Rob Reiner’s legacy is not defined by a single masterpiece but by an extraordinary consistency of craft. Few directors have moved so fluidly between comedy, romance, horror, and drama — fewer still have done so while leaving behind films that feel deeply personal and universally beloved.

Reiner was found dead at home alongside his wife, Michele. The couple is survived by their children, Jake, Nick and Romy.

(L to R) Christopher Guest and Rob Reiner in Bleecker Street’s ‘Spinal Tap II: The End Continues’. Credit: Bleecker Street / Kyle Kaplan.

Movies and TV Featuring or Directed by Rob Reiner:
- ‘All in the Family’ (1971)
- ‘This Is Spinal Tap’ (1984)
- ‘The Sure Thing’ (1985)
- ‘Stand By Me’ (1986)
- ‘The Princess Bride’ (1987)
- ‘When Harry Met Sally…’ (1989)
- ‘Misery’ (1990)
- ‘A Few Good Men’ (1992)
- ‘The American President’ (1995)
- ‘The Story of Us’ (1999)
- ‘Rumor Has It…’ (2005)
- ‘The Bucket List’ (2007)
- ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ (2013)
- ‘And So it Goes’ (2014)
- ‘LBJ’ (2016)
- ‘Spinal Tap II: The End Continues’ (2025)
Buy Rob Reiner Movies & TV on Amazon
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December 14, 2025
Best Tom Cruise Movies

Tom Cruise on the set of ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’. Photo: Paramount Pictures and Skydance.

Tom Cruise is possibly the greatest movie star in cinematic history!

The popular actor has appeared in such box office hits as ‘Top Gun,’ its recent sequel ‘Top Gun: Maverick,’ ‘Collateral,’ ‘Tropic Thunder,’ ‘Minority Report‘ and the ‘Mission: Impossible‘ franchise, as well Oscar-nominated movies like ‘Rain Man,’ ‘The Color of Money,’ ‘Born on the Fourth of July,’ ‘A Few Good Men,’ ‘Magnolia,’ and ‘Jerry Maguire.’

The (possibly) final chapter of his ‘Mission: Impossible’ series, entitled ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning‘, opens in theaters on May 23rd and in honor of the new release, Moviefone is counting down the 35 best movies of Tom Cruise’s career, including his latest!

Let’s begin!

35. ‘Cocktail‘ (1988)

(L to R) Tom Cruise and Bryan Brown in ‘Cocktail’. Photo: Buena Vista Pictures Distribution.

After being discharged from the Army, Brian Flanagan (Cruise) moves back to Queens and takes a job in a bar run by Doug Coughlin (Bryan Brown), who teaches Brian the fine art of bar-tending. Brian quickly becomes a patron favorite with his flashy drink-mixing style, and Brian adopts his mentor’s cynical philosophy on life and goes for the money.
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34. ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One‘ (2023)

In ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One,’ Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and his IMF team embark on their most dangerous mission yet: To track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens all of humanity before it falls into the wrong hands. With control of the future and the fate of the world at stake, and dark forces from Ethan’s past closing in, a deadly race around the globe begins. Confronted by a mysterious, all-powerful enemy, Ethan is forced to consider that nothing can matter more than his mission – not even the lives of those he cares about most.
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33. ‘Valkyrie‘ (2008)

Wounded in Africa during World War II, Nazi Col. Claus von Stauffenberg (Cruise) returns to his native Germany and joins the Resistance in a daring plan to create a shadow government and assassinate Adolf Hitler. When events unfold so that he becomes a central player, he finds himself tasked with both leading the coup and personally killing the Führer.
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32. ‘Taps‘ (1981)

Military cadets (Timothy Hutton, Sean Penn, Cruise) take extreme measures to ensure the future of their academy when its existence is threatened by local condo developers.
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31. ‘The Last Samurai‘ (2003)

Nathan Algren (Cruise) is an American hired to instruct the Japanese army in the ways of modern warfare, which finds him learning to respect the samurai and the honorable principles that rule them. Pressed to destroy the samurai’s way of life in the name of modernization and open trade, Algren decides to become an ultimate warrior himself and to fight for their right to exist.
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30. ‘Vanilla Sky‘ (2001)

Tom Cruise in ‘Vanilla Sky.’ Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures.

David Aames (Cruise) has it all: wealth, good looks and gorgeous women on his arm. But just as he begins falling for the warmhearted Sofia (Penélope Cruz), his face is horribly disfigured in a car accident. That’s just the beginning of his troubles as the lines between illusion and reality, between life and death, are blurred.
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29. ‘The Outsiders‘ (1983)

When two poor Greasers, Johnny (Ralph Macchio) and Ponyboy (C. Thomas Howell), are assaulted by a vicious gang, the Socs, and Johnny kills one of the attackers, tension begins to mount between the two rival gangs, setting off a turbulent chain of events.
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28. ‘American Made‘ (2017)

The true story of pilot Barry Seal (Cruise), who transported contraband for the CIA and the Medellin cartel in the 1980s.
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27. ‘Far and Away‘ (1992)

A young man (Cruise) leaves Ireland with his landlord’s daughter (Nicole Kidman) after some trouble with her father (Robert Prosky), and they dream of owning land at the big giveaway in Oklahoma ca. 1893. When they get to the new land, they find jobs and begin saving money. The man becomes a local barehands boxer, and rides in glory until he is beaten, then his employers steal all the couple’s money and they must fight off starvation in the winter, and try to keep their dream of owning land alive. Meanwhile, the woman’s parents find out where she has gone and have come to America to find her and take her back.
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26. ‘Knight and Day‘ (2010)

A fugitive (Cruise and Cameron Diaz) couple goes on a glamorous and sometimes deadly adventure where nothing and no one – even themselves – are what they seem. Amid shifting alliances and unexpected betrayals, they race across the globe, with their survival ultimately hinging on the battle of truth vs. trust.
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25. ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning‘ (2025)

(L to R) Tom Cruise plays Ethan Hunt, Greg Tarzan Davis plays Degas, Simon Pegg plays Benji Dunn and Hayley Atwell plays Grace in ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance. Photo: Paramount Pictures.

Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and the IMF team continue their search for the terrifying AI known as the Entity — which has infiltrated intelligence networks all over the globe — with the world’s governments and a mysterious ghost from Ethan’s past on their trail. Joined by new allies and armed with the means to shut the Entity down for good, Hunt is in a race against time to prevent the world as we know it from changing forever.
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24. ‘Oblivion‘ (2013)

Jack Harper (Cruise) is one of the last few drone repairmen stationed on Earth. Part of a massive operation to extract vital resources after decades of war with a terrifying threat known as the Scavs, Jack’s mission is nearly complete. His existence is brought crashing down when he rescues a beautiful stranger (Olga Kurylenko) from a downed spacecraft. Her arrival triggers a chain of events that forces him to question everything he knows and puts the fate of humanity in his hands.
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23. ‘Eyes Wide Shut‘ (1999)

After Dr. Bill Harford’s wife, Alice (Nicole Kidman), admits to having sexual fantasies about a man she met, Bill (Cruise) becomes obsessed with having a sexual encounter. He discovers an underground sexual group and attends one of their meetings — and quickly discovers that he is in over his head.
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22. ‘The Color of Money‘ (1986)

Former pool hustler “Fast Eddie” Felson (Paul Newman) decides he wants to return to the game by taking a pupil. He meets talented but green Vincent Lauria (Cruise) and proposes a partnership. As they tour pool halls, Eddie teaches Vincent the tricks of scamming, but he eventually grows frustrated with Vincent’s showboat antics, leading to an argument and a falling-out. Eddie takes up playing again and soon crosses paths with Vincent as an opponent.
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21. ‘Mission: Impossible‘ (1996)

When Ethan Hunt (Cruise), the leader of a crack espionage team whose perilous operation has gone awry with no explanation, discovers that a mole has penetrated the CIA, he’s surprised to learn that he’s the No. 1 suspect. To clear his name, Hunt now must ferret out the real double agent and, in the process, even the score.
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20. ‘Jack Reacher‘ (2012)

Tom Cruise in ‘Jack Reacher.’ Photo: Paramount Pictures.

When a gunman takes five lives with six shots, all evidence points to the suspect in custody. On interrogation, the suspect offers up a single note: “Get Jack Reacher!” So begins an extraordinary chase for the truth, pitting Jack Reacher (Cruise) against an unexpected enemy, with a skill for violence and a secret to keep.
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19. ‘Mission: Impossible III‘ (2006)

Retired from active duty to train new IMF agents, Ethan Hunt (Cruise) is called back into action to confront sadistic arms dealer, Owen Davian (Phillip Seymour Hoffman). Hunt must try to protect his girlfriend while working with his new team to complete the mission.
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18. ‘Magnolia‘ (1999)

An epic mosaic of many interrelated characters in search of happiness, forgiveness, and meaning in the San Fernando Valley.
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17. ‘The Firm‘ (1993)

Mitch McDeere (Cruise) is a young man with a promising future in Law. About to sit his Bar exam, he is approached by ‘The Firm’ and made an offer he doesn’t refuse. Seduced by the money and gifts showered on him, he is totally oblivious to the more sinister side of his company. Then, two Associates are murdered. The FBI contact him, asking him for information and suddenly his life is ruined. He has a choice – work with the FBI, or stay with the Firm. Either way he will lose his life as he knows it. Mitch figures the only way out is to follow his own plan…
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16. ‘Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol‘ (2011)

Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and his team are racing against time to track down a dangerous terrorist named Hendricks (Michael Nyqvist), who has gained access to Russian nuclear launch codes and is planning a strike on the United States. An attempt to stop him ends in an explosion causing severe destruction to the Kremlin and the IMF to be implicated in the bombing, forcing the President to disavow them. No longer being aided by the government, Ethan and his team chase Hendricks around the globe, although they might still be too late to stop a disaster.
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15. ‘Interview with the Vampire‘ (1994)

(L to R) Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt in ‘Interview with the Vampire.’ Photo: Warner Bros.

A vampire (Cruise) relates his epic life story of love, betrayal, loneliness, and dark hunger to an over-curious reporter.
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14. ‘Born on the Fourth of July‘ (1989)

The biography of Ron Kovic (Cruise). Paralyzed in the Vietnam war, he becomes an anti-war and pro-human rights political activist after feeling betrayed by the country he fought for.
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13. ‘Days of Thunder‘ (1990)

Talented but unproven stock car driver Cole Trickle (Cruise) gets a break and with the guidance of veteran Harry Hogge (Robert Duvall) turns heads on the track. The young hotshot develops a rivalry with a fellow racer (Michael Rooker) that threatens his career when the two smash their cars. But with the help of his doctor (Nicole Kidman), Cole just might overcome his injuries– and his fear.
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12. ‘Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation‘ (2015)

Ethan (Cruise) and team take on their most impossible mission yet—eradicating ‘The Syndicate’, an International and highly-skilled rogue organization committed to destroying the IMF.
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11. ‘Risky Business‘ (1983)

Meet Joel Goodson (Cruise), an industrious, college-bound 17-year-old and a responsible, trustworthy son. However, when his parents go away and leave him home alone in the wealthy Chicago suburbs with the Porsche at his disposal he quickly decides he has been good for too long and it is time to enjoy himself. After an unfortunate incident with the Porsche Joel must raise some cash, in a risky way.
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10. ‘Top Gun: Maverick‘ (2022)

Tom Cruise plays Capt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ from Paramount Pictures, Skydance and Jerry Bruckheimer Films.

After more than thirty years of service as one of the Navy’s top aviators, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Cruise) is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him. When he finds himself training a detachment of TOPGUN graduates for a specialized mission the likes of which no living pilot has ever seen, Maverick encounters Lt. Bradley Bradshaw (Miles Teller), call sign: “Rooster,” the son of Maverick’s late friend and Radar Intercept Officer Lt. Nick Bradshaw, aka “Goose.” Facing an uncertain future and confronting the ghosts of his past, Maverick is drawn into a confrontation with his own deepest fears, culminating in a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those who will be chosen to fly it.
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9. ‘Rain Man‘ (1988)

When car dealer Charlie Babbitt (Cruise) learns that his estranged father has died, he returns home to Cincinnati, where he discovers that he has a savant older brother named Raymond (Dustin Hoffman) and that his father’s $3 million fortune is being left to the mental institution in which Raymond lives. Motivated by his father’s money, Charlie checks Raymond out of the facility in order to return with him to Los Angeles. The brothers’ cross-country trip ends up changing both their lives.
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8. ‘Jerry Maguire‘ (1996)

Jerry Maguire (Cruise) used to be a typical sports agent: willing to do just about anything he could to get the biggest possible contracts for his clients, plus a nice commission for himself. Then, one day, he suddenly has second thoughts about what he’s really doing. When he voices these doubts, he ends up losing his job and all of his clients, save Rod Tidwell (Cuba Gooding Jr.), an egomaniacal football player.
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7. ‘Collateral‘ (2004)

Cab driver Max (Jamie Foxx) picks up a man (Cruise) who offers him $600 to drive him around. But the promise of easy money sours when Max realizes his fare is an assassin.
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6. ‘Tropic Thunder‘ (2008)

Ben Stiller, Jack Black and Robert Downey Jr. lead an ensemble cast in ‘Tropic Thunder,’ an action comedy about a group of self-absorbed actors who set out to make the most expensive war film. After ballooning costs force the studio to cancel the movie, the frustrated director refuses to stop shooting, leading his cast into the jungles of Southeast Asia, where they encounter real bad guys.
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5. ‘Minority Report‘ (2002)

Tom Cruise in ‘Minority Report.’ Photo: Paramount Pictures.

John Anderton (Cruise) is a top ‘Precrime’ cop in the late-21st century, when technology can predict crimes before they’re committed. But Anderton becomes the quarry when another investigator (Colin Farrell) targets him for a murder charge.
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4. ‘Edge of Tomorrow‘ (2014)

Major Bill Cage (Cruise) is an officer who has never seen a day of combat when he is unceremoniously demoted and dropped into combat. Cage is killed within minutes, managing to take an alpha alien down with him. He awakens back at the beginning of the same day and is forced to fight and die again… and again – as physical contact with the alien has thrown him into a time loop.
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3. ‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout‘ (2018)

When an IMF mission ends badly, the world is faced with dire consequences. As Ethan Hunt (Cruise) takes it upon himself to fulfill his original briefing, the CIA begin to question his loyalty and his motives. The IMF team find themselves in a race against time, hunted by assassins while trying to prevent a global catastrophe.
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2. ‘A Few Good Men‘ (1992)

When cocky military lawyer Lt. Daniel Kaffee (Cruise) and his co-counsel, Lt. Cmdr. JoAnne Galloway (Demi Moore), are assigned to a murder case, they uncover a hazing ritual that could implicate high-ranking officials such as shady Col. Nathan Jessep (Jack Nicholson).
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1. ‘Top Gun‘ (1986)

Tom Cruise in ‘Top Gun.’ Photo: Paramount Pictures.

For Lieutenant Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell (Cruise) and his friend and co-pilot Nick ‘Goose’ Bradshaw (Anthony Edwards), being accepted into an elite training school for fighter pilots is a dream come true. But a tragedy, as well as personal demons, will threaten Pete’s dreams of becoming an ace pilot.
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May 26, 2025
‘At the Gates’ Exclusive Interview: Noah Wyle
Noah Wyle in a scene from ‘At The Gates,’ written, directed, and produced by Augustus Meleo Bernstein. Copyright: Beacon Pictures 2022.

Opening in theaters in Los Angeles on November 3rd and New York theaters on November 10th is the new thriller ‘At the Gates,’ which was written and directed by first time feature filmmaker Augustus Meleo Bernstein, and stars Miranda Otto (‘The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King’) and Noah Wyle (‘A Few Good Men’).

Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Noah Wyle about his work on ‘At the Gates,’ his first reaction to the screenplay, collaborating with director Augustus Meleo Bernstein, the rehearsal process, his character’s marriage, working with Miranda Otto and the rest of the cast, the benefits of shooting on one set, and making a movie with an important message, as well as looking back at his work on the classic ‘A Few Good Men’ and his best Jack Nicholson story.

Noah Wyle in a scene from ‘At The Gates,’ written, directed, and produced by Augustus Meleo Bernstein. Copyright: Beacon Pictures 2022.

Moviefone: To begin with, what was your first reaction to Augustus Meleo Bernstein’s screenplay and what were some of the themes that you were excited to explore as an actor?

Noah Wyle: Well, it was a classic page turner. I didn’t know where it was going or where these characters were coming from for the longest time. I thought, “Oh, I hope this doesn’t fall apart or crash like some sad souffle in the end because he’s setting a really wonderful table here.” Then it just stayed consistent all the way throughout. I thought, “Well, very sophisticated script. I wonder if he’s as good of a filmmaker as his script needs the film to be.” When I met him, I was so impressed by his thoughtfulness, his attention to detail, and his filmic nature. Very quickly I realized he was somebody I could put all my trust into and have a lovely collaborative experience with.

MF: I understand that Augustus arranged a rehearsal period for the actors before shooting and that some of the improvisations from those rehearsals ended up in the final film. What was it like for you to work in that way?

NW: Well, rehearsal is usually the first thing that gets cut for budgetary purposes. So just to get a rehearsal day was a luxury that is very rarely afforded, and it’s such a necessity. If you really want to do good work, you must rehearse. So, it’s such shortsighted thinking to think that that’s a place to save (money) because ultimately, you’re going to ask all these questions on set and these are all going to be time-consuming questions, and you’re going to watch your day go down the drain, and you’re going to really wish you had worked this stuff out prior. So, Augustus either intuitively knew that or just thought because the script was written with sparsity, we needed to flesh these characters out with three-dimensionality, and these relationships needed to have history and weight to them, where I haven’t written it, but we need to feel it. So those improvisations were great to get at the essence of what the scenes were about from Peter’s perspective, and from his wife’s perspective. How we would deal with this if this were attacking our life. So, it was very one-to-one work, right? Because you’re going on an instinctual level and then Augie recorded it. So, a lot of those things that came up that were visceral reactions for both Miranda and I and became text in the dialogue that we played. So, it felt very organic to work that way, and it was a seamless way to create that three-dimensionality. So, I thought it was great.

(L to R) Noah Wyle and director/writer/producer Augustus Meleo Bernstein on the set of ‘At The Gates.’ Copyright Beacon Pictures 2022.

MF: What was your experience like working with director Augustus Meleo Bernstein and as an actor, what are you looking for from a director on set?

NW: He’s a rare breed. It’s very rare that you meet a writer/director who’s also an excellent communicator and can tell you the picture that they see so clearly in their head in words that are playable as an actor. If they are good at articulating it, then they’re usually very dictatorial about getting exactly what they want. Augustus was just the opposite. He was really collegiate and collaborative, and wanted to hear all of our ideas, and gave us the illusion that he was looking around for the best idea when in fact he was looking around for different pieces to be utilized in his overall idea, which just denotes a lot more experience than he’s had and makes them that much more impressive. Specificity is the key for me. There was a moment early in the process where we went in to shoot some still photographs to have around the house as set dressing, some family photos, and the way that Augustus directed us to pose for those photos that were going to be basically props were so specific. I thought, “This guy, I can trust this guy. He’s not going to let one moment go by. He’s not going to miss an opportunity to find drama if he wants these pictures to have a certain look and feel so that if the camera goes past them, we’ll get it.” I love that.

MF: Can you talk about Peter and Marianne’s marriage, and what it was like working on that relationship with Miranda Otto?

NW: Well, I backed into Peter. It was interesting. I’ve done a couple of interviews with Ezekiel Pacheco. We’ve talked about his character and my character. It’s for the first time I’m able to see the cross trajectories of our arcs in terms of testosterone and machismo. His character is coming into his own as a man and being increasingly assertive and taking more of a stake of ownership and authorship to his destiny as the movie goes on. Whereas we watch Peter do the exact opposite. He is feeling like he’s losing credibility, he’s losing relevance, he’s losing power, and he’s losing control. He’s on the reactive side of circumstances completely and is trying to get ahead of the narrative. These two men meet at this really critical juncture, and it fuels these scenes and these dynamics because you’re watching a culture clash. They’re from totally different lives that have nothing to do with each other, nothing in common, and must find out some commonality. I found that exciting. So, to answer your question, Peter’s fear and Peter’s cowardice were two very defining characteristics, two aspects that you never want to show your wife. So that is where it starts. It starts with knowing that everything I say is going to be a lie because I can’t tell you the truth about how I feel because you’re not strong enough to handle my truth. Then she’s coming at it from the exact same standpoint, and intimate scenes become power plays always because everybody’s got a secret that they’re not willing to share. That makes these scenes really loaded, fun, multi-leveled and engaging.

Related Article: Teresa Palmer and Miranda Otto Talk New Hulu Series ‘The Clearing’

(L to R) Miranda Otto and Noah Wyle in a scene from ‘At The Gates,’ Written, Directed, and produced by Augustus Meleo Bernstein. Copyright: Beacon Pictures 2022.

MF: Can you talk about the mistrust that builds between Peter and Nico, and what it was like for you working with young actor Ezekiel Pacheco?

NW: Well, this film really plays with perception. On the surface, you’re looking at the classic affluent American family, mother, father, son, daughter, beautiful house, and beautiful life. Then as the film progresses, you peak and you peel away at that veneer and realize, “Oh no, there’s all sorts of pathology going on here, and these people aren’t connecting at all. What I’m looking at is people that are projecting an image of what they wish were true that is really not quite tied to reality.” Similarly, you get the same parallel storyline on Nico’s side where you look at a mother and son domestic workers, and immediately you want to ascribe all sorts of superficial judgments to that relationship and to those people. As the film progresses, you realize, “Oh no, these people were fleeing absolute terror. They’re incredibly intelligent, they’re incredibly forward thinking and ambitious,” and all those things that you wouldn’t necessarily see at a first glance. So, my hope is that people come away from watching the movie and going, “Wow. When I think about the immigration issue and concept, I think of it as a very black and white issue, and now I’m being faced with all sorts of gradations of gray and complexity that I never would’ve thought about.”

MF: As an actor, is it nice being in a project that is entertaining but also has an important mention about the world we live in?

NW: It’s especially gratifying when it’s a bit of a Trojan horse where you don’t really see it coming. You bought a ticket for one movie, and you get a little bit extra, and it doesn’t feel polemical or like a diatribe. There’s no real political message that’s being shoved down your throat. It’s very presentational, but you come away with a little bit of an education you didn’t get before because you thought you were just going to be seeing a thriller.

(L to R) Noah Wyle, Vanessa Benavente, Ezekiel Pacheco, Sadie Stanley and Miranda Otto on the set of ‘At The Gates,’ written, directed, and produced by Augustus Meleo Bernstein. Copyright: Beacon Pictures 2022.

MF: Because all the characters are forced to live under one roof during the movie, there is a feeling of claustrophobia that sets in. Since you were shooting on primarily one set, did that sense of claustrophobia become real for you as an actor?

NW: Totally. Well, this film was made for under a million dollars, which you don’t really want to call attention to because the film stands alone without having to bear in mind that it was made from very little money. But I do think it’s important to recognize that this was out of necessity. It found its style and its tone. I remember seeing ‘La La Land’ and thinking, “I don’t like it very much.” Then I found out what it was made for, and I had to grade it on a whole other criterion because if it had been made for a hundred million dollars, it’s not a great Hollywood musical, but knowing what it was made for, it’s an incredibly impressive piece of work. Similarly, here where there’s a lot of stuff on the screen in this movie that is cool, and it’s even cooler to know how it was made by very young people with very little money who just had a clear idea of what they wanted to accomplish. To answer your question about the house, yes, it’s very claustrophobic because we couldn’t get any of the rooms that we were shooting in dirty. So, we all had to wear booties on our feet, and we couldn’t go in certain places because the house was a character and the house needed to be always in pristine shape. So, you always felt like you were limited to a chair that you were sitting in when you weren’t working, and then you were limited to your play space when you were working and then back to your chair when you weren’t working. So, it did feel very claustrophobic.

Noah Wyle in director Rob Reiner’s ‘A Few Good Men.’ Photo: Columbia Pictures.

MF: Finally, last year marked the 30th anniversary of ‘A Few Good Men,’ which was one of your first feature films. What are your memories of working on that movie and being a part of that film’s legacy?

NW: Only positive. I’ve become good friends subsequently with Kevin Pollak, and we did remark with each other that it’s been 30 years since we played those courtroom scenes, and that movie still holds up great. So, a friend of mine watched it on an airplane recently and said they still enjoyed it all the way through. That was one of the great jobs for me because I was such a relative newcomer on a very impressive cast list. I was driving the Jeep with Tom Cruise, Demi Moore and Kevin Pollak, and there’s Kevin Bacon and Jack Nicholson. I mean, everybody’s in that movie. I just wanted to come in and not make anybody notice that I was there. I just wanted to come in, do my job, and have them just be part of the fabric. It was good. I was happy on that one.

MF: Were you ever on set at the same time as Jack Nicholson? Do you have a good Nicholson story?

NW: The only time I was ever on set with Jack Nicholson, he walked past me, and I don’t think he would mind me sharing this anecdote. All I ever heard him say out loud was, “Anybody mind if I have a left-handed cigarette?” He then lit up a joint right there on the soundstage. This is in 1992, back when you weren’t allowed to smoke joints anywhere in California, let alone on a soundstage. I remember just going like, “Oh, you can do that?”

Jack Nicholson in director Rob Reiner’s ‘A Few Good Men.’ Photo: Columbia Pictures.
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What is the plot of ‘At the Gates’?

Ana (Vanessa Benavente), a housekeeper from El Salvador, brings her teenage son Nico (Ezekiel Pacheco) to help her clean an affluent family’s Los Angeles home. But after being told by her employers, Marianne (Miranda Otto) and Peter Barris (Noah Wyle), that immigration officers are searching for her, she accepts the invitation to shelter in their house until the crisis blows over. As days go by and the interactions between the two families become increasingly tense, Nico begins to question their hosts’ true intentions.

Who is in the cast of ‘At the Gates’?
- Ezekiel Pacheco (‘Grey’s Anatomy’) as Nico Ibarra
- Vanessa Benavente (‘The Chosen’) as Ana Ibarra
- Miranda Otto (‘War of the Worlds‘) as Marianne Barris
- Noah Wyle (‘Donnie Darko‘) as Peter Barris
- Sadie Stanley (‘Somewhere in Queens‘) as Lauren Barris
- Jack Eyman (‘Asteroid City‘) as Oliver Barris
(L to R) Noah Wyle, Sadie Stanley and Jake Eyman in a scene from ‘At The Gates,’ written, directed, and produced by Augustus Meleo Bernstein. Copyright: Beacon Pictures 2022.

Other Noah Wyle Movies:
- ‘Crooked Hearts‘ (1991)
- ‘A Few Good Men‘ (1992)
- ‘Swing Kids‘ (1993)
- ‘The Myth of Fingerprints‘ (1997)
- ‘Pirates of Silicon Valley‘ (1999)
- ‘Donnie Darko‘ (2001)
- ‘Scenes of the Crime‘ (2002)
- ‘Enough‘ (2002)
- ‘White Oleander‘ (2002)
- ‘Nothing But the Truth‘ (2008)
- ‘An American Affair‘ (2009)
- ‘W.‘ (2008)
- ‘Snake & Mongoose‘ (2013)
- ‘Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House‘ (2017)
- ‘Shot‘ (2017)
Buy Noah Wyle Movies on Amazon
November 3, 2023
Best Movies Celebrating Their 30th Anniversary

Francis Ford Coppola‘s Oscar-winning classic ‘The Godfather‘ celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. That made us think, what other films are celebrating anniversaries this year?

In this 4-part series we will take a look at the best movies celebrating their 40th, 30th, 20th, and 10th anniversaries this year.

Now that we’ve gone through the 40th anniversaries, its time to countdown the best movies that were released in 1992 and are celebrating their 30th anniversaries.

Let’s begin!

10. Honey, I Blew Up the Kid (1992)

Wayne Szalinski (Rick Moranis) is at it again. But instead of shrinking things, he tries to make a machine that can make things grow. As in the first one, his machine isn’t quite accurate. But when he brings Nick (Robert Oliveri) & his toddler son Adam to see his invention, the machine unexpectedly starts working. And when Adam comes right up to the machine, he gets zapped along with his stuffed bunny.
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9. Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992)

Blonde, bouncy Buffy (Kristy Swanson) is your typical high school cheerleader. But all that changes when a strange man informs her she’s been chosen by fate to kill vampires.
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8. Sneakers (1992)

When shadowy U.S. intelligence agents blackmail a reformed computer hacker (Robert Redford) and his eccentric team of security experts into stealing a code-breaking ‘black box’ from a Soviet-funded genius (Ben Kingsley), they uncover a bigger conspiracy. Now, he and his ‘sneakers’ must save themselves and the world economy by retrieving the box from their blackmailers.
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7. Aladdin (1992)

Princess Jasmine (Linda Larkin) grows tired of being forced to remain in the palace, so she sneaks out into the marketplace, in disguise, where she meets street-urchin Aladdin (Scott Weinger). The couple falls in love, although Jasmine may only marry a prince. After being thrown in jail, Aladdin becomes embroiled in a plot to find a mysterious lamp with a secret Genie (Robin Williams), which the evil Jafar (Jonathan Freeman) hopes to use to rule the land.
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6. A League of Their Own (1992)

Directed by Penny Marshall, as America’s stock of athletic young men is depleted during World War II, a professional all-female baseball league springs up in the Midwest, funded by publicity-hungry candy maker Walter Harvey (Garry Marshall). Competitive sisters Dottie Hinson (Geena Davis) and Kit Keller (Lori Petty) spar with each other, scout Ernie Capadino (Jon Lovitz) and grumpy has-been coach Jimmy Dugan (Tom Hanks) on their way to fame.
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5. Wayne’s World (1992)

Directed by Penelope Spheeris, the movie follows the adventures of two amiably aimless metal-head friends, Wayne (Mike Myers) and Garth (Dana Carvey). From Wayne’s basement, the pair broadcast a talk-show called “Wayne’s World” on local public access television.

The show comes to the attention of a sleazy network executive (Rob Lowe) who wants to produce a big-budget version of “Wayne’s World”—and he also wants Wayne’s girlfriend, a rock singer named Cassandra (Tia Carrere). Wayne and Garth have to battle the executive not only to save their show, but also Cassandra.
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4. The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

A “Muppet” retelling of the classic Dickens tale of Ebenezer Scrooge (Michael Caine), miser extraordinaire. He is held accountable for his dastardly ways during night-time visitations by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future.
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3. Batman Returns (1992)

Directed by Tim Burton, while Batman (Michael Keaton) deals with a deformed man calling himself the Penguin (Danny DeVito), an employee of a corrupt businessman transforms into the Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer).
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2. Reservoir Dogs (1992)

Directed by Quentin Tarantino, a botched robbery indicates a police informant, and the pressure mounts in the aftermath at a warehouse. Crime begets violence as the survivors — veteran Mr. White (Harvey Keitel), newcomer Mr. Orange (Tim Roth), psychopathic parolee Mr. Blonde (Michael Madsen), bickering weasel Mr. Pink (Steve Buscemi) and Nice Guy Eddie (Chris Penn ) — unravel.
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1. A Few Good Men (1992)

Directed by Rob Reiner, when cocky military lawyer Lt. Daniel Kaffee (Tom Cruise) and his co-counsel, Lt. Cmdr. JoAnne Galloway (Demi Moore), are assigned to a murder case, they uncover a hazing ritual that could implicate high-ranking officials such as shady Col. Nathan Jessep (Jack Nicolson).
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May 1, 2022
11 Great Jack Nicholson Roles From His Illustrious Career

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April 22, 2019
21 Things You Never Knew About ‘A Few Good Men’

This week marks the 25th anniversary of the release of “A Few Good Men.”

Landing in theaters on December 13, 1992, the military courtroom drama became director Rob Reiner‘s biggest hit, put future Oscar-winner Aaron Sorkin on the map as a screenwriter, gave Tom Cruise one of his most memorable and best roles, and gifted Jack Nicholson with the most unforgettable line of his career.

Still, as often as you’ve watched Cruise and Demi Moore face off in court against Nicholson, there’s a lot you may not know about “A Few Good Men,” including the real-life story behind it, the script’s journey from cocktail napkins to the screen, or the time Kevin Pollak‘s mom hit on Nicholson while he was trying to play his courtroom scene.
1. The story is based on a real-life 1986 incident at Guantanamo Bay, one that is very much like the “code red” hazing depicted in the film. As in the movie, the victim was a Marine named Willie who had snitched about a fence-line shooting into Cuban territory. There, his fellow Marines, acting on orders, gagged him until his lungs filled with fluid. Unlike in the film, Willie survived the code red, thanks to treatment at six different hospitals.

2. Sorkin, then an aspiring playwright, learned of the incident from his sister Deborah, then a recent law school grad, who served in the Navy’s Judge Advocate General Corps, on the team defending the accused Marines. Her story became the basis for his first play.
3. Sorkin wrote much of “A Few Good Men” on cocktail napkins while serving as a bartender at Broadway’s Palace Theater, scribbling lines while patrons sat through the first act of “La Cage Aux Folles.” He and his roommates pooled their resources to buy an early Macintosh desktop with 512K of memory, where he’d type up his napkin work and revise it.

4. Eventually, he had a play, which his agent sold to producer David Brown, who bought the film rights even before the show was mounted on Broadway, with Tom Hulce in the lead. The drama opened in 1989 and ran for more than a year.
5. Reiner (above) was drawn to the story because he identified with protagonist Lt. Daniel Kaffee, a Navy lawyer trying to live up to the example set by his legal-giant father. Reiner had spent the first two decades of his career toiling in the shadow of his comedy-legend dad, sitcom star as a serious filmmaker striking out on his own.

6. Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson may have been obvious choices to play the two main adversaries, but other roles were harder to cast. Linda Hamilton and Jodie Foster were both up for the role of Kaffee’s colleague, Lt. Cdr. JoAnne Galloway, before Demi Moore won the part. Moore, who was eight months pregnant when she auditioned, wanted the role because it was “genderless” and even agreed to play Galloway for just $2 million, well below her fee at the time.
7. For fellow lawyer Lt. Sam Weinberg, the filmmakers first thought of Seinfeld,” was renewed for a second season, Alexander became unavailable, so the role went to comedian and impressionist Pollak.

8. Reiner had a certain look in mind for an actor to play the honor-bound lead Marine defendant, Lance Cpl. Harold Dawson. He realized that the man who looked like what he wanted was right under his nose, in the person of Wolfgang Bodison, a former Castle Rock mail boy who had become Reiner’s personal assistant and a Castle Rock location scout. He’d never acted before, but Reiner auditioned him and cast him in his film debut alongside the likes of Cruise, Moore, and Nicholson.
9. Sorkin said he enjoyed working for Reiner, even though the director ordered him to make countless, rigorous revisions of his screenplay. One major revision: unlike in the play, where a doctored logbook is the smoking gun that gives Kaffee the break he needs, Reiner insisted that Cruise’s Kaffee win the case on courtroom skills alone.

10. Some of the revisions were rumored to have been written by William Goldman, the screenwriter behind Reiner’s “The Princess Bride” and “Misery.” Sorkin reportedly liked some of the changes so much that he incorporated them into later editions of the play.
11. Sorkin hated, however, the revision requests he got from the studio. One asked why Galloway had to be a woman if she was never going to sleep with Kaffee. Sorkin’s reply: “Women have purposes other than to sleep with Tom Cruise.” Sorkin did write one draft, however, that ended with Kaffee asking Galloway out on a date after the trial ends, but overall, he cited his dealings with Columbia on “A Few Good Men” as his worst experience as a screenwriter.

12. Much of the movie consists of indoor scenes shot on a Columbia soundstage in Hollywood, but the Washington, D.C. outdoor scenes were filmed on location. The building that plays the JAG Corps headquarters was actually a former psychiatric hospital. Years after the filming, it became the HQ for the Department of Homeland Security.
13. After “24,” it’s easy to think there’s nothing Kiefer Sutherland can’t do, but back in 1992, he still had trouble driving a Jeep. The scene where his Lt. Jonathan Kendrick escorts the Navy lawyers around the Guantanamo base had to be shot several times because Sutherland reportedly kept clipping the Marines playing extras.

14. The Guantanamo Bay barracks scenes were filmed on an Air Force base near Los Angeles.
15. Supporting player Nicholson received $5 million for just 10 days of shooting as Col. Nathan Jessup. Still, he worked hard for his money. He had to deliver his now-famous courtroom speech, at full intensity, as many as 50 times, even when Reiner was just using his performance off-camera to generate reaction shots from the other actors.

16. Pollak was unnerved during that sequence because his mom was on the set, sitting off-camera behind Nicholson and hitting on him. (You can watch Pollak’s hilarious recounting of this anecdote, complete with the comic’s dead-on Nicholson impression, here.)
17. Frequent Sorkin actor Josh Malina, who plays Jessup’s clerk, Tom, is the only actor in the film who was also in the Broadway production. “A Few Good Men” marked his movie debut.

18. Sorkin himself has a cameo, as a lawyer bragging in a bar.
19. “A Few Good Men” cost at least $33 million to make; some sources put the cost as high as $41 million. At least half the budget went toward paying the salaries of the A-list cast and director, before even a foot of film was shot. (Cruise earned a reported $12.5 million. Reiner took home a reported $4 million. Even Sutherland, in a fairly small supporting part, landed a reported $1 million.) The movie earned back $141 million in North America and another $102 million overseas. It remains the biggest career hit for both Reiner and Sorkin.

20. The Academy nominated “A Few Good Men” for four Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Nicholson), Best Editing, and Best Sound Mixing. Somehow — Cruise was not nominated. Which is six different flavors of wrong.
21. The West Wing,” played the Cruise role in a London stage production of “A Few Good Men” in 2005.

December 4, 2017
Alec Baldwin Will Tackle Jack Nicholson Role in ‘A Few Good Men’ Live

“You can’t handle the truth!” Alec Baldwin will utter those immortal words in the upcoming live TV production of “A Few Good Men,” Variety reports.

Jack Nicholson played the intimidating Col. Nathan Jessep in the 1992 military thriller, yelling the quotable threat from the stand at Tom Cruise in a memorable scene. No other actors have yet been cast for the production, which is scheduled to air in 2018.

“Alec Baldwin is the gift that keeps on giving at NBC, and we’re excited to have him starring in Aaron Sorkin‘s towering work as we expand our live theater imprint beyond musicals,” said Robert Greenblatt, Chairman, NBC Entertainment. “No stranger to live television, Alec is the most multi-faceted actor in the world and his range is incomparable. He will put his own inimitable stamp on the role of Col. Jessep in a play that is still as surprising and relevant as ever, from one of the most gifted writers working today.”

Aaron Sorkin, who wrote the original screenplay based on his 1989 Broadway play, raves, “Alec is one of our greatest actors. Having him play this role — live onstage for a television audience — is a dream come true. This will be a brand new take on Nathan Jessep and I expect that Alec is going to bust through TV screens and right into living rooms.” Sorkin will also be writing the teleplay and co-producing the live event.

The 1992 film, which was nominated for four Oscars including Best Picture, co-starred Demi Moore, Kiefer Sutherland, and Cuba Gooding Jr. and is a handy connector for Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon.

July 18, 2017
NBC Making Live Production of ‘A Few Good Men’

You can’t handle the truth? Well, NBC can!

For its next live production, the network is teaming up with Aaron Sorkin to air a version of his stage play and movie in early 2017.

Sorkin made his professional debut writing “A Few Good Men,” which opened on Broadway in 1989. Three years later, it was adapted into a movie starring Tom Cruise, Demi Moore, and Jack Nicholson. The story centers on a military trial, as lawyers defend Marines charged with murder.

“I am thrilled that Aaron Sorkin is coming back to NBC to adapt and produce a live broadcast of his electrifying play ‘A Few Good Men,’ which seems as timely as ever today,” said NBC Entertainment Chairman Robert Greenblatt in a statement.

NBC has found success with its live productions, including “The Sound of Music Live” and “The Wiz Live.” Its next live broadcast will be “Hairspray” this December. Sorkin will team up with Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, the executive producers behind those previous live specials. This will be the network’s first live drama production.

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March 30, 2016