Writer Aaron Sorkin's inspiration for A Few Good Men came when he was talking to his sister Deborah, who had just graduated law school and signed up for a three-year stint in the U.S. Navy's JAG Corps. He decided that it would be best as a stage play, which he subsequently wrote and which earned rave reviews on and off Broadway.
Sorkin eventually sold the rights to his play to a producer named David Brown for "six-figures." Brown shopped the film to a couple of studios (all of which declined) before asking Castle Rock Entertainment if the company wanted to make the film. Eager to make the film, Castle Rock gave the film a modest budget and started their search for a director, a search which didn't take very long as a member of the studio, producing partner Rob Reiner (the man behind films like Misery, This is Spinal Tap, and The Princess Bride), decided that he was going to direct the film.
Reiner's pedigree ended up attracting big-name stars like Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson, who commented that the $5 million he was paid for the few days of filming he had to do was "one of the few times when it was money well spent."
As virtually all directors aim to do, Reiner wanted to make the film as good and as tense and dramatic as possible -- all while staying true to the play. And he certainly did that, as the film was nominated for four Academy Awards, including: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor for Jack Nicholson, Best Sound, and Best Film Editing.
