Daily Dialogue — March 3, 2014

“You can’t handle the truth! [pauses] Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Who’s gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinburg? I have a greater responsibility than you could possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago, and you curse the Marines. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know. That Santiago’s death, while tragic, probably saved lives. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives. You don’t want the truth because deep down in places you don’t talk about at parties, you want me on that wall, you need me on that wall. We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said thank you, and went on your way, Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon, and stand a post. Either way, I don’t give a damn what you think you are entitled to.”

— A Few Good Men (1994), screenplay by Aaron Sorkin, play by Aaron Sorkin

The Daily Dialogue theme for the week: Lecture. Today’s suggestion by @ConnieLeyba.

Trivia: The Aaron Sorkin trademark of showing two characters walking down a hallway toward a moving camera talking sidelong to one another (as seen in The American President (1995), Sports Night (1998) and The West Wing (1999)) originated on this movie. A scene between Kaffee and Ross was written as being set in an office, but Rob Reiner, in an effort to create more action on screen, suggested that it be changed so that they were walking down a hallway.

Dialogue On Dialogue: When is a monologue a lecture? When a wordsmith like Aaron Sorkin gets hold of a key moment and runs with it.

Comment Archive