Goofs for
A Few Good Men (1992) More at IMDbPro »

• Continuity: When Kaffee meets Galloway for the first time, Kaffee's apple switches hands, and the stain on his shirt disappears.
  
  
• Continuity: Throughout Lt. Kaffee's first meeting with Lt. Commander Galloway, the stain on Kaffee's shirt appears and disappears.
  
  
• Continuity: When Kaffee meets Galloway for the first time, his cap is tucked under his left arm as he enters her office, but then it later switches to under his right arm.
  
  

• Continuity: When Kaffee meets Galloway for the first time, Kaffee's second button from the top is unbuttoned when he first walks in. After he sits down, it is buttoned.
  
  
• Errors in geography: After the first day of testimony, the plot segues to Kaffee's apartment at night by showing a sunset over Washington. However, the shot angle - from the Iwo Jima Memorial looking towards the Washington Monument and the US Capitol - looks to the east and therefore is looking at a sunrise.
  
  
• Continuity: After a day of testimony, Kaffee's briefcase switches hands twice between shots.
  
  
• Continuity: The rear view mirror in Kaffee's car when Markinson is in the back seat.
  
  
• Crew or equipment visible: When Kaffee gets into his car and Markinson is sitting in the back seat, set lights are visible in Markinson's glasses in the close-ups.
  
  
• Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): Lt. Col. Markinson commits suicide with a Beretta M92, 9mm pistol, albeit chrome-plated, a concession to his rank. The US Military has never issued chrome or nickel-plated sidearms to officers. In court later, Lt Kaffee describes the caliber as ".45". The Beretta 92 series is only chambered for 9mm rounds.
  
  
• Anachronisms: In one of the scenes in Kaffee's apartment he is watching a baseball game between the Minnesota Twins and the Baltimore Orioles. The game is won at the end by the Orioles. This actual game took place on June 17, 1991, and was when the Orioles ended the Twins 15 game winning streak during that season, even though the movie was supposed to take place in September of 1992. Another game Kaffee watched on TV between the Atlanta Braves and San Diego Padres, where a home run tied the game at 10, occurred on May 23, 1991, a game San Diego eventually won 11-10 in 12 innings.
  
  
• Continuity: In Kaffee's apartment when Galloway and Weinberg are about to leave, the door is opened twice.
  
  
• Revealing mistakes: In the last courtroom scene, after Col. Jessup has struggled with the Marine in an attempt to get at Kaffee, you can clearly see stage makeup smeared on his shirt collar and tie.
  
  
• Continuity: Col. Jessup's tie after trying to attack Danny and fixing his uniform. (See also Mars Attacks! (1996).)
  
  
• Continuity: When Captain Ross calls McGuire to the stand in the courts-martial, Ross is moving toward the central podium between the counsels' tables. When Ross is giving McGuire the oath, however, he hasn't moved toward the podium at all, but is still behind the table.
  
  
• Continuity: While Kaffee is in his apartment, with Galloway and Weinberg, playing basketball, he throws the ball into the basket, and it does not drop. Then, a minute later, the ball drops twice.
  
  
• Continuity: Jessup lowers his cigar twice between shots without apparently having had time to return it to his mouth as he has dinner with Kaffee et al in Cuba.
  
  
• Continuity: In the bar, Kaffee is holding his beer bottle in his right hand as he leaps up to call Capt. Ross a lousy softball player. However, as he calls out the insult, the beer bottle is now in his left hand.
  
  
• Continuity: After Kaffee has entered a plea for the two marines, Weinberg and Galloway both turn and are facing him. But in the close-up we see Galloway facing forward with only her head turned toward him and then we see her turn again.
  
  
• Continuity: When Weinberg is asking Dawson about shooting at his mirror, his arms are crossed over his chest. Moments later they are by his side, but he does not have enough time to lower them.
  
  
• Continuity: As Kendrick testifies, we often see the back of his head. When Kaffee asks about Dawson's latest report, Kendrick's hair is much longer.
  
  
• Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Galloway confronts the drunk Danny about why he asked for the transfer order from Jessup, on the line where she mentions the Pentagon, what she is saying obviously does not match up with her lips.
  
  
• Continuity: When Lt. Kaffee and Lt. Weinberg go to question PFC Downey and LCpl Dawson there is a camera of some sort mounted on the wall in the corner (visible in the shot in which Kaffee is standing with his back toward the corner). In the next shot of the corner, when Weinberg is in the same position, the equipment has disappeared.
  
  
• Continuity: When they are examining the closet in Santiago's room, Kaffee runs his fingers across the camouflage uniforms in the close-up and they are moved out of place. The next shot shows Kaffee at the closet, but everything in the closet is perfect.
  
  
• Continuity: Kaffee leaves his office after his secretary tells him to say "hi" to Castro, and he and Galloway are talking outside as they walk to his car. He gets out his keys and unlocks the car door, but when he climbs inside the car and closes the door, the window obviously is already rolled down.
  
  
• Factual errors: When Kaffee is looking up recent telephone calls from the Marine base, you can see they're dated 1992. 6 September 1992 (when the crime took place) was on a Sunday not a Friday.
  
  
• Audio/visual unsynchronized: After Jessup says, "I have been promoted up through the chain with greater speed and success than you have," you can see from behind he is still speaking but with no dialog (widescreen version).
  
  
• Continuity: The night before the first day of trial Kaffee opens the door to let Weinberg and Galloway out of his apartment. As they walk to the door Weinberg opens the door again, but it had already been opened.
  
  
• Continuity: When Lt. Col. Markinson is dressing in his uniform prior to his suicide, he inserts the end of the belt into the belt loop without going under the left side of the buckle. In the mirror though, the belt is under the left side of the buckle.
  
  
• Factual errors: The doctor testifies that "lactic acidosis occurs when the body burns sugar instead of oxygen". The body always metabolizes sugar, but in the absence of oxygen, lactic acid builds up as a waste product and is toxic (=lactic acidosis).
  
  
• Factual errors: As he is leaving after questioning his client, Lt. Kaffee turns and says to Dawson, "Whatever happened to saluting an officer when he leaves the room?" whereupon Dawson stands up and shoves his hands in his pockets. While Dawson's behavior would be considered disrespectful to a senior officer, Marines never salute indoors or while uncovered, although other branches of the service may salute indoors under certain circumstances. Such circumstances would include official reporting to one's commander, such as for counseling. In any case, Dawson is a prisoner and therefore not allowed to salute anyone under any circumstances.
  
  
• Continuity: When LCDR Galloway sets down her cover in the Captain's office, her cover reverses positions.
  
  
• Continuity: When Kaffey talked to Ross in the bar about Markinson and took his first drink of beer it was obvious, by the level of liquid in the bottle during the drink, the bottle was not full and was drank from previously.
  
  
• Continuity: McGaffey pulls into the parking lot at Markinson's hotel and it is more of a motel - rooms having outside entrances. When he goes to Markinson's room, it is clearly a hotel - rooms with inside entrances.
  
  
• Miscellaneous: When they are in Court, the clock on the wall doesn't change time throughout the movie. It always shows 3:34 and the second hand doesn't move. It always shows between 12 and 1 and 7 and 8.
  
  
• Continuity: After Kaffee's walk with Wienberg and his baby, while discussing their forthcoming trip to Cuba, Kaffee leaves to get into his car, his shirt tail is in and out.
  
  
• Factual errors: There is no such thing as "conduct unbecoming a Marine" under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. The closest thing to it is what is known as a "general Article 134 violation," which does not carry a dishonorable discharge as a possible punishment.
  
  
• Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): Kendrick is outranked by Ross but never addresses him as "Sir" during his testimony. While it's possible that his disdain for Kaffee would cause him to lose his military bearing on cross-examination, it's highly unlikely that he would fail to acknowledge Ross's rank.
  
  
• Revealing mistakes: When Captain Ross returns to his desk after questioning Corporal Barnes, you can see him lift The Marine Corps Guide for Sentry Duty so that Lt. Kaffee can grab it from his hand.
  
  
• Continuity: When Kaffee is reading the inventory of Santiago's belongings during the trial, he refers to "three khaki shirts." Earlier in the film, when in Santiago's room, there are five khaki shirts hanging on the rod.
  
  
• Factual errors: Kaffee is a Lieutenant Junior Grade (O-2) after being in the Navy for nine months. A JAG officer who is a direct commissionee comes in the military as an O-2 and is promoted within six months. After nine months, Kaffee certainly would be a Lieutenant (O-3).
  
  
• Continuity: In the final court scene, when Jessep tells Kaffee to call him Colonel or sir before returning to the stand, the camera is on Kaffee's back showing him pouring a glass of water then lowering his arm. The next view is from the front of Caffey and his arm is raised again pouring another glass of water.
  
  
• Continuity: The scene where Kaffey is in his office getting ready to go to Cuba, a shot is used twice. Before we go in the office, a shot of the building is shown and various uniformed people are seen walking. In the far left you can make out Kaffey's car pulling away. After Kaffey and Galloway leave the office and walk to his car (which is now parked on the right), that outside shot is used again. Kaffey pulls away and drives off to the left. You will notice this is the same shot as used before, just timed differently.
  
  
• Factual errors: When Kaffee asks Dawson what a Code Red is, and Dawson replies "Sir?", Kaffee retorts with "Don't answer me like I just asked you to clean the latrine". Members of both the Navy and Marine Corps would refer to a restroom/bathroom as a "Head", not a "Latrine". Latrine is an Army term.
  
  
• Continuity: Kaffey leaves his office after his secretary tells him to say "hi" to Castro, and he and Galloway are talking outside as they walk to his car. He gets out his keys and unlocks the car door, but when he climbs inside the car and closes the door, the window obviously is already rolled down.
  
  
• Factual errors: In 1992 the Navy no longer offered or expected a salute indoors. As the Marine Corp is a division of the Navy, Dawson and Downey would have known this and never offered a salute to Kaffee or anyone else. Also, a salute would only be offered to the highest ranking officer present, unless the lower ranked officer spoke directly to someone even lower ranked than themselves.
  
  
• Plot holes: Lt. Kaffee is chasing Jo down the street in his car in the rain, yet no one considered that he is drunk and driving the streets of Washington, DC after polishing off the better part of a pint of Jack Daniels. Behavior unbecoming an Officer in the United States Navy.
  
  
• Continuity: In the scene where Dawson and Downey go into Santiago's room, they put tape around his mouth in a anti clockwise turn, with the camera close up on Santiago. In the next scene, the camera is on Santiago's side, with Dawson and Downey putting the tape on again anti clockwise around Santiago's mouth, therefore you can clearly see that the tape was put around Santiago's face twice.
  
  
• Continuity: At the end of the movie, when the two marines stand to hear the verdict, the long shot shows them to have about a foot difference in height. Move to close-up and they are a few inches different. The long shot once again shows the larger height difference.
  
  
• Continuity: When Colonel Jessep is being charged with the crime near the end of the film, Captain Ross asks Colonel Jessep if he understands his rights "that I have read," but it was clear the he didn't read those rights but merely recited them.
  
  
• Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): In the airport scene at Guantanamo, when Cpl. Jeffrey Barnes (Noah Wyle) approaches LTJG Kaffe, LT Weinberg, and LCDR Galloway as the latter are getting off of the airplane, he fails to don his cap (or cover, in military terminology), come to attention and salute the officers, a virtually automatic and required act for an enlisted man outdoors in the presence of arriving commissioned officers - especially a "Gitmo" Marine like Cpl. Barnes.
  
  

• Factual errors: SPOILER: In a court-martial, the senior member of the panel (jury) announces the verdict, not the military judge. After a guilty verdict of any charge, the trial continues into the sentencing phase, with the prosecution and usually the defense presenting evidence and then both sides arguing. The sentence is determined by the panel, not the military judge.
  
  

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