Plot
An attorney defends an officer on trial for ordering his troops to fire on civilians after they stormed a U.S. embassy in a third world country.
Release Year: 2000
Rating: 6.2/10 (22,972 voted)
Critic's Score: 45/100
Director:
William Friedkin
Stars: Tommy Lee Jones, Samuel L. Jackson, Guy Pearce
Storyline Hayes Hodges finds his career aspirations dashed when he's wounded in Vietnam combat. He then returns to America and becomes a disillusioned lawyer who goes up against the service to defend Colonel Terry Childers, who is accused of inciting an incident that leaves many demonstrators dead. Hodges in no position to decline: Childers heroically saved his life back in Vietnam.
Writers: Jim Webb, Stephen Gaghan
Cast: Tommy Lee Jones
-
Col. Hayes 'Hodge' Hodges
Samuel L. Jackson
-
Col. Terry L. Childers
Guy Pearce
-
Maj. Mark Biggs
Ben Kingsley
-
Ambassador Mourain
Bruce Greenwood
-
National Security Advisor Bill Sokal
Anne Archer
-
Mrs. Mourain
Blair Underwood
-
Capt. Lee
Philip Baker Hall
-
Gen. H. Lawrence Hodges
Dale Dye
-
Gen. Perry
Amidou
-
Dr. Ahmar
Mark Feuerstein
-
Tom Chandler
Richard McGonagle
-
Judge Col. E. Warner
Baoan Coleman
-
Col. Binh Le Cao
Nicky Katt
-
Hayes Hodges III
Ryan Hurst
-
Capt. Hustings
Taglines:
A hero should never have to stand alone.
Release Date: 31 March 2000
Filming Locations: Alexandria, Virginia, USA
Box Office Details
Budget: $60,000,000
(estimated)
Opening Weekend: $15,011,181
(USA)
(9 April 2000)
(3155 Screens)
Gross: $61,322,858
(USA)
(6 August 2000)
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Did You Know?
Trivia:
The opposing attorney for Hodges (Tommy Lee Jones) is Maj. Biggs. In
U.S. Marshals, Gerard (Jones) has a deputy named Biggs.
Goofs:
Continuity:
In the opening scene where Hodges' platoon is pinned down by Vietnamese fire; as Hodges is leaning over to his radioman to respond to Childers first call on the radio, his front left magazine pouch changes from open to closed between shots.
Quotes: Colonel Hayes Hodges:
[final arguments of the defense]
Colonel Hayes Hodges:
[presenting a photo of the embassy to juries]
That is sovereign United States territory as much as if it were in Ohio or Maryland. Colonel Childers didn't volunteer to go over there, he was ordered to go over there because he was the best man for the job. We armed him, we trained him, we sent him over there to risk his life to save other Americans and then ask him not to return fire...
User Review
A good ride, good actors, some flaws.
Rating: 8/10
Last week, as I considered ordering this DVD, I checked the
IMDB
rating and saw a "fair" 6.5. Since I like Tommy Lee Jones
and Samuel L. Jackson, I placed the order.
Like most roller coasters, I found it to be a good ride
and
Jones and Jackson did very credible jobs. The flaws in
the
movie have been correctly pointed out by numerous other
reviewers. I was somewhat surprised that some of the most
critical reviews were by US viewers. I fully understand
how non-US citizens would be irritated by the stereotypes.
I found it to be a very exciting movie from my particular
perspective (US citizen, military family, male over 45).
The scenes of combat when the marines are ordered to the
US
embassy in Yemen to safeguard our state department personnel
were VERY well done, even to the point of gripping. The
court scenes and conflicts of evidence or lack of evidence
were interesting to me and I also understood, but did not
agree with, the aims of the State Department. I don't
think
some of the reviewers are aware of what a person might
do
in such an extremely stressful situation as that of Colonel
Childers (Jackson). It was fascinating to me to see what
he
did do and how he and others looked back on it. I would
have
given Rules of Engagement a 9 or 10, but for the flaws.
It's
a good movie though and well worth renting. It's an 8.
0