A Few Good Men Page #16

A moment of tense silence before --

KAFFEE:

Let's go. Colonel, I'll just need a

copy of Santiago's transfer order.

JESSEP:

What's that?

KAFFEE:

Santiago's transfer order. You guys

have paper work on that kind of thing,

I just need it for the file.

JESSEP:

For the file.

KAFFEE:

Yeah.

JESSEP:

(pause)

Of course you can have a copy of the

transfer order. For the file. I'm

here to help anyway I can.

KAFFEE:

Thank you.

JESSEP:

You believe that, don't you? Danny?

That I'm here to help anyway I can?

KAFFEE:

Of course.

JESSEP:

The corporal'll run you by Ordinance

on your way out to the airstrip. You

can have all the transfer orders you

want.

KAFFEE:

(to JO and SAM)

Let's go.

The LAWYERS start to leave.

JESSEP:

But you have to ask me nicely.

KAFFEE stops. Turns around. Sam and JO stop and turn.

KAFFEE:

I beg your pardon?

JESSEP:

You have to ask me nicely. You see,

Danny, I can deal with the bullets

and the bombs and the blood. I can

deal with the heat and the stress

and the fear. I don't want money and

I don't want medals. What I want is

for you to stand there in that faggoty

white uniform, and with your Harvard

mouth, extend me some f***in'

courtesy. You gotta ask me nicely.

KAFFEE and JESSEP are frozen. Everyone'staring at Kaffee;

The OFFICERS at their tables... KENDRICK... SAM...

MARKINSON... JO... KAFFEE makes his decision.

KAFFEE:

Colonel Jessep... if it's not too

much trouble, I'd like a copy of the

transfer order. Sir.

JESSEP smiles.

JESSEP:

No problem.

HOLD for a moment. JO's very disappointed.

JESSEP stands there and watches the LAWYERS as they turn and

leave the Officer's Club.

JESSEP:

(continuing)

I hate casualties, Matthew. There

are casualties even in victory. A

marine smothers a grenade and saves

his platoon, that marine's a hero.

The foundation of the unit, the fabric

of this base, the spirit of the Corps,

they are things worth fighting for.

MARKINSON looks at the ground.

JESSEP:

(continuing)

Dawson and Downey, they don't know

it, but they're smothering a grenade.

MARKINSON looks up as we

CUT TO:

EXT. ANDREWS AIRFORCE BASE - DUSK

As a plane touches down on the runway. It's dusk in Washington

and

CUT TO:

EXT. KAFFEE'S APARTMENT - DAY

A little one-bedroom. Just the essential furniture, barely

even that.

KAFFEE's sitting and watching a baseball came on t.v. He's

holding a copy of The Baseball Encyclopedia, normally his

favorite reading material, but right now he's having trouble

keeping his mind in it. He's holding a baseball bat and

fiddling with it.

The remnants of a pizza and Yoo-Hoo dinner sit next to him.

His white uniform in a pile in the corner. There's a BUZZ at

the door. KAFFEE's not expecting anyone. He goes to the door.

KAFFEE:

Who is it?

JO (O.S.)

It's me.

KAFFEE opens the door and JO walks in.

KAFFEE:

I've really missed you, Jo. I was

just saying to myself, "It's been

almost three hours since I last saw --

"

JO:

Markinson resigned his commission.

KAFFEE:

(pause)

When?

Rate this script:4.0 / 7 votes