In this dramatic courtroom thriller, Lt. Daniel Kaffee (Tom Cruise), a Navy lawyer who has never seen the inside of the courtroom, defends two stubborn Marines (Wolfgang Bodison and James Marshall) who have been accused of murdering a colleague. He (Cruise) is known as being lazy and had arranged for a plea bargain. Downey's (Marshall) Aunt Ginny appoints Cmdr. Galloway (Demi Moore) to represent him. Also on the legal staff is Lt. Sam Weinberg (Kevin Pollak). The team rounds up many facts and Kaffee is discovering that he is really cut out for trial work. The defense is originally based upon the fact that PFC Santiago, the victim, was given a "CODE RED". Santiago was basically a screw-up. At Gitmo, screw-ups aren't tolerated. Especially by Col. Nathan Jessup (Jack Nicholson). In Cuba, Jessup and two senior officers (J.T. Walsh and Kiefer Sutherland) try to give all the help they can, but Kaffee knows something's fishy. In the conclusion of the film, the fireworks are set off by a confrontation between Jessup and Kaffee.