Rules of Engagement (2000)

Director:

William Friedkin

Writers (WGA):

James Webb (story)
Stephen Gaghan (screenplay)

Release Date:

31 March 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Thriller | War

Tagline:

A hero should never have to stand alone.

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.

Plot Keywords:

Colonel | Embassy | Lawyer | Trial | Yemen

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

US TV Schedule:

Fri. Nov. 13	8:35 AM	TMC
Fri. Nov. 13	5:45 PM	TMC

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

Also Known As:

Les règles d'engagement (Canada: French title)
Rules - Sekunden der Entscheidung (Germany)
Rules of Engagement - Die Regeln des Krieges (Germany) (TV title)

MPAA:

Rated R for scenes of war violence, and for language.

Runtime:

128 min

Country:

USA | Canada | UK | Germany

Language:

English | Arabic

Color:

Color (CFI)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:MA | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Iceland:16 | Argentina:13 | Denmark:15 | Finland:K-14 | France:U | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Netherlands:12 (DVD rating) | Netherlands:16 (original rating) | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:15 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R | Philippines:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Alexandria, Virginia, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

When Hodges (Tommy Lee Jones) returns to the bombed-out embassy, there is a picture of then Vice President Al Gore on the charred wall. Gore and Jones were roommates at Harvard.

Goofs:

Continuity: As Col. Childers gets out of his car to confront a man who spits on his uniform, many people in the crowd of reporters move positions between shots and a large boom microphone appears overhead.

Quotes:

Colonel Hayes Hodges: If this gets bad, it gets bad for both of us.
Colonel Terry L. Childers: Why, Hodge? Are you going to jail too?

Movie Connections:

Featured in Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People (2006) (V)

Soundtrack:

On the Threshold of Liberty

Not as good as "A Few Good Men" but well worth watching

This is a military court martial movie with a few similarities to A Few Good Men. It did not have as much suspense, but overall it was still quite good. I thought the situation in Yemen made it very applicable to current day problems in Arab-American relations. The movie was released before the USS Cole attack, which reinforces the possibility of the event in question in the court-martial. I don't think the massacre that occurred would have been quite so bloody in a real world situation though.

The performances of Tommy Lee Jones, Samuel L. Jackson and Guy Pearce were very good. Probably no Oscars here, but well worth watching.