The Firm (1993)

A young lawyer joins a prestigious law firm only to discover that it has a sinister dark side.

Director:

Sydney Pollack

Writers:

John Grisham (novel), David Rabe (screenplay)

Stars:

Tom Cruise, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Gene Hackman

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tom Cruise	...	Mitch McDeere
Jeanne Tripplehorn	...	Abby McDeere
Gene Hackman	...	Avery Tolar
Hal Holbrook	...	Oliver Lambert
Terry Kinney	...	Lamar Quinn
Wilford Brimley	...	William Devasher
Ed Harris	...	Wayne Tarrance
Holly Hunter	...	Tammy Hemphill
David Strathairn	...	Ray McDeere
Gary Busey	...	Eddie Lomax
Steven Hill	...	F. Denton Voyles
Tobin Bell	...	The Nordic Man
Barbara Garrick	...	Kay Quinn
Jerry Hardin	...	Royce McKnight
Paul Calderon	...	Thomas Richie

Storyline

Mitch McDeere is a young man with a promising future in Law. About to sit his Bar exam, he is approached by 'The Firm' and made an offer he doesn't refuse. Seduced by the money and gifts showered on him, he is totally oblivious to the more sinister side of his company. Then, two Associates are murdered. The FBI contact him, asking him for information and suddenly his life is ruined. He has a choice - work with the FBI, or stay with the Firm. Either way he will lose his life as he knows it. Mitch figures the only way out is to follow his own plan...

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Plot Keywords:

seduction | frame up | briefcase | law | fbi | 

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Taglines:

They made him an offer he should have refused

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and some violence

Did You Know?

Trivia

Michael Rooker was considered for the role of Eddie Lomax.

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Goofs

Strange weather here, at times. When Mitch is interviewed in Boston, it's winter and snow is everywhere. But when he and Abby arrive by car and U-Haul in Memphis, it's already autumn, with red and yellow leaves blanketing the streets. What happened to spring and summer? Then Kozinski and Hodges are murdered--around October 3rd, according to Mitch's computer search and the news item he finds. Yet soon after the funeral, the two FBI agents approach Mitch and know he's been with the firm for 8 weeks already. Which meant he and Abby must have arrived in early August, during the summer, well before the leaves changed color in Memphis.

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Quotes

Mitch McDeere: Did I lose you?
Abby McDeere: You look tired.
Mitch McDeere: Did I?
Abby McDeere: I've loved you all my life. Even before we met. Part of it wasn't even you. It was just a promise of you. But these last days... You kept your promise. How could you lose me?

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Crazy Credits

Since laundering drug money is a major theme, this appears: "The producers wish to thank the Cayman Islands Government...for their cooperation in the making of this film and acknowledge that the Cayman Islands have strict antidrug and money laundering laws which are rigorously enforced."

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Alternate Versions

In the scene when Mitch is at the Cayman Islands, and is talking to his new client Sonny Capps about tax representation, there is a line that had a strange overdubbing. Mitch's line "You'd feel like you were fucked with a dick big enough for an elephant to feel it" was re-shot for television. In the TV version, the line was replaced with "You'd feel like you had a prostate exam with a beach umbrella to feel it."

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Connections

Referenced in Mad Love: The Spy Who Loved Me (2011)

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Soundtracks

Oboe Concerto In D Minor-Adagio
Written by Alessandro Marcello (as A. Marcello)
Performed by The Philharmonia Orchestra (as Philharmonia Orchestra)

User Reviews

Joining a law firm from hell can be detrimental to your health...

All the elements to make a hard-hitting melodrama of corruption (with FBI and Mafia aspects present) are unfolded here in a gripping yarn from John Grisham's novel. Tom Cruise is excellent as a young man who joins a small but prosperous law firm, only to discover that all the perks he enjoys come at great expense to his integrity, not to mention his life. The plot thickens when members of the firm are murdered and Cruise gets drawn into the unmasking of the firm, risking his life to reveal the criminals. Gene Hackman, Ed Harris, Holly Hunter and Hal Holbrook all give strong performances, with Hunter fully deserving her Oscar nomination. The pacing is good despite the film's length (well over 2 1/2 hrs.) and there's seldom a dull moment. Especially gripping is the supercharged climax.

Not having read the book, I see where others are disappointed with the ending. Having no comparison to make, I can only say that it kept me absorbed until the final scene. Definitely a must-see if you enjoy action thrillers with a climactic punch. One of the best films of the '90s, full of suspenseful twists and turns.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 June 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Firm

Filming Locations:

125 Front Street, Downtown, Memphis, Tennessee, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$42,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$25,400,000, 4 July 1993

Gross USA:

$158,348,367

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$270,248,367

Company Credits

Production Co:

Davis Entertainment, Mirage Enterprises, Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

154 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1