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:

oral sex | seduction | frame up | law | fbi | 

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Taglines:

Power can be murder to resist.

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and some violence

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 June 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

Firma

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, Wide Release

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

Did You Know?

Trivia

The seaplane in the film belongs to Bill Booth, who played the seaplane pilot. He and Tom Cruise met while Cruise was learning to skydive in DeLand, Florida. Booth also owns the largest manufacturer of parachute containers.

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Goofs

The small seaplane used to fly back and forth to the Caymans would take more than 7 hours, with a fuel stop somewhere, to cover that distance each way. That does not fit in the time line of the plot.

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Quotes

Tommie Morolto: -if only I could get my hands on this kid.
Ruth: I think it's urgent, Mr. Morolto.
Tommie Morolto: Ruth thinks it's urgent, Joey. What do you think?
Ruth: It's a Mr. McDeere. Mr. Mitchell McDerre. He's waiting to see you.
Joey: I think Ruth is right.

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Connections

Referenced in Jeopardy!: Episode #22.217 (2006)

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Soundtracks

Maple Drive
Written & Performed by Jack Allocco

User Reviews

A Complex Suspense-Drama

This is a long (154 minutes) but pretty solid drama-suspense story about corporate corruption. The film features a well-known cast, and as soon as the action kicks in this becomes a very tense story.

Tom Cruise is very good as the hotshot lawyer, as is Jeanne Tripplehorn who plays his unhappy wife. This is a complex story at times, one not always easily understood, especially the ending. So much is explained so fast at the end it's tough to comprehend it all.

Wilfred Brimley, Gene Hackman, Hal Holbrook, Holly Hunter, Robert Strathairn and Ed Harris all make this a really deep, impressive cast. For more details of the story, check some of the other reviews.