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 | washington monument washington d.c. | caribbean sea | 

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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:

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

Did You Know?

Trivia

Margo Martindale plays a character named Nina, she again plays a character Nina in The Riches (2007).

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Goofs

Mitch is told by Mulholland they were billed 33hrs. Back at the office on the PC - if you add up the hours for the month of Dec/92, it totals 37.9hrs. You are then shown his time manually added up to be 28hrs then the actual bill is for 33hrs. Further if you look on the bill for Dec 22, the amount was 6.1hrs yet the PC shows only 5.1 hrs.

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Quotes

Mitch McDeere: Anything I can do for you?
Ray McDeere: Sure. Get me outta here.
Mitch McDeere: Where to?
Ray McDeere: Anywhere I can see a whole lotta sky. I get through the days, I even eat the food. It's amazing how much you miss the sky.

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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 At the Movies: War of the Worlds/Fantastic Four/The Deal/Undead/Dark Water/Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)

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Soundtracks

Another Cup Of Coffee
Written by Lannie McMillan, Scott Reed, Richard Cesani & Gregory McIntyre
Performed by The Lannie McMillan Quartet

User Reviews

Alternate Screenplay

I wanted to get a copy of the screenplay to compare the movie with the dialog and directions, but initially received the FIRST draft by David Rabe. I finally got the shooting script later. All I can say is that it ended with Mc Deere blowing away all the partners in a restaurant with an AK-47. It really made me appreciate the re-write by David Rayfiel and Robert Towne. I have watched this movie many times and enjoy the suspense, romance, and Grusin's solo piano score, which always blows me away. But the one thing that impressed me most with multiple viewing, is how Gene Hackman really makes the movie work. His portrayal of this corrupt, but incredably likeable character is the one thread that holds the movie together for me and goes down as one of his most memorable acting performances.