The Firm (1993)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Sydney Pollack

Writers (WGA):

John Grisham (book)
David Rabe (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

30 June 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Thriller | Drama

Tagline:

Power can be murder to resist.

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Law | FBI | Lawyer | Mafia | Blackmail

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

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

MPAA:

Rated R for language and some violence.

Runtime:

154 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Philippines:R-18 | Brazil:14 | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-14 | Germany:12 | Ireland:18 | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:R13 | Norway:15 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | South Korea:15 | Singapore:NC-16 | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

125 Front Street, Downtown, Memphis, Tennessee, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Took only 23 days to take $100 million at the US box office.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Abby joins Avery in the Caymans, they sit at a table to talk. Her tropical drink shifts from one side of the table to the other as they're talking.

Quotes:

Mitch McDeere: Are you saying my life is in danger?
Denton Voyles: I am saying that your life as you know it is over.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Simpsons: Lisa the Drama Queen (#20.9)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

Another Cup Of Coffee

Power and wealth can motivate a man to just about anything.

Sydney Pollack: political thriller filmmaker extraordinaire. Pollack has been known for his thrillers, even though he has had major success in other genres. But in this format, "Three Days of the Condor" is his best film. His films are low on style, and high on realism. "The Firm" fits that bill exactly. The musical score is also of note. It is so well selected and edited into the film that I naturally assumed that it was composed by a single artist, when, in reality, it is done by a wide range of artists.

Like many of Pollack's films, the events overshadow the performances. Tom Cruise and Gene Hackman (as well as Ed Harris) are superb, but not focused upon. The circumstances and story are more important. And a very good story it is. I confess that I've never read anything by John Grisham, but this movie makes me want to do so.

7.5 out of 10