The Firm (1993) Reviews

• An excellent legal thriller. One of Tom Cruise's best performances.

  Anonymous_Maxine2001-03-14

  In The Firm, Tom Cruise plays an extremely intelligent young lawyer who takes a job with a tremendous firm, having been seduced by their huge financial offerings. "The Firm" begins to sound very creepy very early in the film, when it becomes known that `the firm' has never had a divorce, `the firm' encourages children,' `the firm' is a big, happy, 41 member family. Unfortunately, it seems that another interesting little side note is that no one has ever left `the firm' and lived. Mitch McDeere (Cruise) is hired by `the firm,' and at first, everything is great. The firm loves him enough to pay back all of his student loans all at once, and he is completely taken in by everything, even down to the way that the firm furnished his new house, in his beautiful new neighborhood (`To make you feel at home. Hope you don't mind.'). The lives of Mitch and his wife Abby (Jeanne Triplehorn) are completely and drastically changed when he is hired by the firm, setting up a disorienting atmosphere, especially when strange things start happening, people getting killed by boat bombs and whatnot. Gary Busey plays a small, seedy role, and it works really well because he's best at playing seedy characters. Ed Harris also delivers a good performance as an FBI agent trying to coerce McDeere into helping them investigate the big bad firm. It seems that McDeere has been helping the firm in its illegal activities, making him guilty without him even knowing about it. If he doesn't help the FBI, he'll go to jail with the other 40 members of that big, happy family. The Firm really gets going once McDeere starts trying to investigate, making copies of incriminating files, etc. Some things may have gone a little too far, like the conveniently placed pillow truck, but as a whole, The Firm is a great thriller. It may not be quite as good as other John Grisham adaptations, The Rainmaker, in particular, but The Firm's complex and fascinating plot, as well as good direction and acting, makes it way above average.

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

  Doylenf2001-05-05

  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.

• Better than the book! (*and possible spolier!*)

  smee34692001-05-31

  I read "The Firm" after watching it, not knowing what expect (I didn't know if it would be a tight or loose adaptation). It was pretty close, with the difference mainly lying in the ending, and that where Sydney Pollack makes this story go from good to great: The book, at the end, makes Mitch out to be a coward and a traitor at the end, by making him give into the FBI. But, in the film, Mitch is seen as a hero who doesn't give into anyone. The FBI doesn't win and the Mafia doesn't win. Mitch wins. He bows down to no one. Tom Cruise also plays a *great* Mitch McDeere, with a lot of intensity and charisma. You cheer for him as the protagonist. Holly Hunter is top-notch with her portrayal of the vulnerable, secretary turned accomplice Tammy. Gene Hackman is also great as Avery Tolar, the one bad guy who sympathizes with Mitch and Abby. Such a great screen presence. His scenes while they're in the Kaymen Islands are key ones to watch. Jeanne Tripplehorn finally makes up for her role in "Basic Instinct" as Abby McDeere, the "cheated wife", not only by her husband, but also by the firm he works for. Sydney Pollack showcases some of his best work as director, especially by the opening segment that describes Mitch McDeere perfectly in the span of less than 10 minutes. Such a GREAT adaptation, and a even better film to watch!

• Lawyer/Client Privilege

  bkoganbing2007-06-30

  Tom Cruise, the All American kid from the trailer park who worked his way through Harvard Law School, just got the dream job with a prestigious white shoe law firm in Memphis, Tennessee. Sounds like he's on his way to the top with wife Jeanne Tripplehorn. But it turns out to be a nightmare. This Firm's main client is a Chicago crime family and they launder the mob's money. Now the FBI in the persons of fatherly Steven Hill and hard-nosed Ed Harris are squeezing Cruise to infiltrate and get incriminating information. That would result in disbarment for violating lawyer/client privilege. And The Firm isn't a gang of boy scouts either. They're not above a little blackmail and entrapment and they've got a security man in Wilford Brimley who's real good at it. How Tom Cruise gets out of this rock and a hard place situation is the plot of The Firm. Sydney Pollak gave him one stylish cast in support and everyone of them delivers. Even players like Gary Busey, Hal Holbrook, Gene Hackman, take essentially supporting roles because this film was a guaranteed blockbuster. All of John Grisham's novels have their own built in audience, The Firm is no exception. I do remember my mother was a devoted reader of his work, whereas I always await the film version. Holly Hunter got an Oscar nomination for her small role as private detective Gary Busey's secretary and girl Friday. When Hunter witnesses Busey's murder without the hit men knowing it, she sets the wheels in motion for the downfall of the bad guys. Hunter got nominated for Best Actress for The Piano and Best Supporting Actress for The Firm, a most unusual occurrence. She won for The Piano in 1993, but lost the Supporting Actress Award to her co-star in The Piano, Anna Paquin. Winning both would have just been a bit too much for the Academy voters. The Firm has a far fetched plot to be sure in the way that Tom Cruise brings them all down. Still that's the charm of it. It's almost Hitchcockian in its pace and mood, and even more resembles the Mission Impossible television series in the way it's all brought off. Small wonder that Tom Cruise was chosen to star in the big screen adaptations of that television classic. When I watch The Firm, I'm reminded of that line from another television classic that one Hannibal Smith used to say about he loved it when a plan comes together. That's what you will like about The Firm.

• A Complex Suspense-Drama

  ccthemovieman-12006-03-18

  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.