The Firm (1993 film)

"This article is about the 1993 film. For the 1988 film of the same name, see The Firm (1988 film)

Infobox Film | name = The Firm

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caption = "The Firm" promotional movie poster
director = Sydney Pollack
producer = John Davis
Sydney Pollack
Scott Rudin
writer = John Grisham (book)
David Rabe
Robert Towne
David Rayfiel
starring = Tom Cruise
Jeanne Tripplehorn
Gene Hackman
Ed Harris
Holly Hunter
Hal Holbrook
David Strathairn
music = Dave Grusin
cinematography = John Seale
editing =
distributor = Paramount Pictures
released = June 30, 1993
runtime = 154 min.
language = English
budget = $42,000,000 US (est.)
amg_id = 1:17445
imdb_id = 0106918

"The Firm" is a legal thriller film released in 1993, directed by Sydney Pollack, and starring Tom Cruise, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Gene Hackman, Ed Harris, Holly Hunter, Gary Busey, and David Strathairn. The movie is based on the novel, "The Firm", by author John Grisham.

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Plot

A new attorney is drawn into a seductive law firm that seems to have many secrets. When he finds out who they are representing and what price has been paid by others who have come across the truth, he risks it all to escape with his law license and his life.

The Novel vs. The Film

The film follows the book in most respects, but changes the ending. Mitch doesn't end up in the Caribbean, as in the book; he and his wife, Abby, simply get into their vehicle and drive away from Memphis. (To Boston, as the ending narration, "Do you think [the car] will make it?...to Boston...")

A more fundamental departure from the book is the motives and manner in which Mitch extricates himself from his predicament. In the book, Mitch is unconcerned about scrupulously following the ethics required by lawyers in the United States. By copying certain information and giving it to the FBI, he acknowledges to himself that he is betraying the lawyer-client privilege. Rather than dwell on this fact, accepting that he will not be allowed to practice law anywhere again, he shrewdly swindles $10 million from the mob law firm, along with receiving the $2 million from the FBI for his cooperation. He then disappears with Abby to the Caribbean.

In the film, apparently in order to preserve the personal integrity of the protagonist, Mitch steals no money from the firm. Instead, he exposes a systematic overbilling scheme by the firm, thus driving a wedge between the mob and its law firm. He receives a smaller quantity of money from the FBI, which he hands over to his brother Ray, allowing him to disappear. This alters the character of the Mitch McDeere created by Grisham. Rather than capitalizing on his circumstances for personal gain, as in the book, the movie's McDeere ends up battered and bruised, but with his integrity and professional ethics intact.

McDeere's confession to Abby about his sexual infidelity was also unique to the film. In the novel, McDeere perpetuates this deception right until the very end. This further characterizes the McDeere of the film as having greater integrity.

In the book, Abby never finds out about Mitch's infidelity. In fact, it's a major "suspense" piece in the book.

In the book, he comes home to find an envolope addressed to his wife. Mitch THINKS it's the pictures he was told/shown of his infidelity overseas. She is away in the other room, not answering.....he thinks its over. But then he realizes its a setup as the major security head of the Firm is messing with him. Envelope is not opened. Abby comes out and says ..."Hey, you have a package... I didn't open it...." He sighs relief.

List of characters

* Mitch McDeere (Tom Cruise) – protagonist; recent Harvard Law graduate
* Abigail "Abby" McDeere (Jeanne Tripplehorn) – Mitch's wife
* Avery Tolar (Gene Hackman) – Mitch's mentor at the Firm
* Lamar Quinn (Terry Kinney) – Mitch's friend that works at the Firm
* Oliver Lambert (Hal Holbrook) – senior partner at the Firm
* Tammy Hemphill (Holly Hunter) – Eddie's old secretary, helps Mitch get and copy the files
* Ray McDeere (David Strathairn) – Mitch's brother, in jail for a manslaughter conviction
* William Devasher (Wilford Brimley) – head of security at the Firm
* Eddie Lomax (Gary Busey) – private investigator, friend of Ray McDeere
* Agent Wayne Terrance (Ed Harris) – the agent in charge of the investigation into the Firm; Mitch's primary contact with the FBI
* F. Denton Voyles (Steven Hill) – Director of the FBI
* The Nordic Man (Tobin Bell) – William Devasher's cold-blooded henchman.

Trivia

Gene Hackman's name does not appear in either the release poster nor the opening credits. Due to the nature of Tom Cruise's deal with Paramount only his name could appear above the title. Hackman also wanted his name to appear above the credits but when this was refused he asked for his name to be removed. His name does appear in the end credits.

External links

*imdb title|id=0106918|title=The Firm
*rotten-tomatoes|id=firm|title=The Firm
*mojo title|id=firm|title=The Firm
*amg movie|id=1:17445|title=The Firm