Tom Cruise, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Gene Hackman

A Harvard Law School grad discovers that the law firm he has recently joined is run by the Mafia.

Flixster Users

61% liked it

55,311 ratings

Critics

76% liked it

50 critics

R, 2 hrs. 33 min.

Directed by: Sydney Pollack

Release Date: June 1, 1993

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DVD Release Date: May 23, 2000

Stats: 1,593 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (1,593)


  • December 21, 2008
    I never finished reading the book, but that there was some differences between certain parts of the book to movie. From what I have heard the ending is different between the two. I have also heard that the ending is better in movie. I had seen this movie a million times before to...( read more)day, but just now bought it on DVD. The theatrical trailer 1 is very good and doesn't even show that much of the movie. My favourite parts of this movie was mainly the ending sequences which I won't go into because you need to see them for yourself. I loved right at the beginning where Tom Cruise's (Mitch McDeere's) wife gets home and as she's opening the door, the door flings open and Mitch grabs her and they go straight for the couch kissing. Then after a few seconds she says "Okay. Okay. You're going to have to leave now. I'm expecting my husband." "The hell with him" he says and shuts the door and takes her into the kitchen.

    The movie is very good, amusing, and I do agree with it being a little farfetched but all a movie is supposed to be is amusing because it is all fantasy. Even stories based on true events are fantasies because they may not show exactly how certain things took place and that it is a byist story. It only shows how one person viewed something.

    In any case, this movie deserves an 8 or nine out of ten.
  • December 23, 2007
    This was a decent thriller about a new law school grad that joins a firm run by the Mafia.
  • July 14, 2007
    Excellent thriller about a firm run by the mafia.
  • June 27, 2007
    A by-the-book intiation thriller wth the Cruise at the fore. Compelling mature film.
  • April 29, 2007
    A cool film about a mafia run law firm.
  • November 19, 2009
    THE FIRM (1993)
    dir. Sydney Pollack
    cast. Tom Cruise, Gene Hackman, Jeanne Tripplehorn

    Based on a John Grisham novel, The Firm is nothing special, its all been seen before but its quite effective with director Sydney Pollack behind the camera, proving to be suspen

    ...( read more)seful at times and dramatic when needed.

    Tom Cruise kind of reprise his role of previous year's A Few Good Men, as a young lawyer, he is less arrogant but just as smart. As usual Cruise gives intensity to his character, except maybe not enough, cause to me The Firm is one of his weakest performance. He flirts with many firms to see which one he'll choose to work for, he can afford it, cause he got some of the best result in school. He ends up picking a job in Memphis, and right from the first moment there are some very dubious behaviors from his employers, almost sounding like a sect at some point - Scientology anyone ? - but he goes in with his wife. They get a huge house, a new car and everything an American can dream off in less than twenty cinematic minutes. The alarm clock wakes him up and the film begins.

    Two of his coworkers die in an accident, or was it an accident, soon, Cruise's character discover things against his will and bring him to think his employers might be crooks. He is an idealist so he cant let it happen, hires a private detective who gets killed. The FBI contacts him and he will have to find a way to help them, get out of it safe and keep his career, it wont be easy.

    The Firm has the obligatory action scenes near the end, but they are rather suspenseful than thrilling, which is all good. And the film, instead of ending up in a pure Hollywood way - it does in a way though - it manages to bring everything down to the law, which is kind of an exercise in style for John Grisham, and its all good stuff.

    The cast is pretty impressive, apart from Cruise, we have Gene Hackman, pretty comfortable in his role of a designated mentor. Ed Harris is fun to watch as an FBI agent and Holly Hunter as the secretary of the dead private detective is very archetypical, but always interesting. David Strathairn also appears as Cruise older brother in jail, and they have one of the best scenes together, and it would have been nice to have more scene like this one, but the film is already long enough, over two and a half hours, which is too long for that sort of films, but everything needed to be developed the best way possible. The jazzy score doesnt help, making the film feels longer as the same bit of music is played over and over again.

  • November 9, 2009
    A good thriller which pretty much resolves itself by the end. There's lots to admire about the picture, in particular the acting of Tom Cruise and Gene Hackman. Both powerhouse performances which are never over the top and realistic. A good plot and a great finale where Cruise de...( read more)livers some of his best work.
  • October 22, 2009
    "you can't handle the through"!
  • October 15, 2009
    I haven't read the book to this yet. But this is a decent film with a great cast. Sydney Pollack's direction is really good.
  • October 3, 2009
    read the book... it was amazing esp the last few pages... watching the movie expecting a lot because of the quality of actors in it... and I think it did okay but not as what I expected... maybe I need to watch it again...

Critic Reviews


May 12, 2001
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

The book moved at turbo speed. At two and a half hours, the movie crawls. full review

January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

With a screenplay that developed the story more clearly, this might have been a superior movie, instead of just a good one with some fine performances. full review

View more The Firm reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments


  • ajischillin
    July 15, 2008
    http://www.tomcruise.com/tom-cruise-the-firm-movie.html

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The Firm Trivia


  • In the 1993 thriller, The Firm, what mob family does the firm represent?  Answer »
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