Critic Reviews
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Richard Corliss, TIME Magazine
Tom Cruise heads a tony cast in a best-seller movie that is firm at the start and infirm by the end.
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Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly
The Firm amusingly satirizes the New Traditionalist aspirations of today's young urban elite -- not so much the lifestyle itself as the illusion of utter security it represents.
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Todd McCarthy, Variety
A smooth adaptation of John Grisham's giant bestseller that is destined to be one of the summer's strong audience pleasers.
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Wally Hammond, Time Out
Adorning the film, in supporting roles, are its saving graces.
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Vincent Canby, New York Times
The movie is extremely long (two hours and 34 minutes) and so slow that by the end you feel as if you've been standing up even if you've been sitting down.
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Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
The book moved at turbo speed. At two and a half hours, the movie crawls.
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John J. Puccio, Movie Metropolis
...a tense, thoroughly enjoyable suspense thriller. (Blu-ray edition)
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John J. Puccio, Movie Metropolis
...pits Cruise against the world, with only his character's wit.
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Heather Boerner, Common Sense Media
Too-long Grisham thriller is full of adult themes.
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, TV Guide's Movie Guide
This is a professional machine of a movie that compresses huge amounts of information into its two and a half hours of screen time. But it's so weighed down by detail, it fails to generate any real suspense.
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, Film4
The first in a long series of unsatisfying Grisham adaptations.
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Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
This legal thriller is smartly directed and well scripted (by some of Hollywood's top writers), but, alas, Tom Cruise is Tom Cruise, playing yet another variation of his screen image.
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Chuck O'Leary, FulvueDrive-in.com
What starts out as interesting becomes increasingly hokey and silly -- Wilford Brimley is ludicrously cast as the firm's senior hit man -- where it should be intense and suspenseful.
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Jules Brenner, Cinema Signals
Even Tom Cruise is a winner in a Pollack-Grisham collaboration.
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Clint Morris, Moviehole
Cruise at the top of his game
Read all 15 critic reviews
Featured Audience Ratings
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I was looking forward to seeing this film, and I thought it was going to be an excellent thriller. After viewing it, I thought it was a good thriller at best. Based on John Grisham's bestseller, The Firm is a fairly entertaining thriller which mixes dramatic elements. Tom Cruise… More
I was looking forward to seeing this film, and I thought it was going to be an excellent thriller. After viewing it, I thought it was a good thriller at best. Based on John Grisham's bestseller, The Firm is a fairly entertaining thriller which mixes dramatic elements. Tom Cruise plays newcomer lawyer Mitch Mcdeere who gets hired by a firm that has ties to organized crime. Now I haven't read the book, but I thought this was a good film with plenty of twists and turns. Director Sydney Pollack keeps the film engaging to the very end, but the film is a tad too long. Tom Cruise delivers a good performance, and he stars apposite some impressive talent. Gene Hackman, Hal Holbrook and Ed Harris are all phenomenal. The Firm is not a perfect film, but it manages to still be an effective intricate thriller that delivers on screen. I've never read a Grisham novel, but I have to say after watching this film, I was impressed enough to want to check out his work. Nowadays Tom Cruise is plainly weird but at least he was able to deliver good performances (and still does, but less frequently) back in the day. The Firm is a good thriller with a great cast, but there's something that's missing from the film to truly make it a memorable film. As it stands, The Firm manages to thrill but by the climax you have to admit that it could have been done slightly better.
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If there is ever one movie that showcases the hotshot version of Tom Cruise, it's The Firm. I'll admit that I never really saw a whole lot in it when I saw it for the first time, but it's really grown on me over time. Tom Cruise's performance alone should be worth… More
If there is ever one movie that showcases the hotshot version of Tom Cruise, it's The Firm. I'll admit that I never really saw a whole lot in it when I saw it for the first time, but it's really grown on me over time. Tom Cruise's performance alone should be worth anyone's time; it's extremely multi-dimensional and he seems to hit everything just right. Even for being a lawyer thriller, Tom Cruise brings his intensity on full speed and has you at the edge of your seat. This also has some great supporting performances from Gene Hackman and Holly Hunter, not to mention the intimidatingly bald Ed Harris. Now this takes John Grisham to the next level and stands as probably the best movie based on one of his books, just edging out The Client. It's an extremely effective conspiracy theory plot that has you interested for the entire time.
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Sydney Pollack's "The Firm" is John Grisham 101. This is a crisp, clean legal thriller that hits all the proper points (murder, cat and mouse chases, trips to exotic islands, bugged phone lines, a foreign contract killer, double crosses, the FBI). The film keeps… More
Sydney Pollack's "The Firm" is John Grisham 101. This is a crisp, clean legal thriller that hits all the proper points (murder, cat and mouse chases, trips to exotic islands, bugged phone lines, a foreign contract killer, double crosses, the FBI). The film keeps everything nice and tidy and ends on a satisfactory note. Films like "The Firm" (well made, clearheaded crowd pleasers) are easy to enjoy. "The Firm" is propelled by an involving but straightforward story and a strong performance from Tom Cruise. He is backed by a large, talented, supporting cast. Nothing about the story is all that surprising but it's handled in a way that never insults your intelligence, which says a lot.
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I really enjoyed The Firm. Much of the criticism comes from the fact that it is overlong and boring. For me, the movie was never boring and it was fun watching the plot unfold. A great cast featuring Tom Cruise, Holly Hunter, Gene Hackman, Hal Holbrook, and Ed Harris, along with the… More
I really enjoyed The Firm. Much of the criticism comes from the fact that it is overlong and boring. For me, the movie was never boring and it was fun watching the plot unfold. A great cast featuring Tom Cruise, Holly Hunter, Gene Hackman, Hal Holbrook, and Ed Harris, along with the great direction of Sydney Pollack make for a very entertaining two and a half hours.
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A pulse-less, predictable, and rather disappointing "thriller" from writer John Grisham and director Sidney Pollack, concerning a young lawyer (Tom Cruise) fresh out of grad school who is recruited by a Memphis firm, only to learn that they might have ties to the mafia and… More
A pulse-less, predictable, and rather disappointing "thriller" from writer John Grisham and director Sidney Pollack, concerning a young lawyer (Tom Cruise) fresh out of grad school who is recruited by a Memphis firm, only to learn that they might have ties to the mafia and some of the men that work there die in mysterious ways. The only thing that kept this thing from being awful was the acting, which is indeed quite good (Gene Hackman and Ed Harris are both awesome in supporting parts), the thing is you can see most of this movie coming. There are way to many characters and the screenplay seems to not care about explaining some of the finer details despite possessing a 150 minute running time. While the last half hour does contain some excitement, I could not help but feel disappointed and bored through most of this film. Pollack has done much better ("They Shoot Horses, Don't They" comes to mind).
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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 today,… More
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 today, 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.
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Tom Cruise wows me again as a lawyer working at a law firm in this intense film!!!
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Excellent thriller about a firm run by the mafia.
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A cool film about a mafia run law firm.
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coming from a talent like pollack and with gifted actors hackman and holbrook in support this should have been much better.
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The adaptation of John Grisham's bestselling suspense-thriller is quite okay about an ambitious young lawyer who joins a Memphis law firm and discovers that the lawyers there are even more crooked than most.
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Based on the best-selling novel by John Grisham, The Firm is an intense thriller. A promising young lawyer named Mitch McDeere is recruited out of Harvard Law School to join an exclusive law firm in Memphis, but he soon discovers that the firm is a front to launder money for the mob.… More
Based on the best-selling novel by John Grisham, The Firm is an intense thriller. A promising young lawyer named Mitch McDeere is recruited out of Harvard Law School to join an exclusive law firm in Memphis, but he soon discovers that the firm is a front to launder money for the mob. Featuring Tom Cruise, Jeane Tripplehorn, Gene Hackman, Ed Harris, and Holly Hunter, the film has an all-star cast. The storytelling's a little weak, but still manages to build some high tension moments and suspenseful scenes. However, the score is rather lackluster and doesn't bring any energy or excitement to the film. The Firm is entertaining and full of intrigue, but the mediocre filmmaking holds it back.
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The Firm is a good thriller that stars a great role from Tom Cruise, but the main problem with the film was that it should've been a lot darker than it could've been and I would have personally changed some thing to make this a perfect thriller. But overall this is a good… More
The Firm is a good thriller that stars a great role from Tom Cruise, but the main problem with the film was that it should've been a lot darker than it could've been and I would have personally changed some thing to make this a perfect thriller. But overall this is a good movie and definently worth a watch.
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Of the course the ending in the book was far better, but I can see how the ending in the movie had to work for times sake. Otherwise, it was an above-average thriller.
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What starts out as a seemingly simple rags to riches story abruptly transforms into a disturbing and cleverly concealed look into law and those that are using if for personal gain against those striving for justice. Tom Cruise gives a good performance as a newly hired lawyer who ends… More
What starts out as a seemingly simple rags to riches story abruptly transforms into a disturbing and cleverly concealed look into law and those that are using if for personal gain against those striving for justice. Tom Cruise gives a good performance as a newly hired lawyer who ends up being snatched up by a southern firm who offer him 20% more than the highest offer as well as several other perks in order to gain his services. Things seem to be too good and of course they are as little by little Mitch (Cruise) comes to find out that this firm won't let anyone out of it (they literally kill them) as the family uses illegal mob money to fund a legitimate business firm that also handles mob money. The F.B.I gets involved and only complicates matters and it's up to Mitch and his smarts to find a way to not only survive but not lose everything he has worked thus far in life to achieve. This is a great and highly entertaining drama that really fleshes it's characters out and creates a deeply rich and rewarding film.
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Based on a John Grisham novel about a young, ambitious Harvard graduate (Tom Cruise) being accepted into lucrative law firm. They give him a BMW, a new home for himself and his gorgeous wife (Jeanne Tripplehorne), and a nice paycheck, all in return for Mitch taking a spot at their… More
Based on a John Grisham novel about a young, ambitious Harvard graduate (Tom Cruise) being accepted into lucrative law firm. They give him a BMW, a new home for himself and his gorgeous wife (Jeanne Tripplehorne), and a nice paycheck, all in return for Mitch taking a spot at their firm, which he does eagerly. But soon, Mitch suspects something more than meets the eye is going on. Gene Hackman is the corrupt attorney, Ed Harris, the hard-headed cop and Gary Busey as the tough ex-con/private eye who pays the ultimate price for asking questions about dead lawyers.
The beginning started out good and looked like it had a lot of potential. However, the ending is where this movie seems to lose its appeal.
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This movie was great. Tom Cruise stars as a newly graduated from lawye who gets this great opportunity to work with a law firm in Memphis, everything seemed good and promising. Soon he begins to worry about the firm's clients and he gets contacted by the FBI. He soon discovers… More
This movie was great. Tom Cruise stars as a newly graduated from lawye who gets this great opportunity to work with a law firm in Memphis, everything seemed good and promising. Soon he begins to worry about the firm's clients and he gets contacted by the FBI. He soon discovers that the socalled clients are members of the mafia. This movie was interesting and catchy. This is one of Tom Cruise's good movies, I most definetely didn't want to leave the tv.
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Yet another fine Gene Hackman thriller, based on a excellent book.
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A mediocre thriller that doesn't live up to the book. It's too bad, because the book was great. The end was a nice finish, but it was the only exciting part.
Read all 20 featured audience ratings
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