The Firm (1993)
75%RT Audience Score: 64%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 2 Oscars
3 wins & 7 nominations total
The Firm is a big studio thriller that amusingly tears apart the last of 1980s boardroom culture and the false securities it represented
The Firm is like a rollercoaster ride, but instead of twists and turns, it’s filled with legal jargon and Tom Cruise’s charming smile. It’s a classic legal thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat, even if you don’t know the difference between a subpoena and a briefcase. Plus, who doesn’t love a good ensemble cast? It’s like a game of “spot the famous face” while trying to keep up with the plot. So grab some popcorn and get ready for a wild ride through the world of law and order (or lack thereof).
Production Company(ies)
Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Media Rights Capital,
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Mount Baker, Washington, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for language and some violence
Year of Release
1993
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Stereo
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:2h 34m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jun 30, 1993 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): May 23, 2000
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Tom Cruise, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Gene Hackman, Holly Hunter, Ed Harris, Hal Holbrook, David Strathairn, Gary Busey, Wilford Brimley, Terry Kinney, Steven Hill, Tobin Bell, Paul Sorvino, Jerry Hardin, Jerry Weintraub, Sydney Pollack, Scott Rudin, John Davis, David Rabe, Robert Towne, David Rayfiel, drama, box office, budget, reviewed by David Ansen, Richard Corliss, Owen Gleiberman, Todd McCarthy, Wally Hammond, Nell Minow, Rene Jordan, Sean Collier, Tom Meek, Malcolm Johnson, David Nusair, legal thriller, R-rated, money laundering, FBI, law firm, John Grisham, Paramount Pictures, directed by Sydney Pollack, produced by Scott Rudin, John Davis, Sydney Pollack, written by David Rabe, Robert Towne, David Rayfiel
Worldwide gross: $270,248,367
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $561,374,821
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 250
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 61,218,628
US/Canada gross: $158,348,367
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $328,929,966
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 163
US/Canada opening weekend: $25,400,000
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $52,762,282
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 208
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $42,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $87,244,718
Production budget ranking: 475
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $46,981,280
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $427,148,823
ROI to date (est.): 318%
ROI ranking: 438
Jeanne Tripplehorn – Abby McDeere
Gene Hackman – Avery Tolar
Holly Hunter – Tammy Hemphill
Ed Harris – Wayne Tarrance
Hal Holbrook – Oliver Lambert
Director(s)
Sydney Pollack
Writer(s)
David Rabe, Robert Towne, David Rayfiel
Producer(s)
Scott Rudin, John Davis, Sydney Pollack
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 2 Oscars
3 wins & 7 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (58) | Top Critics (14) | Fresh (44) | Rotten (14)
A summer genre movie for grown-ups, The Firm helps restore faith in Hollywood professionalism.
May 15, 2018
David Ansen
Newsweek
TOP CRITIC
Tom Cruise heads a tony cast in a best-seller movie that is firm at the start and infirm by the end.
May 26, 2008
Richard Corliss
TIME Magazine
TOP CRITIC
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.
May 26, 2008 | Rating: B
Owen Gleiberman
Entertainment Weekly
TOP CRITIC
A smooth adaptation of John Grisham’s giant bestseller that is destined to be one of the summer’s strong audience pleasers.
May 26, 2008
Todd McCarthy
Variety
TOP CRITIC
Adorning the film, in supporting roles, are its saving graces.
January 26, 2006
Wally Hammond
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
October 2, 2004 | Rating: 4/5
Nell Minow
Movie Mom
TOP CRITIC
Those who admired the book will despise the movie and vice versa.
[Full review in Spanish]
June 9, 2022
Rene Jordan
El Nuevo Herald (Miami)
The first adaptation of a John Grisham novel to top the box office, The Firm successfully feels like a mass-market page-turner.
November 16, 2020 | Rating: 8/10
Sean Collier
Box Office Prophets
Tom Cruise is blessed with the amazing ensemble… and a screenplay contribution from Robert Towne, yet the result is a pat paper chase-cum-thriller that’s looking constantly to break the surface.
April 6, 2020 | Rating: 2.5/4
Tom Meek
Cambridge Day
The Firm is soft — lumpy in its plotting and almost silly at times.
May 15, 2018
Malcolm Johnson
Hartford Courant
…a completely passable adaptation that never quite becomes the classic legal thriller it wants to be.
May 24, 2017 | Rating: 3/4
David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews
…pits Cruise against the world, with only his character’s wit.
May 19, 2011 | Rating: 7/10
John J. Puccio
Movie Metropolis…
Plot
Mitch McDeere is a young man with a promising future in Law. About to sit his Bar exam, he is approached by ‘The Firm’ and made an offer he doesn’t refuse. Seduced by the money and gifts showered on him, he is totally oblivious to the more sinister side of his company. Then, two Associates are murdered. The FBI contact him, asking him for information and suddenly his life is ruined. He has a choice – work with the FBI, or stay with the Firm. Either way he will lose his life as he knows it. Mitch figures the only way out is to follow his own plan…
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The Firm boasts an impressive cast including Tom Cruise, Gene Hackman, Holly Hunter, and Ed Harris.
Sydney-Pollack.jpg
