Disclosure (1994)
58%RT Audience Score: 41%
Awards & Nominations: 2 wins & 2 nominations
Disclosure, a film that attempts to tackle the issue of sexual harassment in the workplace, falls short of its lofty goals. While the film boasts a talented cast and impressive special effects, it ultimately fails to deliver a coherent plot, leaving viewers confused and frustrated. The film’s attempts at humor fall flat, and its treatment of the subject matter is superficial at best. Director Barry Levinson’s machine-like precision is on full display, but it only serves to highlight the film’s lack of heart and soul. In the end, Disclosure is a forgettable film that fails to live up to its potential.
Disclosure is like a bad date that you can’t wait to end. It’s trying so hard to be significant and tackle important issues, but it just falls flat. The special effects are cool, but they can’t make up for the confusing plot. And let’s not forget about Michael Douglas, who seems to always be running from beautiful, dangerous women. But hey, at least it’s good storytelling and a lot of fun…if you’re into that sort of thing.
Production Company(ies)
Horizon Pictures,
Distributor
NA
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Bainbridge Island, Washington, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for a very strong sex scene, sexual dialogue and other strong language
Year of Release
1994
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:2.35 : 1
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Runtime:NA
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Streaming): Aug 22, 1997
Genre(s)
Mystery & thriller
Keyword(s)
starring Michael Douglas, Demi Moore, Donald Sutherland, Caroline Goodall, Dylan Baker, Roma Maffia, directed by Barry Levinson, written by Paul Attanasio, mystery, thriller, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Gene Siskel, Kenneth Turan, Terrence Rafferty, Carrie Rickey, Jeff Shannon, Michael Wilmington, Mal Vincent, Harvey S Karten, Brian D Johnson, Malcolm Johnson, David Sterritt, produced by Barry Levinson, Michael Crichton, R-rated, sexual harassment, workplace politics, power dynamics, technology corporation, innovative product, potential merger, sexual harassment lawsuit, past relationship, gender battle, virtual reality, E-mail warfare, water-cooler gossip, special effects, glossy, hokey, storytelling, fun
Worldwide gross: $214,015,089
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $432,979,357
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 353
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 47,216,942
US/Canada gross: $83,015,089
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $167,949,933
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 451
US/Canada opening weekend: $10,068,126
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $20,369,081
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 645
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $55,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $111,271,896
Production budget ranking: 338
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $59,919,916
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $261,787,546
ROI to date (est.): 153%
ROI ranking: 759
Demi Moore – Meredith Johnson
Donald Sutherland – Bob Garvin
Caroline Goodall – Susan Hendler
Dylan Baker – Philip Blackburn
Roma Maffia – Catherine Alvarez
Barry Levinson – Director/Producer
Michael Crichton – Producer
Paul Attanasio – Writer
Director(s)
Barry Levinson
Writer(s)
Paul Attanasio
Producer(s)
Barry Levinson, Michael Crichton
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
2 wins & 2 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (62) | Top Critics (22) | Fresh (37) | Rotten (25)
Pure and simple trash masquerading as significance.
April 25, 2014 | Rating: 2/4
Gene Siskel
Chicago Tribune
TOP CRITIC
Its preoccupation with snazzy computer-generated special effects has left key plot points so unclear at least one baffled viewer had to retreat to the book to find out why some things happened and others did not.
April 25, 2014
Kenneth Turan
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
The presence of Douglas, who has made a career of being pursued by beautiful, dangerous women, turns this sexual-harassment thriller into instant camp.
April 25, 2014
Terrence Rafferty
New Yorker
TOP CRITIC
This witty, wily battle between genders is not so much about sexual harassment as it is about power politics in the workplace, where water-cooler gossip is replaced by E-mail, and where memo warfare is waged by combatants in virtual-reality goggles.
April 25, 2014 | Rating: 3/4
Carrie Rickey
Philadelphia Inquirer
TOP CRITIC
For those who would question Crichton’s motives, Levinson and Attanasio haven’t let men off the hook.
April 25, 2014 | Rating: 3/4
Jeff Shannon
Seattle Times
TOP CRITIC
This is the least personal movie [Levinson has] made in years, and the script is more a shortening of Crichton’s story than a dramatization.
April 25, 2014 | Rating: 2.5/4
Michael Wilmington
Chicago Tribune
TOP CRITIC
It’s glossy and hokey, but it is also good storytelling. More importantly, within its aims, it’s a lot of fun.
March 22, 2022 | Rating: 3.5/4
Mal Vincent
The Virginian-Pilot
Makes the case convincingly that women in power can sexually harass men that they manage.
June 21, 2020 | Rating: B+
Harvey S. Karten
Shockya.com
Douglas inspires little empathy, while Moore’s character-a serial sexual harasser-is thinner than a microchip. And as a thriller, Disclosure is anticlimactic…
October 9, 2019
Brian D. Johnson
Maclean’s Magazine
Though directed with machine-like precision by Barry Levinson, the screenplay by Paul Attanasio unfortunately eliminates too many key elements in Crichton’s smart but convoluted story line.
April 25, 2018 | Rating: 2.5/5
Malcolm Johnson
Hartford Courant
On the level of pure craft, Disclosure is first-rate in every department. Levinson’s directing is cogent and colorful, and cinematography by camera wizard Tony Pierce-Roberts is dazzling.
April 25, 2014
David Sterritt
Christian Science Monitor
This is one of those big, sleek soulless movies that hums along, impressed with itself and the Big Issue it allegedly tackles… [but] what Disclosure really does best is appeal to your most prurient instincts.
April 25, 2014
Leah Rozen
People Magazine…
Plot
Tom Sanders is a manager at a computer company in Seattle. Happily married with children, Tom had big hopes for a promotion by his boss, but it goes to Meredith Johnson, Tom’s seductive ex-girlfriend, instead. Somehow Tom takes it with a grain of salt, until a personal meeting turns into a seduction when Meredith decides to relive her sexual fantasy and pick up from where they left off. Tom refuses, making Meredith frustrated. Tom’s only choice; to sue for sexual harassment. But everyone believes it was the other way around and his boss wants to transfer him to another division, forcing him to lose everything. Tom discovers not only is the system rigged against him, but Meredith’s going to destroy his career, and bolster her own by blaming him for a serious error of judgment on her part.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
According to Fresh Kernels, Michael Douglas “has made a career of being pursued by beautiful, dangerous women” in his role in Disclosure.
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