• Cast & crew
  • User reviews

The Firm (1993)

A young lawyer joins a prestigious law firm only to discover that it has a sinister dark side. A young lawyer joins a prestigious law firm only to discover that it has a sinister dark side. A young lawyer joins a prestigious law firm only to discover that it has a sinister dark side.

  • Sydney Pollack
  • John Grisham
  • Robert Towne
  • Jeanne Tripplehorn
  • Gene Hackman
  • 252 User reviews
  • 61 Critic reviews
  • 58 Metascore
  • 3 wins & 7 nominations total

The Firm

  • Mitch McDeere

Jeanne Tripplehorn

  • Abby McDeere

Gene Hackman

  • Avery Tolar

Hal Holbrook

  • Oliver Lambert

Terry Kinney

  • Lamar Quinn

Wilford Brimley

  • William Devasher

Ed Harris

  • Wayne Tarrance

Holly Hunter

  • Tammy Hemphill

David Strathairn

  • Ray McDeere

Gary Busey

  • Eddie Lomax

Steven Hill

  • F. Denton Voyles

Tobin Bell

  • The Nordic Man

Barbara Garrick

  • Royce McKnight

Paul Calderon

  • Thomas Richie

Jerry Weintraub

  • Sonny Capps
  • Barry Abanks

Karina Lombard

  • Young Woman on Beach
  • All cast & crew
  • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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A Few Good Men

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  • Trivia Holly Hunter is on screen for a total of 5 minutes and 59 seconds, one the of shortest performances ever nominated for an Oscar. She is in 20 scenes, for an average of 18 seconds per scene.
  • Goofs The cars of the Mud Island monorail leave and arrive at opposite ends at the same time. It would be impossible for the man following McDeere to leave his car and begin running for the other side before McDeere left his car.

Mitch McDeere : I got mine, Wayne, you get the rest of them.

Wayne Tarrance : Get 'em with what? Overbilling, mail fraud? Oh, that's exciting.

Mitch McDeere : It's not sexy, but it's got teeth! Ten thousand dollars and five years in prison. That's ten and five for each act. Have you really looked at that? You've got every partner in the firm on overbilling. There's two hundred fifty acts of documented mail fraud there. That's racketeering! That's minimum one thousand, two hundred fifty years in prison and half a million dollars in fines. That's more than you had on Capone.

  • Crazy credits Since laundering drug money is a major theme, this appears: "The producers wish to thank the Cayman Islands Government...for their cooperation in the making of this film and acknowledge that the Cayman Islands have strict antidrug and money laundering laws which are rigorously enforced."
  • Alternate versions In the scene when Mitch is at the Cayman Islands, and is talking to his new client Sonny Capps about tax representation, there is a line that had a strange overdubbing. Mitch's line "You'd feel like you were fucked with a dick big enough for an elephant to feel it" was re-shot for television. In the TV version, the line was replaced with "You'd feel like you had a prostate exam with a beach umbrella to feel it."
  • Connections Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Last Action Hero/Once Upon a Forest/Jurassic Park/The Music of Chance (1993)
  • Soundtracks Start It Up Written by Robben Ford Performed by Robben Ford & The Blue Line

User reviews 252

  • May 25, 2010
  • How could the girl describe the two killers? She was sitting under the desk, so she couldn't see anything.
  • What is "The Firm" about?
  • Since Mitch never actually confessed to having sex on the beach with the "other woman," he didn't have to tell Abby right away, if at all, so how would this have affected the plot?
  • June 30, 1993 (United States)
  • United States
  • Mount Baker, Washington, USA
  • Davis Entertainment
  • Mirage Enterprises
  • Paramount Pictures
  • See more company credits at IMDbPro
  • $42,000,000 (estimated)
  • $158,348,367
  • $25,400,000
  • Jul 4, 1993
  • $270,248,367

Technical specs

  • Runtime 2 hours 34 minutes

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  • Apr 2, 2021

'The Firm' Cayman Tour

During the great COVID 19 lockdown of 2020, none of us in the Cayman Islands were allowed to even leave our own homes for much of the months of April and May. As such, movie and TV binging (next to drinking) became the main pastime, and during this period “The Firm” came across my Netflix queue, so of course I had to watch it.

tom cruise the firm beach scene

For those who don’t know, John Grishman’s bestseller novel “The Firm” was published in 1991, and the plot has much to do with the Cayman Islands. After the book's initial release, The Firm remained on The New York Times' bestseller list for 47 weeks and became the seventh bestselling novel of 1991, so it’s no surprise that in 1992 it was made into a movie starring Tom Cruise and Gene Hackman.

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of meeting a Caymanian gentleman named Bert. We got to chatting for quite a while, and our conversation meandered through various topics, including diving, and what Cayman was like when he was a young man. During this conversation, Bert happened to mention he was an extra in the party scene of the movie. “It was filmed at the old Holiday Inn. You can’t tell it’s me, but I’m in the background dancing.” Bert recalls. “I was able to meet all of the actors including Tom and Gene.”

Bert is not the first person I've heard a similar story from. While a surprisingly large number of film and TV productions have been shot in the Cayman Islands, The Firm was undoubtedly the most successful and well known. All of the island scenes were shot in Grand Cayman. Even today, Grand Cayman is a small island and word travels fast. As I write these words, a film crew for HBO is on-island filming a reality TV show, and word about it is everywhere. The 1990 Cayman Islands census lists the population of the island less than half of what it was today. As such, the production of the movie was a very big deal for anyone who lived in Grand Cayman at the time, and many remember it fondly.

Almost 30 years later, The Firm still holds up as a good thriller even though at 2 hours and 34 minutes, it is a bit long. For this reason it’s understandable that some of you might not want to watch it in its entirety. So for the Cayman Islands enthusiasts, we’ve watched the movie for you, and picked out all of the Cayman Islands scenes so you can fast forward right to them, while trying not to spoil the plot for those of you who haven’t seen it.

At 32 minutes, the movie has a hard cut from a scene of Tom Cruise and his wife arguing in their Memphis living room directly, into the movie’s only underwater diving shot. It’s a heavily colored 14 second clip of Gene Hackman, quite literally dragging Tom Cruise around a reef by his alternate second stage regulator, a sight which made me laugh out loud. A common legend is the scene was shot at the famous West Bay dive site ‘Trinity Caves.’ It’s hard to say if this is true or not, and I’ve heard all kinds of stories and no one can seem to remember. Some claim it was shot at Trinity Caves. Others claim it was not even shot in the Cayman Islands, but in the Bahamas. When we look at IMDB’s location list for the movie, The Bahamas isn’t listed, so we can likely rule this out.

Now cumulatively the Divetech staff members have dived Trinity Caves thousands of times, and many of us have examined the footage. It's possible that they are traversing the wall from west to east over the main pinnacle of the site where the mooring pin is currently located. But it could just as easily be some random feature on another dive site. None of us could say for sure one way or another. No reference is made in the dialogue where the dive site is. None of the old timers I know in Cayman know, and I can’t find any reference online.

Immediately after the underwater diving scene at 32 minutes, the first of the movie’s 2 Grand Cayman sequences begins with Tom Cruise and Gene Hackman on the Georgetown Waterfront. Despite the almost 30 year gap, the waterfront is easily recognizable. Following this, they depart for the Hyatt Regency Hotel and Resort where the characters’ ‘tax avoidance’ meeting with Sonny takes place. Back in the 1990’s the Hyatt was the resort in the Cayman Islands. Sadly it was destroyed in 2004 from Hurricane Ivan. IMDB indicates the structure has been torn down, but as someone who lives just 300 yards from this property, I can assure you the skeletal remains are still up to this day, and it’s fountain entrance displayed in the movie is still identifiable.

tom cruise the firm beach scene

The law firm’s condo units were never revealed in the movie, but reported by several online sources to be filmed at the Great House on West Bay Road in Seven Mile Beach. There are several scenes in the movie showing exterior shots of the condos, including a 4 second shot of the building’s south side and beach. While today, there are some landscaping differences, the building’s distinctive roofline matches the movie scenes exactly.

tom cruise the firm beach scene

The night-time party scene was filmed at the beachside bar of the former Holiday Inn. The hotel has long since been torn down and in its place was built the Ritz Carlton.

Interestingly is the fictitious diving operator “Abanks Diving Lodge” and it’s owner Barry Abanks featured in the movie. The name Abanks is no doubt a spin-off of one of Cayman’s oldest family names “Ebanks.” Hundreds of residents, 3 roads, and dozens of businesses have the name Ebanks, including “Ebanks Watersports.” The Abanks Diving Lodge was a set, built for the movie on the edge of Grand Cayman’s North Sound in Newlands, it was intended to be kept as a tourist attraction, however this didn’t pan out. Records are spotty, however it does seem like following the popularity of the film, someone tried to make a business of the same name “Abanks Diving Lodge,” which had limited success. Likely this would have had to do with the location. Anyone familiar with the Newlands section of Grand Cayman knows its well off the beaten path for tourism. While some records show the Abanks Diving Lodge did have a presence on the Georgetown Waterfront, it didn't last very long. Today, the location of the Abanks Dive Lodge set is now a private boat yard, and the structure which had the fictitious dive shop has been long gone. Unfortunately I could not gain access to even get a photo of this, as the road is gated off.

tom cruise the firm beach scene

Astute viewers will note the attention to detail that went into the Abanks Dive Lodge set. On the wall behind Mr. Abanks in several of the scenes are PADI certificates, along with promotions of upcoming dive trips and specials on a blackboard. It looks very authentic as a Caribbean dive shop and I was surprised to learn this was a made-for-movie set. When I first viewed the film, seeing these things made me assume it was shot at a real dive shop. The only thing I found out of place in the movie was the presence of a Lake Buccaneer LA-4-200 Seaplane emblazoned with the dive shop’s name, moored up next to his dive boats. However the plane is there, as it later becomes a key element of the plot.

tom cruise the firm beach scene

At 36 minutes, Tom Cruise’s character Mitch is taking a taxi ride to see Mr Abanks. The scene shows a taxi on what is clearly Seaview Road on Cayman’s east side - likely by the famous Blow Holes. The taxi’s location was about 15 miles past where the Abanks Diving Lodge was actually located, and would have taken far longer than Mitch had in his timeline of the plot. It seems like this shot location was clearly chosen for its picturesque nature, so we will forgive them for this artistic license.

tom cruise the firm beach scene

The fictitious nature of the Abanks Diving Lodge leads to another odd coincidence though. At 1 hour 36 minutes in the movie, Tom Cruise’s character Mitch sends a fax over to Barry Abanks. As the fax is coming off the machine, clearly visible on Abanks’ desk is a notepad with printed text “Bob Soto’s Diving.” Bob Soto was the pioneer and father of scuba diving in the Cayman Islands, having a highly successful watersports business for decades in Grand Cayman.

tom cruise the firm beach scene

The association of the dive site Trinity Caves to the movie is a persistent one, and most Divemasters will brief that the movie's underwater scene was shot at Trinity Caves. More likely however, the association simply has to do with the dialog found at 1 hour 38 minutes. Tom Cruise’s character Mitch, makes a call to the diving operator Mr. Abanks. Mitch needs to try and distract Gene Hackman’s character (Avery) for a period of time, and asks for Mr. Abank’s help in doing so. The dialog is as follows:

Mr Abanks: Abanks Diving Lodge.

Mitch: What time has Avery charted the boat for?

Mr Abanks: 2:30

Mitch: OK, we gotta keep him out long enough to copy everything in the closet.

Mr Abanks: Don’t worry, my friends are taking him to Trinity Caves, it should be about 6 hours.

The amusing part of this for us, is that anyone who has dived Trinity Caves knows its mooring pin is 2,206 feet from West Bay Dock. Even when the boat is moving at idle speed, it takes only 6 or 7 minutes to get there, so unless the boat departed from Cayman’s East end, the 6 hour estimate is always found to be humorous. However, if the boat left from the location of the fictitious Abanks Diving Lodge, the total trip could easily be 6 hours, although they'd have passed by about 80 other dive sites on their way.

The movie’s final Cayman scenes concludes with one last shot of a boat on the Abanks Diving Lodge dock 2 hours 24 minutes, and the movie ends 10 minutes later.

tom cruise the firm beach scene

We give the film 2 fins up and think if you've not seen it, you should check it out.

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Watching "The Firm," I realized that law firms have replaced Army platoons as Hollywood's favorite microcosm. The new law thrillers have the same ingredients as those dependable old World War II action films: various ethnic and personality types who fight with each other when they're not fighting the enemy. The law movies have one considerable advantage: the female characters participate fully in all the action, instead of just staying home and writing letters to the front.

In "The Firm," a labyrinthine 153-minute film by Sydney Pollack , Tom Cruise plays Mitch McDeere, a poor boy who is ashamed of his humble origins now that he has graduated from Harvard Law fifth in his class. He gets offers from the top law firms in New York and Chicago, but finally settles on a smaller firm headquartered in Memphis. His decision is salary-driven; he sees money as security, although later in the film he is unable to say how rich he'd have to be to feel really secure.

Mitch moves to Memphis with his wife, Abby ( Jeanne Tripplehorn , the peculiar psychiatrist in " Basic Instinct "). They are provided with a house and a shiny new Mercedes - both bugged, as it turns out. And gradually McDeere begins to realize his new law firm is in league with the devil. An FBI man spills the beans: only a quarter of the clients are above-board, and the rest are thieves, scoundrels and money-launderers, with the firm's partners acting as bagmen shipping the money to offshore banks.

Some movies about the law oversimplify the legal aspects.

This one milks them for all they're worth. Without revealing too much of the plot, I can say that McDeere is eventually being blackmailed simultaneously by both the FBI and the firm's security chief (kindly old Wilford Brimley , very effective in a rare outing as a villain).

To save himself, he has to use both brain and muscle, outrunning killers and outthinking lawyers, to save both his life and his license to practice law.

The story is fairly clear in its general outlines, but sometimes baffling on the specifics. Based on the novel by John Grisham , as adapted by three of the most expensive screenwriters in the business ( David Rabe , Robert Towne and David Rayfiel ), "The Firm" takes 2 1/2 hours to find its way through a moral and legal maze. By the end, despite McDeere's breathless explanations during phone calls in the middle of a chase sequence, I was fairly confused about his strategy. But I didn't care, since the form of the movie was effective even when the details were vague.

Sydney Pollack, the director, likes to make long, ambitious movies ("Out Of Africa," "Havana") and he's comfortable working with familiar stars; he uses them as character-building shorthand. One glimpse of Hal Holbrook as the head of the Firm, for example, and we know it's a shady outfit. Holbrook almost always plays the seemingly respectable man with dark secrets. One look at Gene Hackman , as the law partner who becomes Cruise's mentor, and we know he's a flawed but fundamentally decent man, because he always is. One look at Cruise and we feel comfortable, because he embodies sincerity. He is also, in many of his roles, just a little slow to catch on; his characters seem to trust people too easily, and so it's convincing when he swallows the Firm's pitches and pep talks.

The movie is virtually an anthology of good small character performances. Ed Harris , sinister with a shaved head, needs only a couple of brief scenes to convincingly explain the FBI's case against the Firm - and to reveal its cheerful willingness to subject a potential witness to unendurable pressure. Another effective performance is by David Strathairn , as the brother McDeere hasn't told the Firm about, because he's doing time for manslaughter.

Strathairn is emerging as one of the most interesting character actors around (he was the slow-witted movie usher in " Lost In Yonkers ," and the local boy who came courting in " Passion Fish ").

There are also colorful performances by Gary Busey , as a fast-talking private eye, and by Holly Hunter , as his loyal secretary who witnesses a murder and then becomes McDeere's courageous partner.

The large gallery of characters makes "The Firm" into a convincing canvas; there are enough believable people here to give McDeere a convincing world to occupy. And Pollack is patient with his material. He'll let a scene play until the point is made a little more deeply. That allows an actor like Hackman to be surprisingly effective in scenes where he subtly establishes that, despite everything, he has a good heart. A late, tricky scene between Hackman and Tripplehorn is like a master class in acting.

The parts of "The Firm" are probably better than the whole, however. The movie lacks overall clarity, and in the last half-hour audiences are likely to be confused over what's happening, and why.

As I said, that didn't bother me overmuch, once I realized the movie would work even if I didn't always follow it. But 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.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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Film credits.

The Firm movie poster

The Firm (1993)

Rated R For Language and Violence

153 minutes

Tom Cruise as Mitch McDeere

Jeanne Tripplehorn as Abby McDeere

Gene Hackman as Avery Tolar

Hal Holbrook as Oliver Lamber

Directed by

  • Sydney Pollack
  • Robert Towne
  • David Rayfiel
  • John Grisham

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SCEEN IT, find add and share filming locations

Filming locations

The firm (1993).

Want to know where The Firm from 1993 was filmed? The movie starring Tom Cruise, Jeanne Tripplehorn and Gene Hackman was shot at more than 11 locations, including The Blues City Cafe in Memphis, United States. All the filming locations of The Firm are listed below.

STORY 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...

Poster The Firm (1993)

Thriller, Drama, Mystery

PRODUCTION COUNTRY

United States of America

Sydney Pollack

Tom Cruise (Mitch McDeere) , Jeanne Tripplehorn (Abby McDeere) , Gene Hackman (Avery Tolar) , Hal Holbrook (Oliver Lambert) , Terry Kinney (Lamar Quinn) , Wilford Brimley (William Devasher) , Ed Harris (Wayne Tarrance) more... , Holly Hunter (Tammy Hemphill) , Karina Lombard (Young Woman on the Beach) , David Strathairn (Ray McDeere) , Gary Busey (Eddie Lomax) , Steven Hill (F. Denton Voyles) , Tobin Bell (The Nordic Man) , Barbara Garrick (Kay Quinn) , Jerry Hardin (Royce McKnight) , Paul Calderon (Thomas Richie) , Jerry Weintraub (Sonny Capps) , Sullivan Walker (Thomas Abanks) , Margo Martindale (Nina Huff) , John Beal (Nathan Locke) , Dean Norris (The Squat Man) , Lou Walker (Frank Mulholland) , Tommy Cresswell (Wally Hudson) , David A. Kimball (Randall Dunbar) , David Dwyer (Prison Guard) , Afemo Omilami (Cotton Truck Driver) , Clint Smith (Cotton Truck Driver) , Jonathan Kaplan (Lawyer Recruiter) , Paul Sorvino (Tommy Morolto (uncredited) ) , Joe Viterelli (Joey Morolto (uncredited) ) , Janie Paris (Madge) , Susan Elliott (River Museum Guide) , Erin Branham (River Museum Guide) , Joey Anderson (Ruth) , Deborah Thomas (Quinns' Maid) , Rebecca Glenn (Young Woman at Patio Bar) , Terri Welles (Woman Dancing with Avery) , Chris Schadrack (Lawyer Recruiter) , Jeffrey Buckner Ford (Lawyer Recruiter) , Andy Armstrong (Bad Beach Man (uncredited) ) and others.

John Grisham (Novel) , David Rabe (Screenplay) , Robert Towne (Screenplay) , David Rayfiel (Screenplay) , John Davis (Producer) , Lindsay Doran (Executive Producer) , Michael Hausman (Executive Producer) more... , Sydney Pollack (Producer) , Scott Rudin (Producer) , Dave Grusin (Music) , Fredric Steinkamp (Editor) , William Steinkamp (Editor) , David Rubin (Casting) , Richard Macdonald (Production Design) , John Willett (Art Direction) , Casey Hallenbeck (Set Decoration) , Ruth Myers (Costume Design) , John Seale (Director of Photography) , Debra Zane (Casting Associate) , Michael Hausman (Unit Production Manager) , David McGiffert (First Assistant Director) , Andy Armstrong (Stunt Coordinator) , Marjorie McCown (Assistant Costume Designer) , Robin L. Miller (Property Master) , Anne Rapp (Script Supervisor) , Joyce Arrastia (Assistant Editor) , Morris Flam (Chief Lighting Technician) , Scott Ferguson (Unit Manager) , Adam Sawelson (Dialogue Editor) , Luke Reichle (Costumer) , François Duhamel (Still Photographer) , David L. Butler (Aerial Camera) , Chris Jenkins (Sound Re-Recording Mixer) , Lucy Coldsnow-Smith (Foley Editor) , Doug Hemphill (Sound Re-Recording Mixer) , James C. Feng (Assistant Art Director) , E.W. Bradford (Construction Coordinator) , J. Paul Huntsman (Supervising Sound Editor) , Steven Curtis Husch (Assistant Set Decoration) , Myron Nettinga (Sound Effects Editor) and others.

Mirage Enterprises, Paramount, Davis Entertainment, Scott Rudin Productions

The Movie Database

If you love to travel and like to visit countries like United States or places like The Blues City Cafe in Memphis. If you want to share your love for The Firm or movie stars like Tom Cruise, Jeanne Tripplehorn and Gene Hackman. And if you love movies and series in genres like thriller, drama and mystery, then SCEEN IT is the place to be. It is a great guide for everybody who loves traveling, watching movies and series and visiting filming locations.

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LOCATION collection

Where was it filmed.

Show streetview

W Washington DC The Firm (1993)

Mitch McDeere is attending a seminar in Washington DC. He is approached by the FBI.

3617_the firm_the blues city cafe_0.jpeg

The Blues City Cafe The Firm (1993)

Two men start talking to Mitch in the restaurant. They turn out to be from the FBI.

2947_the firm_the peabody memphis_0.jpg

The Peabody Memphis The Firm (1993)

Mitch and Abby McDeere are invited to a rooftop party at the Peabody.

37233_01_TheFirm_TheLincolnMemorialReflectingPool_01.png

The Lincoln Memorial - Reflecting Pool The Firm (1993)

On a bench next to the Reflecting Pool Mitch McDeere is told that he actually works for the maffia by FBI Director F. Denton Voyles.

2945_the firm_grand cayman beach suites (formerly hyatt regency grand cayman resort and villas)_0.png

Grand Cayman Beach Suites (formerly Hyatt Regency Grand Cayman Resort and Villas) The Firm (1993)

Avery Tolar and Mitch have a meeting with their client Sonny Cabbs.

2950_the firm_harvard university_0.png

Harvard University The Firm (1993)

Mitch has to hurry because he is late.

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Where to Watch

Watch The Firm with a subscription on Paramount+, rent on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, or buy on Fandango at Home, Prime Video.

What to Know

The Firm is a big studio thriller that amusingly tears apart the last of 1980s boardroom culture and the false securities it represented.

Critics Reviews

Audience reviews, cast & crew.

Sydney Pollack

Mitch McDeere

Jeanne Tripplehorn

Abby McDeere

Gene Hackman

Avery Tolar

Holly Hunter

Tammy Hemphill

Wayne Tarrance

Movie Clips

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The Firm (1993)

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The Firm is a 1993 American legal thriller film directed by Sydney Pollack and starring Tom Cruise , Jeanne Tripplehorn , Gene Hackman , Ed Harris , Holly Hunter , Hal Holbrook , David Strathairn and Gary Busey in a critically acclaimed role. The film is based on the 1991 novel The Firm by author John Grisham. The Firm was one of two films released in 1993 that were adapted from a Grisham novel, the other being The Pelican Brief .

Released on June 30, 1993, the film was a major commercial success, grossing $270.2 million against a budget of $42 million, making it the highest grossing film adapted from a Grisham novel and the highest-grossing R-rated film of 1993, and received positive reviews for the performances (particularly from Cruise and Hunter), although the screenplay received some criticism. Holly Hunter was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance, while Dave Grusin was nominated for Best Original Score.

  • 3 Production
  • 4 Differences from the novel
  • 6 Reception
  • 7 Home media
  • 8.1 TV sequel
  • 9 Theatrical Trailer

Mitch McDeere, about to graduate near the top of his class from Harvard Law School, accepts a generous job offer from Bendini, Lambert & Locke, a boutique law firm in Memphis, Tennessee. Mitch and his wife Abby move to Memphis, and he studies to pass the Tennessee bar exam. Senior partner Avery Tolar mentors Mitch and introduces him to the firm's professional culture, which demands strict loyalty, confidentiality, and a willingness to charge exceptional fees. Mitch is seduced by the money and perks – including a house, new car, and his student loans paid off – but Abby is suspicious of the firm's interference with employees’ families.

Mitch passes the bar exam and begins working long hours, straining his marriage. Working closely with Avery, Mitch learns that most of the firm's work involves helping wealthy clients hide money in off-shore shell corporations and other dubious tax-avoidance schemes. During a working trip to the Cayman Islands, Mitch hears a client state that the firm's Chicago clients break people's legs, and finds suspicious documents in a locked closet at Avery's vacation house relating to four of the firm's associates who died under suspicious circumstances. Meanwhile, a local prostitute seduces Mitch, as prearranged by the firm's security chief, Bill DeVasher, who then uses photos of the tryst to blackmail Mitch into silence about the firm's activities, threatening to send the photos to Mitch's wife Abby. This prompts Mitch to hire a private investigator, Eddie Lomax, to investigate the associates' mysterious death, but soon after starting to work on the case, Lomax is fatally shot in his office by two hit-men, a murder that his secretary Tammy witnesses while hiding under the desk.

Mitch is approached by FBI agents who reveal that BL&L's biggest client is the Morolto crime family of the Chicago Outfit. Most of the firm is complicit in a massive tax fraud and money laundering scheme. The dead associates had learned the truth and were killed on the firm's orders, as was Lomax. The FBI warns Mitch that his house, car, and office are bugged and pressures him to provide evidence against the firm and the Moroltos. Mitch agrees to cooperate in return for $1.5 million and the release of his brother Ray, who is serving time in an Arkansas prison. The FBI orders Ray's release, planning to return him to prison once Mitch hands over the incriminating files, and gives him half the money. Mitch confesses his one-night stand in the Caymans to Abby, who prepares to leave him.

When a client complains about billing for several hours of extra fees, Mitch realizes that mailing clients these padded bills is mail fraud, exposing the firm to RICO charges. He secretly copies the firm's billing records with help from Tammy, but needs files from Avery's house in the Caymans. Avery invites Abby to come with him to the Caymans and she declines, but he reveals his Caymans schedule has changed, threatening Mitch's plans. Telling Tammy not to inform Mitch, Abby flies to the Caymans to seduce and drug Avery. The firm's phone tap picks up Abby's warning to Tammy, and DeVasher sends his hitmen to the Caymans. After Abby and Tammy steal, copy, and return the files, a drowsy Avery tells Abby that the firm had arranged for the Caymans prostitute on the beach to seduce Mitch. Avery warns Abby to leave and is later murdered by DeVasher's hitmen, who make it look like he drowned in the bathtub.

Mitch's plans are jeopardized when a prison guard on the Moroltos' payroll alerts DeVasher after Ray is transferred to FBI custody without the usual formalities. Fleeing from DeVasher and his hitman, Mitch enters a building where DeVasher inadvertently shoots the hitman dead before Mitch blindsides him and beats him unconscious. Mitch meets with the Moroltos, presenting himself as a loyal attorney looking out for his clients' interests. He claims that his contact with the FBI and his copying of files were an attempt to expose the firm's illegal over-billing, and asks the Moroltos for permission to turn over their billing invoices to help the FBI's case against the firm. Revealing that he has made his own copies, he assures them that as long as he is alive, any information he has about their legal affairs is safe under attorney–client privilege. Guaranteeing Mitch's safety, the Moroltos reluctantly let him give the FBI the evidence it needs to prosecute the firm. Since the Moroltos were not tied to the mail fraud operations and attorney–client privilege does not apply when a lawyer knows about ongoing criminal activity, Mitch is able to continue his legal career, and reconciles with Abby.

The FBI is furious that Mitch bailed the Moroltos out, but Mitch reminds them that the evidence he provided falls under RICO's jurisdiction and can all but guarantee every senior member of the firm going to prison for decades. The film ends as the McDeeres return to Boston, driving the same well-used car in which they arrived in Memphis, while Ray, having been given the $750,000 Mitch obtained from the FBI by Tammy, enjoys his new life in the Caymans.

  • Tom Cruise as Mitch McDeere, a promising recent Harvard Law graduate
  • Jeanne Tripplehorn as Abby McDeere, Mitch's wife
  • Gene Hackman as Avery Tolar, Mitch's mentor at the Firm
  • Holly Hunter as Tammy Hemphill, Eddie's chain-smoking secretary and lover who aids Mitch in copying and stealing the files in Memphis and the Cayman Islands
  • Ed Harris as FBI Agent Wayne Tarrance, the agent in charge of the investigation into the Firm; Mitch's primary contact with the FBI
  • Hal Holbrook as Oliver Lambert, senior partner at the Firm
  • Jerry Hardin as Royce McKnight, managing partner at the Firm
  • David Strathairn as Ray McDeere, Mitch's brother who was in jail for a manslaughter conviction
  • Terry Kinney as Lamar Quinn, Mitch's friend who works at the Firm
  • Wilford Brimley as Bill DeVasher, officially the head of security at the Firm—unofficially the Firm's main hitman
  • Sullivan Walker as Thomas Abanks, the owner of a scuba diving business
  • Gary Busey as Eddie Lomax, a private investigator and former cell-mate of Ray McDeere
  • Barbara Garrick as Kay Quinn, Lamar Quinn's wife who befriends both Abby and Mitch
  • Steven Hill as FBI Director Denton Voyles
  • Margo Martindale as Nina Huff, Mitch's Secretary
  • Paul Sorvino as Tony Morolto
  • Joe Viterelli as Joey Morolto
  • Jerry Weintraub as Sonny Capps
  • Tobin Bell as The Nordic Man, Morolto Hitman
  • Dean Norris as The Squat Man, Morolto Hitman
  • Karina Lombard as A Girl Who Seduces McDeere
  • John Beal as Nathan Locke
  • Paul Calderon as Thomas Richie

Production [ ]

Principal photography took place from November 9, 1992 to March 20, 1993 and though it was primarily filmed in Memphis, Tennessee, some scenes were filmed in Marion, Arkansas and the Cayman Islands.

The film's soundtrack is almost exclusively solo piano by Dave Grusin.

Gene Hackman's name did not appear on the film's release poster. Hackman joined the film late, when it was already well into production, because the producers had originally wanted to change the gender of the character and cast Meryl Streep, until author John Grisham objected and Hackman was eventually cast. Tom Cruise's deal with Paramount already stated that only his name could appear above the title. Hackman also wanted his name to appear above the title, but when this was refused he asked for his name to be removed completely from the poster. Hackman's name does appear in the beginning and end credits.

This is also the final film for Steven Hill and John Beal.

Differences from the novel [ ]

The film accords with the book in most respects, but the ending is significantly different. Mitch does not end up in the Caribbean, as in the book; he and Abby simply get into their car and drive back to Boston.

A more fundamental difference from the book is the motives and manner in which Mitch solves his predicament. In the book, Mitch acknowledges to himself that he is breaking the attorney–client privilege by copying information and giving it to the FBI. In most US states this privilege only applies to crimes that have already been committed. The privilege does not apply if a lawyer knows that his client either is committing or will commit a crime. However, Mitch must disclose information about his legitimate clients as well. Accepting that he will likely not be allowed to practice law anywhere again, he swindles $10 million from the firm, along with receiving $1 million of a promised $2 million from the FBI for his cooperation. After an extended manhunt involving the police, the firm's lawyers, and hired thugs from the Morolto family, Mitch escapes with Abby (and his brother Ray) to the Cayman Islands. Before fleeing, he leaves behind detailed records of the firm's illegal activities, as well as a recorded deposition. Mitch's information gives federal prosecutors enough evidence to indict half of the firm's active lawyers right away, as well as several retired partners. The documents also provide the FBI with circumstantial evidence of the firm's involvement in money laundering and tax fraud, and thus probable cause for a search warrant for the firm's building and files. This additional evidence is enough to smash both the firm and the Morolto family with a massive RICO indictment.

In the film, apparently in order to preserve the protagonist's personal integrity, Mitch exposes a systematic overbilling scheme by the firm, thus driving a wedge between the Moroltos (who in essence become complicit with Mitch) and their law firm (in the book, overbilling only received a brief mention). He receives a smaller amount of money from the FBI, which he gives to Ray, allowing him to disappear. Rather than capitalizing on his circumstances by stealing money from the firm, as in the book, the movie's McDeere ends up battered and bruised, but with his integrity and professional ethics intact. Mitch also makes the FBI have to work in order to bring down the firm by having to argue that each instance of excessive billing is a federal offense (by virtue of the excessive bills being sent through the mail). The volume and frequency meet the criteria for RICO, thereby enabling the FBI to effectively put the firm out of business by seizing its property and equipment and freezing its bank accounts. From here the Moroltos would then need to find another law firm willing to take them on as clients, and if they couldn't, charges for non-lodgment of tax returns could be brought. Since Mitch is exposing only illegal activity, he is able to retain his law license.

Avery Tolar was originally Avery Tolleson; the latest version of the novel uses the film's surname. Tolar is portrayed as a sort of reluctant villain in the film, while in the novel he has no such moral conflicts.

Mitch's confession to Abby about his sexual infidelity was also unique to the film. In the novel, McDeere never tells Abby about his infidelity. In the book, Abby's not knowing about Mitch's infidelity is a major "suspense" piece. Mitch comes home one evening and finds an envelope addressed to Abby, that has "Photos – Do Not Bend" written on it. The photos were surreptitiously given to DeVasher by Art Germain. Mitch thinks it is the pictures he was shown of his infidelity overseas. Abby is in the bedroom when he sees the open package. He enters the bedroom and learns that Abby opened the package, but it was empty. Mitch realizes DeVasher is toying with him, and this incident in the book causes Mitch to cooperate with the FBI. In the film, Mitch's confession prompts Abby to seriously consider leaving him, but she ultimately helps him bring down the firm.

Also, in the book, Eddie's old secretary, Tammy, seduces and drugs Avery. In the movie, however, it is Abby who seduces Avery. This also changes the character development because in the movie Abby is portrayed as risking herself for Mitch. In the book, Abby is simply an accomplice to Tammy.

Release [ ]

The film was released while Grisham was at the height of his popularity. That week, Grisham and Michael Crichton evenly divided the top six paperback spots on The New York Times Best Seller list. It opened on June 30, 1993 in 2,393 theatres, and landed at #1 at the box office, grossing $25.4 million over the 4th of July weekend. It remained in the #1 spot at the box office for 3 weeks. After 12 weeks in theatres, the film was a huge success, making over $158 million domestically and $111 million internationally ($270 million worldwide). Additionally, it was the largest grossing R-rated movie of 1993 and of any film based on a Grisham novel.

The film earned two Academy Award nominations including Best Supporting Actress for Holly Hunter (losing to Anna Paquin for The Piano , though she did win an Oscar at that year's ceremony for Best Actress in the same film as Paquin) and Best Original Score for Dave Grusin (losing to John Williams for Schindler's List ).

Reception [ ]

Critical reaction to The Firm has been mostly positive, with the film earning a 75% rating at Rotten Tomatoes based on 57 reviews, with an average of 6.20/10. The site's consensus states: " The Firm is a big studio thriller that amusingly tears apart the last of 1980s boardroom culture and the false securities it represented." Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.

Roger Ebert gave The Firm three stars out of four, remarking: "The movie is virtually an anthology of good small character performances. [...] The large gallery of characters makes The Firm into a convincing canvas [... but] 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."

The film earned some negative reviews as well, notably from James Berardinelli, who said that "[v]ery little of what made the written version so enjoyable has been successfully translated to the screen, and what we're left with instead is an overly-long [and] pedantic thriller." Grisham enjoyed the film, remarking: "I thought [Tom Cruise] did a good job. He played the innocent young associate very well."

Home media [ ]

The film was released on VHS in December 1993, the cassettes were specially made of blue plastic. The DVD was released on May 23, 2000. The special features include only the teaser and theatrical trailers. The Blu-ray was released on September 11, 2012.

In other media [ ]

Tv sequel [ ].

In April 2011 Entertainment One announced that a sequel to The Firm was being produced with Sony Pictures Television and Paramount Pictures. The series picked up the story of Mitch and his family ten years after the events of the novel and film. The first season was 22 episodes long and began production in Canada in July 2011. In May 2011, NBC confirmed that they had acquired the U.S. broadcast rights to the show and that they planned to début it in January 2012. The show was cancelled after its first season.

Theatrical Trailer [ ]

The_Firm_1993_-_TRAILER_HQ_-_TOM_CRUISE_NEW_MOVIES

The Firm 1993 - TRAILER HQ - TOM CRUISE NEW MOVIES

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Home > Films > F > The Firm

Wednesday May 8th 2024

The Firm | 1993

The Firm poster

  • Locations |
  • Tennessee ;
  • Boston , Massachusetts ;
  • Washington DC ;

Cayman Islands

  • Sydney Pollack
  • Tom Cruise,
  • Gene Hackman,
  • Jeanne Tripplehorn,
  • Hal Holbrook,
  • Terry Kinney,
  • Holly Hunter,
  • David Strathairn,
  • Gary Busey,
  • Wilford Brimley,
  • Paul Sorvino,
  • Joe Viterelli,

The Firm filming location: Copley Plaza Wyndham Hotel, Copley Square, Boston

There’s trouble ahead when ambitious young Harvard grad Mitch McDeere ( Tom Cruise ) lands a job with a powerful but dubious law firm in Memphis in another John Grisham adaptation.

The opening university scenes were actually filmed at Harvard University, East Cambridge and in Harvard Square , Massachusetts .

Mitch heads into central Boston for an interview with prestigious 'Bendini, Lambert and Locke' in the impossibly luxurious suite of the Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel , 138 St James Avenue in Copley Square . This is the same hotel in which the MacManus brothers manage to take out nine mobsters in Troy Duffy 's 1999 The Boondock Saints .

Taking up the position, Mitch relocates to Memphis , Tennessee .

The rooftop party is atop the famous Peabody Hotel , 149 Union Avenue (home of the marching ducks who troop down from their penthouse to splash about in the lobby fountain every morning), and it’s also in the Peabody that Mitch confronts the mob brothers at the end of the movie.

The oldest cemetery in Memphis , Elmwood Cemetery, 824 South Dudley Street , becomes the last resting place of the Firm’s ex-employees, while private detective Eddie Lomax ( Gary Busey ) works out of the historic Cotton Exchange Building, 65 Union Avenue .

It's just over the Mississippi River to West Memphis , Arkansas , to find the greyhound track, where FBI agent Wayne Tarrance ( Ed Harris ) is set up. This is the Southland Greyhound Park , 1550 North Ingram Boulevard .

The Firm’s luxury getaway is on Grand Cayman , largest of the three Cayman Islands ( The Firm was the first movie to be shot in these islands).

The ‘tax avoidance’ meeting takes place at what was the grand 240-room Hyatt Regency Grand Cayman Resort and Villas, now Grand Cayman Beach Suites , Seven Mile Beach on West Bay Road, on the prestigious strip of the island's west side north of George Town .

And though 'Abanks Diving Lodge' was a set, built on the island’s North Sound in Newlands , it was intended to be kept as a tourist attraction, though no longer seems to be functioning.

The company’s condo itself is the Great House , 1329A West Bay Road , on Seven Mile Beach , a condominium of twenty six residences “adorning four hundred and twenty feet of perfect white sand overlooking the Caribbean Sea”, as it's described.

The night-time party, which leads to Mitch’s little indiscretion on the beach, was at The Planet (formerly Rumheads), the beachside bar of the, now gone, Holiday Inn, where the Ritz Carlton now stands.

On to Washington DC , where Mitch attends a seminar at the W Washington DC Hotel , 515 15th Street at Pennsylvania Avenue NW. The hotel has also been featured in No Way Out , with Kevin Costner , Robert Zemeckis ' sci-fi Contact , with Jodie Foster , and The Godfather Part II .

The furtive meeting with the FBI takes place by the Reflecting Pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial , at the foot of the Mall .

Mud Island in Memphis is the setting for the climactic chase. Not actually an island, the 52-acre park is a small peninsula, surrounded by the Mississippi River to the west and the Wolf River Harbor to the east, containing the Mississippi River Museum , where Mitch tries to hide himself, as well as River Walk , a five-block long scale model of the Mississippi itself.

The Monorail , and footbridge above, which lead to the island, both feature in the climax, and begin at 125 Front Street at Adams Avenue, downtown.

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Visit The Film Locations

Visit: Tennessee

Visit: Memphis

Flights: Memphis International Airport , 2491 Winchester Road, Memphis, TN 38116 ( tel: 901.922.8000 )

Stay at: the Peabody Hotel , 149 Union Avenue, Memphis, TN 38103 ( tel: 901.529.4000 )

Visit: Mud Island River Park

Massachusetts | Boston

Visit: Massachusetts

Visit: Boston

Flights: Logan International Airport , 1 Harborside Drive, Boston, MA 02128 ( tel: 800.235.6426 )

Travel around: MBTA (Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority)

Stay at: the Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel , 138 St James Avenue, Boston, MA 02116 ( tel: 617.267.5300 )

Washington DC

International flights: Dulles International Airport , 1 Saarinen Circle, Dulles, VA 20166 ( tel: 703.572.2700 )

Domestic flights: Reagan National Airport , smaller but much closer to downtown DC

Visit: Destination DC , 901 7th Street NW, 4th Floor, Washington, DC 20001-3719 ( tel: 202.789.7000 )

Stay At: the W Washington DC , 515 15th Street, Washington, DC, 20004 ( tel: 202.661.2400 )

Visit: Arkansas

Visit: the Southland Greyhound Park , 1550 North Ingram Boulevard, West Memphis, West Memphis, AR 72301 ( tel: 1.800.467.6182 )

Visit: Cayman Islands

Visit: Grand Cayman

Flights: Owen Roberts International Airport , Roberts Drive, George Town, Cayman Islands ( tel: 345.949.5252 )

Stay at: Grand Cayman Beach Suites , Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman, West Indies ( tel: 345.949.1234 )

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The Firm (1993)

Taglines: They made him an offer he should have refused.

The Firm movie storyline. Young up-and-coming Harvard law grad Mitch McDeere (Tom Cruise) is being courted by major law firms across the country, including Chicago, New York & Los Angeles. When he decides on a small but prosperous firm in Memphis, TN, headed up by Oliver Lambert (Hal Holbrook) and Avery Tolar (Gene Hackman), Mitch and his wife Abigail (Jeanne Tripplehorn) are thrilled. But within weeks of joining the firm, 2 lawyers are savagely murdered when their boat blows up under suspicious circumstances. Mitch is soon approached by FBI agents and the U.S. Department of Justice who inform him that the law firm he works for is heavily involved in the criminal enterprises of a mob family in Chicago.

In addition he is told that many young lawyers have been killed while employed by the firm. Mitch soon discovers that the firm has indeed been involved in corruption, racketeering, mail fraud, homicide, and grossly over-billing clients. Now, facing prosecution himself – or death from the firm security enforcers – Mitch & Abigail concoct a plan to hand over files exposing the criminal behavior of the firm to the DOJ and FBI. But the sinister security agents of the firm, headed by William Devasher (Wilford Brimley) are also in pursuit of McDeere, and they will stop at nothing to silence McDeere and protect their interests.

The Firm is a 1993 American legal thriller film directed by Sydney Pollack and starring Tom Cruise, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Gene Hackman, Ed Harris, Holly Hunter, Hal Holbrook and David Strathairn. The film is based on the 1991 novel The Firm by author John Grisham. The Firm was one of two films released in 1993 that were adapted from a Grisham novel, the other being The Pelican Brief.

The film was released while Grisham was at the height of his popularity. That week, Grisham and Michael Crichton evenly divided the top six paperback spots on The New York Times Best Seller list. It opened on June 30, 1993 in 2,393 theatres, and landed at #1 at the box office, grossing $25.4 million over the 4th of July weekend. It remained in the #1 spot at the box office for 3 weeks. After 12 weeks in theatres, the film was a huge success, making over $158 million domestically and $111 million internationally ($270 million worldwide). Additionally, it was the largest grossing R-rated movie of 1993 and of any film based on a Grisham novel.

The film earned two Academy Award nominations including Best Supporting Actress for Holly Hunter (losing to Anna Paquin for The Piano, though she did win an Oscar at that year’s ceremony for Best Actress in the same film as Paquin) and Best Original Score for Dave Grusin (losing to John Williams for Schindler’s List).

Principal photography took place from November 9, 1992 to March 20, 1993 and though it was primarily filmed in Memphis, Tennessee, some scenes were filmed in Marion, Arkansas and the Cayman Islands. The film’s soundtrack is almost exclusively solo piano by Dave Grusin. Gene Hackman’s name did not appear on the film’s release poster. Hackman joined the film late, when it was already well into production, because the producers had originally wanted to change the gender of the character and cast Meryl Streep, until author John Grisham objected and Hackman was eventually cast. Tom Cruise’s deal with Paramount already stated that 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 completely from the poster. Hackman’s name does appear in the beginning and end credits.

About the Story

Mitch McDeere, about to graduate from Harvard Law School, accepts a generous job offer from Bendini, Lambert & Locke, a boutique firm in Memphis, Tennessee. Mitch and his wife Abby move to Memphis, and he studies to pass the Tennessee bar exam. Senior partner Avery Tolar mentors Mitch and introduces him to the firm’s professional culture, which demands strict loyalty, confidentiality, and a willingness to charge exceptional fees. Mitch is seduced by the money and perks – including a house, new car, and his student loans paid off – but Abby is suspicious of the firm’s interference with employees’ families.

Mitch passes the bar exam and begins working long hours, straining his marriage. Working closely with Avery, Mitch learns that most of the firm’s work involves helping wealthy clients hide money in off-shore shell corporations and other dubious tax-avoidance schemes. On a trip to the Cayman Islands, Mitch hears a client state that the firm’s Chicago clients break people’s legs. Seduced by a local woman, Mitch cheats on Abby; this encounter was arranged by the firm’s security chief, Bill DeVasher, who blackmails Mitch with photos of his tryst to keep him quiet about the firm’s activities. Learning that four of the firm’s associates died mysteriously, Mitch hires private investigator Eddie Lomax, who is shot dead, which Lomax’s secretary Tammy witnesses.

Mitch is approached by FBI agents who reveal that BL&L’s biggest client is the Morolto crime family of the Chicago Outfit. Most of the firm is complicit in a massive tax fraud and money laundering scheme. The dead associates had learned the truth and were killed on the firm’s orders, as was Lomax. The FBI warns Mitch that his house, car, and office are probably bugged, and pressures him to provide evidence against the firm and the Moroltos. Mitch agrees to cooperate in return for $1.5 million and the release of his imprisoned brother Ray. The FBI releases Ray, planning to return him to prison once Mitch hands over the incriminating files, and gives him half the money. Mitch confesses his one-night stand in the Caymans to Abby, who prepares to leave him.

When a client complains that he was billed for several hours of extra fees, Mitch realizes that mailing clients these padded bills is mail fraud, exposing the firm to RICO charges. He secretly copies the firm’s billing records with help from Tammy, but needs files from Avery’s house in the Caymans. Avery invites Abby to come with him to the Caymans and she declines, but he reveals his work schedule has changed, threatening Mitch’s plans. Telling Tammy not to inform Mitch, Abby flies to the Caymans to seduce and drug Avery. The firm’s phone tap picks up Abby’s warning to Tammy, and DeVasher sends his hitmen to the Caymans. After Abby and Tammy steal, copy, and return the files, a drowsy Avery warns Abby to leave, and is later found dead.

Mitch’s plans are jeopardized when a prison guard on the Moroltos’ payroll alerts DeVasher after Ray is transferred to FBI custody without the usual formalities. Evading DeVasher and his thugs, Mitch meets with the Moroltos, presenting himself as a loyal attorney looking out for his clients’ interests. He claims that his contact with the FBI and his copying of files were an attempt to expose the firm’s illegal over-billing, and asks the Moroltos for permission to turn over their billing invoices to help the FBI’s case against the firm.

Revealing that he has made his own copies, he assures them that as long as he is alive, any information he knows about their legal affairs is safe under attorney-client privilege. Guaranteeing Mitch’s safety, the Moroltos let him give the FBI the evidence it needs to prosecute the firm. Since attorney-client privilege does not apply when a lawyer knows about ongoing criminal activity, Mitch is able to continue his legal career, and reconciles with Abby.

Directed by: Sydney Pollack Starring: Tom Cruise, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Gene Hackman, Terry Kinney, Hal Holbrook, ilford Brimley, Holly Hunter, Gary Busey, David Strathairn, Barbara Garrick, Jerry Hardin, Paul Calderon, Kaniha Yol.anr Margo Martindale, Debbie Turner Screenplay by: David Rabe, Robert Towne, David Rayfiel Production Design by: Richard Macdonald Cinematography by: John Seale Film Editing by: Fredric Steinkamp, William Steinkamp Costume Design by: Ruth Myers Set Decoration by: Casey Hallenbeck Art Direction by: John Willett Music by: Dave Grusin MPAA Rating: R for language and some violence. Distributed by: Paramount Pictures Release Date: June 30, 1993

Visits: 271

"We waste our money so you don't have to."

"We waste our money, so you don't have to."

Movie Review

US Release Date: 06-30-1993

Directed by: Sydney Pollack

Starring ▸ ▾

  • Tom Cruise ,  as
  • Mitch McDeere
  • Jeanne Tripplehorn ,  as
  • Abby McDeere
  • Gene Hackman ,  as
  • Avery Tolar
  • Hal Holbrook ,  as
  • Oliver Lambert
  • Terry Kinney ,  as
  • Lamar Quinn
  • Wilford Brimley ,  as
  • William Devasher
  • Ed Harris ,  as
  • Wayne Tarrance
  • Holly Hunter ,  as
  • Tammy Hemphill
  • David Strathairn ,  as
  • Ray McDeere
  • Gary Busey ,  as
  • Eddie Lomax
  • Barbara Garrick ,  as
  • Jerry Hardin ,  as
  • Royce McKnight
  • Sullivan Walker ,  as
  • Barry Abanks
  • Steven Hill ,  as
  • F. Denton Voyles
  • Paul Calderon ,  as
  • Thomas Richie
  • Margo Martindale ,  as
  • Paul Sorvino ,  as
  • mobster Tommy Morolto
  • Joe Viterelli ,  as
  • mobster Joey Morolto
  • Jerry Weintraub ,  as
  • mobster Sonny Capps
  • Tobin Bell ,  as
  • The Nordic Man
  • Dean Norris ,  as
  • The Squat Man
  • Karina Lombard as
  • Young Woman on Beach

Gene Hackman and Tom Cruise in The Firm

John Grisham was Hollywood's go to author of the 1990s. Seven of his novels were made into major releases in that decade. The Pelican Brief would be released later in 1993. Although it was not his first published book, The Firm was his first novel to film adaptation.

At the very peak of his fame, Tom Cruise plays Mitch, the typical Grisham hero. He is a young idealist Harvard Law Graduate, who gets recruited by a small but very successful law firm in Memphis, Tennessee. He and his wife Abby move there, where their future seems financially set.

It does not take long before Abby starts to see how intrusive the firm is to their private life. All of the firm's lawyers are white married men. They had one female lawyer, but she died in a mysterious diving accident. Abby hears from some of the wives that the firm encourages the wives to stay at home and have babies. This firm seems straight out of the 1950s.

Mitch busts his ass at work with long hours and studying for the bar exam. He also soon discovers that the firm is not what he at first thought. Not only do some of the dealings seem shady but two more lawyers get killed in another diving "accident." At this point, the movie is working. The mystery of what have Mitch and Abby gotten themselves into keeps you guessing and watching.

The film's biggest problem is that it never seems to end. At 154 minutes it should have been trimmed many times over. Mitch gets in deeper and deeper with the firm, and seems to take forever to get out. His plan changes and is very complicated. Things happen, that he does not even know about, that are helping him. A simpler exit plan would have done wonders for this film.

The Firm establishes Mitch and Abby as fairly real characters. Abby came from money while Mitch was from a poor single mother. He worked his way through college. It is one of the reasons the firm is interested in him. He is hungry for money and they assume he will be easy to manipulate.

The Firm works best when Mitch and Abby find themselves in situations out of their control. The tension mounts and we wait with much anticipation for them to extricate themselves from this dilemma. Unfortunately, we wait and wait and wait.

We root for this couple. They clearly love each other. Tripplehorn has the films most romantic line. After Cruise asks if he has lost her, she replies, "I've loved you all my life. Even before we met. Part of it wasn't even you. It was just a promise of you. But these last days... You kept your promise. How could you lose me?" That sweet line comes late in the film and if Cruise had asked the audience that same question he may have gotten a different answer.

Gary Busey, Holly Hunter, and Tom Cruise in The Firm .

I agree it runs a bit long but I was still entertained by this tension filled legal thriller. The cast is good and Sydney Pollack manages to keep the storyline taut with suspense right up till the end. We're not sure just how Mitch will extricate himself and his wife from the extremely dire situation they have gotten themselves in. Eric, it really isn't all that complicated though, as long as you are paying attention. It involves over-billing and the United States Postal Service.

Tom Cruise as Mitch continued his run as the most bankable movie star in the world. He brings a fresh-faced innocence to the role of the eager young lawyer who soon has his eyes opened to the truth behind the old idiom that if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Gene Hackman, who I miss very much on the big screen these days, is equally good as Mitch's mentor Avery. He exudes a world weary quality that at times seems sinister and at other times is downright avuncular. He's sold his soul to the firm but he gets one last chance at redemption.

Holly Hunter was Oscar nominated for Best Supporting Actress as Tammy Hemphill, a platinum blonde, chain smoking secretary turned private investigator (see photo), in a role that totals about six minutes of screen time. She was having a great year in 1993, becoming one of just a handful of actors to receive Oscar nods in both the leading and supporting categories in the same year. She would win the Best Actress Award for her work in The Piano but lost in the supporting category to her young costar in that movie, Anna Paquin.

The Firm establishes a sense of claustrophobia early on. Mitch and Abby are trapped in a gilded cage. A cage they walked happily into hand-in-hand, not realizing the danger until the trap door had swung shut on them. As Eric said, we root for them to succeed even as they endure a problem of Mitch's own making that threatens to destroy their marriage.

The supporting cast includes Hal Holbrook as the firm's senior partner, with an evil twinkle in his eye, and Wilford Brimley plays against type as the ruthless and cunning head of the firm's security detail. Gary Busey makes the most of his two brief scenes as the private investigator hired by Mitch. There are many familiar faces in other small roles, but this is a Tom Cruise vehicle from start to finish, and he doesn't disappoint.

The Firm was a huge box office hit in 1993 and more than two decades later it remains remarkably watchable. Tom Cruise looks like he's been through the wringer by that last scene and you will feel an overwhelming sense of relief as well.

Tom Cruise in The Firm .

The Firm is the only John Grisham novel I've ever read. Even though reading it didn't turn me into his greatest fan or lead me to reading any of his other books, it's definitely superior to this watered down movie version. Very few of the many alterations to the plot are an improvement. The talented cast is the best thing about this version, anchored by Tom Cruise and Gene Hackman.

The problems with the plot mostly revolve around the beginning and the ending. From the beginning, the Firm is so odd that it makes little sense for Mitch and Abbey to accept the job with them, even with the higher salary they offer. Mitch is courted by many different law firms and yet he blindly accepts this job despite the oddities. Mitch is supposed to be a very smart hotshot young lawyer, but he never stops to consider that the Firm's offer seems to good to be true on the surface and too odd to be true beneath it.

It is the ending that differs the most from the book. In Grisham's original ending (SPOILER ALERT), Mitch makes off with millions of the Firm's money and flees to the Cayman Islands with his wife and brother. The movie goes with the blander option of having Mitch help the FBI prosecute the Firm on mail fraud. And the scene where Mitch goes to meet the mob is pure Hollywood and makes as much sense as Mitch's oft repeated phrase of Lawyer/Client confidentiality, which isn't as straightforward as the movie would have you believe.

Cruise and the rest of the cast keep the movie watchable despite the plot weaknesses. Eric calls this the height of Cruise's fame, but height of his stardom would be more accurate. He's still just as, if not more, famous, but he no longer commands the same respect as he once did. However Cruise has always been more than just a star, he's also an actor and he does a great job as Mitch.  As Patrick wrote, Mitch goes through the wringer during the final portion of the film and Cruise shows every bit of his physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion.

The rest of the cast provides great support. Hackman shines as Avery. His character is changed from the book and made much more sympathetic. Here he is just as guilty as the rest of the lawyers in the Firm, but Hackman makes him three-dimensional and very human. Holly Hunter is also terrific as Tammy and fully deserved her Oscar nomination despite the small amount of time she actually appears on screen. Jeanne Tripplehorn, David Strathairn, Ed Harris, and Wilford Brimley each add to the film in their supporting roles.

As both my brothers mentioned, the film definitely runs long. There's plenty of room for editing and tightening. And as entertaining and tense as the film is, even with the unnecessary changes, it could have been even tenser with a faster pace.

There are things to enjoy about this movie, but as is the case with plenty of films, you're better off reading the book.

Photos © Copyright Paramount Pictures (1993)

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The Firm streaming: where to watch online?

Currently you are able to watch "The Firm" streaming on Paramount Plus, Paramount Plus Apple TV Channel , Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Hoopla or for free with ads on Pluto TV. It is also possible to rent "The Firm" on Microsoft Store, Apple TV, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Vudu, Spectrum On Demand online and to download it on Microsoft Store, AMC on Demand, Apple TV, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Vudu.

Where does The Firm rank today? The JustWatch Daily Streaming Charts are calculated by user activity within the last 24 hours. This includes clicking on a streaming offer, adding a title to a watchlist, and marking a title as 'seen'. This includes data from ~1.3 million movie & TV show fans per day.

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The Firm is 3740 on the JustWatch Daily Streaming Charts today. The movie has moved up the charts by 1317 places since yesterday. In the United States, it is currently more popular than Let Us In but less popular than Welcome to Redville.

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...

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Streaming Charts The JustWatch Daily Streaming Charts are calculated by user activity within the last 24 hours. This includes clicking on a streaming offer, adding a title to a watchlist, and marking a title as 'seen'. This includes data from ~1.3 million movie & TV show fans per day.

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Where was The Firm filmed

Filming locations for Tom Cruise’s 1993 mystery, thriller The Firm, was filmed in and around Boston, Memphis & Washington DC.

Harvard University

Scene where Mitch has to hurry because he is late.

Movie image from Harvard University

W Washington DC

Scene where Mitch McDeere is attending a seminar in Washington DC. He is approached by the FBI.

Movie image from W Washington DC

Scene was shot The W Washington, D.C. is a historic hotel. It opened in 1918 as the Hotel Washington. It is operated by W Hotels. Designed by the architectural firm of Carrère and Hastings, the ten-story, Beaux-Arts hotel is the only commercial building designed by the firm in Washington, D.C. Construction of the Hotel Washington was completed in 1918. Washington

The Peabody Memphis

Scene where Mitch and Abby McDeere are invited to a rooftop party at the Peabody.

Movie image from The Peabody Memphis

Scene was shot The Peabody Memphis is a luxury hotel in Downtown Memphis, Tennessee. The hotel is known for the "Peabody Ducks" that live on the hotel rooftop and make daily treks to the lobby. The Peabody is a member of Historic Hotels of America, a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The original Peabody Hotel was built in 1869 at the corner of Main and Monroe Streets by Robert Campbell Brinkley, who named it to honor his friend, the recently deceased George Peabody. The current Peabody Hotel building, on Union Avenue, is an Italian Renaissance structure designed by noted Chicago architect Walter W. Ahlschlager. Construction began less than a month after the old hotel closed in 1923. Memphis

Grand Cayman Beach Suites (formerly the Hyatt Regency Resort and Grand Cayman Villas)

Scene where Avery Tolar and Mitch have a meeting with their client Sonny Cabbs.

Movie image from Grand Cayman Beach Suites (formerly the Hyatt Regency Resort and Grand Cayman Villas)

The Blues City Cafe

Scene where Two men start talking to Mitch in the restaurant. They turn out to be from the FBI.

Movie image from The Blues City Cafe

The Lincoln Memorial - Reflecting Pool

Scene where On a bench next to the Reflecting Pool Mitch McDeere is told that he actually works for the maffia by FBI Director F. Denton Voyles.

Movie image from The Lincoln Memorial - Reflecting Pool

Scene was shot The pool was designed by Henry Bacon and constructed in 1922 and 1923. It is approximately 2,029 feet (618 m) long and 167 feet (51 m) wide. Washington

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This Tom Cruise Legal Thriller Had Him Facing Off Against Gene Hackman

Sydney Pollack's film, adapted from a John Grisham bestseller, sports an all-star cast, a sweeping musical score, and a thrilling conspiratorial plot.

The Big Picture

  • Tom Cruise's charismatic performance alongside a star-studded cast makes The Firm a thrilling and captivating legal thriller worth watching.
  • The film's intricate plot and suspenseful sequences, involving a conspiracy tied to the Chicago mafia, keep viewers engaged from start to finish.
  • The Firm stands out as a classic in the genre, showcasing a level of storytelling and entertainment rarely seen in today's movie landscape.

John Grisham 's second novel, The Firm , was so popular that a film adaptation was already hotly anticipated by the time the book hit the shelves. In 1993, Sydney Pollack 's feature adaptation was released, and combined with the success of the book, the two created a mutually massive hit, which soared on the screen as much as it did on the page . The Firm stars Tom Cruise as young hotshot attorney Mitch McDeere. Mitch begins working at a law firm in Memphis, Tennessee with Gene Hackman 's Avery as his mentor. The dynamite combo of seeing Cruise at his peak powers between Top Gun and the first Mission: Impossible acting against the legendary Hackman is enough to make this movie worth watching, but the ensemble cast sprawled throughout the cat-and-mouse game that is The Firm leaves it even more exciting.

A young lawyer joins a prestigious law firm only to discover that it has a sinister dark side.

'The Firm' Features an All-Star Cast

Over the course of the film, Mitch finds himself thrown into a conspiracy where it becomes clear that his law firm is deeply connected to the Chicago mafia. Associates are turning up dead, hours are being coyly over-billed, and many of the partners and top legal minds at the firm are engaged in an expansive money laundering scheme. Despite obvious red flags from the start, Hackman's disarming charm and magnetic nature keeps both Cruise and the audience interested in diving further into this world. The conspiracy eventually puts Mitch and his wife, played by Jeanne Tripplehorn , in serious danger and brings him into rooms with a colorful cast of supporting characters including Wilford Brimley as the "head of security" who is shown to have no legal or ethical boundaries with regard to how he will put an end to any problem solver at the firm. Gary Busey , in a manically hyper performance, is a private investigator – Eddie. Holly Hunter , who received an Oscar nomination for her six minutes of screen time in this film, portrays Eddie's assistant who helps Mitch unravel the criminal workings of the firm. Ed Harris , who reunited with Cruise for the opening scene of Top Gun: Maverick , is a no-nonsense FBI agent trying to blackmail Mitch into helping take down the firm.

As Mitch finds himself caught between the firm threatening his safety and the FBI threatening his career and freedom , he has to work swiftly and cleverly to circumvent every obstacle, both metaphorically and literally, as Cruise engages in some bizarre gymnastics routines to escape pursuit at multiple points in the film. These date the movie slightly, but the entertainment value inherent in Cruise spontaneously performing an elaborate hopscotch routine with a child on Beale Street as means to justify his athletic abilities later in the film is undeniable.

Tom Cruise’s Villainous Turn in Michael Mann’s 'Collateral' Remains One of His Best

The plot unravels in a manner that may require a rewatch or two in order to parse how every element plays into the climactic moment, but watching Cruise find a way to craftily maneuver out of every tight corner is electric. The late Paul Sorvino enters for the film's final few scenes as the head of the Chicago mob, and Cruise's spiraling, sweaty performance juxtaposed against his quiet, imposing force creates a thrilling climax. For a "legal" thriller, it is remarkable and noteworthy that all the suspense and plotting ultimately comes from clerical work instead of featuring a single courtroom scene.

'The Firm' Is the Kind of Movie We Don't See Much Anymore

Sydney Pollack, who would later share screen-time alongside Cruise with an acting role in Stanley Kubrick 's Eyes Wide Shut , and the talented cast and crew working around this movie came together to create a solid thriller that made huge waves at the time and remains one of the most popular Grisham adaptations. From Oscar-winning cinematographer John Seale 's work to the beautiful and classy piano-led score from Dave Grusin , every element of both sight and sound is being engineered by a true artist. However, that is not to say The Firm is something of a complete masterpiece. The film has flaws, especially in terms of how the convoluted narrative will sometimes lose the viewer, and the extended runtime that could have been tightened slightly. The important thing that makes The Firm still hold up and stand out today is that movies like this do not get made as often anymore, and even if they do, it is hard to imagine one replicating the success of this film.

Over thirty years on, the idea of a two-hour and 30-minute R-rated legal thriller becoming as big of a sensation as this film ( $270 million on a $42 million dollar budget ) is almost out of the question. The contemporary movie landscape pushes these kinds of stories to smaller theatrical releases or full-on streaming releases where it would be impossible to even see the film on a big screen. This is evidence of the fact that the industry looked very different thirty years ago, but even more evident of the fact that John Grisham was an unstoppable literary powerhouse during this time period. So much so that Paramount optioned the screen rights to this story before the book was even released. This was not even the only Grisham adaptation released in 1993, as Denzel Washington starred in The Pelican Brief in December of that year.

Grisham's success as a purveyor of the "airport thriller" is hard to overstate throughout the 1990s. Book adaptations , especially those which are not in a popular IP or a genre easily accessible to children, feel more likely to enter the culture through the miniseries format on platforms like Hulu or Max now, so it is shocking to see how much of a box office phenomenon one author could perpetuate. The Firm is a marker of a different time, but the star-studded cast centered around a great Cruise performance and winding plot make this exactly the kind of adult thriller the current movie landscape could really use right now.

The Firm is currently available to stream on Paramount+ in the U.S.

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  • Cayman Islands

Tom Cruise Movie, The Firm, Outdoor Bar in Grand Cayman?

By FLchick2 , July 19, 2011 in Cayman Islands

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Cool Cruiser

Ok, yes, this is somewhere I’ve always wanted to see. It looked beautiful. (The place where his company party was and he met a girl hired by The Firm.) A little Googleing tells me it used to be the Holiday Inn Grand Cayman. Does anyone know if it still exists, and if it looks the same?

Thank you in advance!

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bookbabe

I looked when we were in town a couple of days ago, and couldn't find a Holiday Inn. I don't think it's there anymore...sorry.

Thank you for checking! Did you see the Marriott? I think the Holiday Inn may have become the Marriott.....

Yup, there's a Marriott at the end of Seven Mile Beach closest to the port.

Ok, last questions (I think :)).

Is it nice? Would it be a good place to eat lunch outside?

Thank you again!

Didn't go inside, so no idea what it's like...sorry.

drew sailbum

The old Holiday Inn is no more. It was located where the present day Ritz Carlton has been built.

Holiday Inn did make one more move, to where Courtyard by Marriott was located (not the Marriott Resort). The Courtyard by Marriott was closed a couple years ago after a hurricane.

The Cayman Islands have a bit of a love/hate relationship with the movie The Firm. It certainly brought notoriety to these Islands that Time Forgot but for all the wrong reasons. The financial services industry has long struggled to put to rest the myths popularized by this movie.

bookbabe - ok, thank you.

drew sailbum - wonderful information, thank you. I looks like I won't be eating lunch were the party was filmed.

Do you have any recommendations - where to eat lunch? Any lunch spots on the water / beach that are particularly nice or beautiful?

Thank you for your help.

The old Holiday Inn is no more. It was located where the present day Ritz Carlton has been built.   Holiday Inn did make one more move, to where Courtyard by Marriott was located (not the Marriott Resort). The Courtyard by Marriott was closed a couple years ago after a hurricane.

Thanks for the correction, Drew...it also clears up my confusion over the Dart deal. I couldn't figure out why Dart would want a hotel at one end of the beach and a bunch of land at the other...makes much more sense now. I'm assuming that the Courtyard site is near Public Beach somewhere? I can't remember seeing it...

Yup. Courtyard by Marriott is on the inland side of the road, just past SMB Public Beach and Sea Grape but before Tiki Beach.

Drew - wonderful information, thank you. I looks like I won't be eating lunch were the party was filmed.

mrsfuzzmo

Our favorite place to get out of the crowds, especially if you are arriving on a ship is to head about a mile south of the dock to Sunset House Resort. They have a huge beautiful patio that looks out over the beautiful blue water. It doesn't have a beach, but rather rock or maybe Coral (someone else can help on that) small cliffs into the water. You can swim there, there's an entry and it's beautiful for snorkeling. The best part is the drinks are ice cold and the food it terrific and inexpensive compared to town. We love it here and feel bad telling people to go there, for fear eveyone will discover it and we'll loose our little piece of paradise. Big open-air palapa bar and great snacks and grill food. Conch fritters were wonderful!!

Sunset.jpg.57f274493e7d72346aed5927cc6143f6.jpg

mrsfuzzmo - It looks lovely! Thank you! :)

mrsfuzzmo - Do we need to take a taxi to Sunset House, or is it walking distance from the ship?

Capt_BJ

Sunset is one mile south of town ... I've walked it many times but there are no sidewalks most of the way. It is a short taxi ride

http://sunsethouse.com/location_sunset.php

http://sunsethouse.com/bar.php

cat's out of the bag . . .

Ah! Thank you Capt BJ! :)

do not enjoy the wonderful staff

do not enjoy the pool (IF YOU ASK THEY USUALLY SAY SURE ... GO AHEAD)

do not snorkel here (only some of the best on the island)

if a certified diver do NOT shore dive here - it is where I go every time

if you need a dive experience for a newbie do NOT do it here - altho this is where I took dd last year

do NOT play dominoes with the locals at the bar .... U were warned!

Do NOT tell anyone else about Sunset House . . . save it for us . . .

You got it. :)

Looks like we might be there for Pirate week. I'm not sure if thats a good thing or a bad thing! :eek:

  • 3 weeks later...

5,000+ Club

do not go   do not enjoy the wonderful staff   do not enjoy the pool (IF YOU ASK THEY USUALLY SAY SURE ... GO AHEAD)   do not snorkel here (only some of the best on the island)   if a certified diver do NOT shore dive here - it is where I go every time   if you need a dive experience for a newbie do NOT do it here - altho this is where I took dd last year   do NOT play dominoes with the locals at the bar .... U were warned!   Do NOT tell anyone else about Sunset House . . . save it for us . . .

lol Ok not a word!!

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Top Gun: Maverick Had To Film That Beach Scene Twice Because Tom Cruise Didn't Approve Of The First Take

Tom Cruise smiles

It took 36 years for "Top Gun" and Pete Mitchell (Tom Cruise) to finally get the sequel they deserved. However, "Top Gun: Maverick" turned out to be well worth the wait, and the follow-up to Tony Scott's aviation adventure knocked it out of the park with fans and critics alike, according to Rotten Tomatoes . "Top Gun: Maverick" not only became Cruise's first film to surpass a billion dollars, but it grossed nearly $1.5 billion worldwide (via  Box Office Mojo ).

So, with all of "Top Gun's" memorable moments, why did it take so long for the sequel to become a reality? "For years the studios wanted me to do it, and audiences wanted me to do it," Cruise explained in an interview on "The Graham Norton Show."  "There was just a moment where Jerry Bruckheimer wanted to do it." And it was that moment of collaboration that led to the ideas which became the genesis for the storyline of "Top Gun: Maverick."

"Top Gun: Maverick" is loaded with unforgettable moments , from Pete's heart-wrenching visit with Iceman (Val Kilmer) to Maverick making the canyon run to the climactic rescue sequence. However, another of those memorable movie moments didn't quite live up to Cruise's filmmaking standards on its first shoot.

Cruise insisted on reshooting the football scene

A tremendous amount of work went into shooting the football scene on the beach because it was an homage to the volleyball scene in the original "Top Gun." And all the performers brought their A-game physically. "There was more pressure leading up to that scene than any in the whole movie," Glen Powell — call sign Hangman — said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly . "It was every cast member, until about midnight the day before, in that gym, trying to do crunches and pull-ups."

After filming the sequence, the cast was elated that they had pulled off the football game flawlessly, and the setting sun bolstered the cinematography. So, everyone went out to celebrate, according to Vudu . Miles Teller — call sign Rooster — brought plenty of beer on set to celebrate, and then the cast visited downtown San Diego to continue the party. "We order pizza, wings, beers," Jay Ellis — call sign Payback — said in the same interview. "Everybody's celebrating."

Unfortunately, upon returning to the set the next day, the cast was informed that the football scene would have to be shot again in a couple of weeks. Tom Cruise wasn't pleased with how the footage looked after watching the dailies. "Tom was like ... 'Guys, we've got to shoot it again,'" Powell told Scooper News (via  Showbiz Cheat Sheet ). "And then everyone was back in the gym ... day and night."

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Tom Cruise Creates His Own ‘Trafalgar Square’ Tube Station Filming Mission: Impossible in London

The actor was pictured filming scenes for the eighth 'Mission: Impossible' movie in the British capital on April 28

tom cruise the firm beach scene

Raw Image / Goff / Splash / SplashNews

Tom Cruise has taken over the streets of London!

On Sunday, April 28, the actor, 61, was photographed filming scenes for the next Mission: Impossible movie in the British capital outside an invented Tube station called 'Trafalgar Square.'

Cruise shut down the real Trafalgar Square for the shoot as he was seen coming in and out of the London Underground station while surrounded by crowds of extras.

Off camera, the action star appeared in happier spirits as he chatted to members of the crew in between takes. 

The eighth installment in the Mission: Impossible franchise is set for a May 23, 2025 release. According to Deadline , the release was delayed by a year due to the SAG-AFTRA strike , which ended in November 2023.

Cruise returns to the franchise as protagonist Ethan Hunt, along with director and longtime collaborative partner Christopher McQuarrie. 

The actor was spotted filming more adrenaline-fueled scenes for the action movie in London last month. 

On March 24, the American Made star was photographed sprinting down a street in the capital wearing a black suit with an unbuttoned white shirt covered in fake blood.

Last summer, Cruise returned to the big screen in the seventh film in the franchise, Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning .

The film made $172 million at the domestic box office and earned the franchise its first Oscars nominations for Best Visual Effects and Best Sound at the 96th Academy Awards earlier this year.

Never miss a story — sign up for  PEOPLE's free daily newsletter  to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Meanwhile, Cruise is reportedly set to appear in another sequel of his movies for the third Top Gun film , following the huge success of the second installment, Top Gun: Maverick , released in 2022. 

In January, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Paramount is developing the sequel with co-writer Ehren Kruger, with Joe Kosinski set to direct. According to the outlet, the film will see Cruise return in his role as Pete Mitchell, alongside his Maverick costars Glen Powell and Miles Teller .

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  6. The Firm (1993 film)

    The Firm is a 1993 American legal thriller film directed by Sydney Pollack, and starring Tom Cruise, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Gene Hackman, Ed Harris, Holly Hunter, Hal Holbrook, David Strathairn and Gary Busey.The film is based on the 1991 novel of the same name by author John Grisham. The Firm was one of two films released in 1993 that were adapted from a Grisham novel, the other being The ...

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  9. The Firm movie review & film summary (1993)

    In "The Firm," a labyrinthine 153-minute film by Sydney Pollack, Tom Cruise plays Mitch McDeere, a poor boy who is ashamed of his humble origins now that he has graduated from Harvard Law fifth in his class. He gets offers from the top law firms in New York and Chicago, but finally settles on a smaller firm headquartered in Memphis.

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    The movie starring Tom Cruise, Jeanne Tripplehorn and Gene Hackman was shot at more than 11 locations, including The Blues City Cafe in Memphis, United States. All the filming locations of The Firm are listed below. STORY. 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 ...

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    Rated: 8/10 • Nov 16, 2020. Rated: 2.5/4 • Apr 6, 2020. A young lawyer joins a small but prestigious law firm only to find out that most of their clients are on the wrong side of the law. The ...

  12. The Firm (1993)

    The Firm is a 1993 American legal thriller film directed by Sydney Pollack and starring Tom Cruise, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Gene Hackman, Ed Harris, Holly Hunter, Hal Holbrook, David Strathairn and Gary Busey in a critically acclaimed role. The film is based on the 1991 novel The Firm by author John Grisham. The Firm was one of two films released in 1993 that were adapted from a Grisham novel, the ...

  13. The Firm

    Tobin Bell. The Firm location: the law firm interview: Copley Plaza Wyndham Hotel, Copley Square, Boston. There's trouble ahead when ambitious young Harvard grad Mitch McDeere ( Tom Cruise) lands a job with a powerful but dubious law firm in Memphis in another John Grisham adaptation. The opening university scenes were actually filmed at ...

  14. The Firm (1993)

    The Firm is a 1993 American legal thriller film directed by Sydney Pollack and starring Tom Cruise, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Gene Hackman, Ed Harris, Holly Hunter, Hal Holbrook and David Strathairn. The film is based on the 1991 novel The Firm by author John Grisham. The Firm was one of two films released in 1993 that were adapted from a Grisham ...

  15. The Firm (1993)

    FILM DESCRIPTION: In this drama, based on the best-selling novel by John Grisham, Mitch McDeer (Tom Cruise) is a young man from a poor Southern family who ha...

  16. Looking back in time: 'The Firm'

    Tom Cruise and Jerry Weintraub in a scene shot at the Hyatt Regency. Hackman was a big diving enthusiast, so he was keen to spend any down time under the water, which meant a number of scuba folk ...

  17. The Firm (1993) Starring: Tom Cruise, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Gene Hackman

    Gary Busey makes the most of his two brief scenes as the private investigator hired by Mitch. There are many familiar faces in other small roles, but this is a Tom Cruise vehicle from start to finish, and he doesn't disappoint. The Firm was a huge box office hit in 1993 and more than two decades later it remains remarkably watchable. Tom Cruise ...

  18. The Firm streaming: where to watch movie online?

    The Firm streaming: where to watch online? Currently you are able to watch "The Firm" streaming on Paramount Plus, Paramount Plus Apple TV Channel , Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Hoopla or for free with ads on Pluto TV. It is also possible to rent "The Firm" on Microsoft Store, Amazon Video, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Vudu, Spectrum On ...

  19. Where was The Firm, 1993 filmed

    Real. Scene was shot The W Washington, D.C. is a historic hotel. It opened in 1918 as the Hotel Washington. It is operated by W Hotels. Designed by the architectural firm of Carrère and Hastings, the ten-story, Beaux-Arts hotel is the only commercial building designed by the firm in Washington, D.C. Construction of the Hotel Washington was completed in 1918.

  20. This Tom Cruise Legal Thriller Had Him Facing Off Against ...

    A young lawyer joins a prestigious law firm only to discover that it has a sinister dark side. Release Date. June 30, 1993. Director. Sydney Pollack. Cast. Tom Cruise , Jeanne Tripplehorn , Gene ...

  21. Tom Cruise Movie, The Firm, Outdoor Bar in Grand Cayman?

    Holiday Inn did make one more move, to where Courtyard by Marriott was located (not the Marriott Resort). The Courtyard by Marriott was closed a couple years ago after a hurricane. The Cayman Islands have a bit of a love/hate relationship with the movie The Firm. It certainly brought notoriety to these Islands that Time Forgot but for all the ...

  22. Tricking a Federal Agent SCENE

    Mitch (Tom Cruise) gains the upper hand when he records Agent Terrance (Ed Harris) threatening him and abusing his power.TM & © Paramount (2011)Buy Movie: ht...

  23. Top Gun: Maverick Had To Film That Beach Scene Twice Because Tom Cruise

    It took 36 years for "Top Gun" and Pete Mitchell (Tom Cruise) to finally get the sequel they deserved. However, "Top Gun: Maverick" turned out to be well worth the wait, and the follow-up to Tony ...

  24. Tom Cruise Creates His Own 'Trafalgar Square' Tube Station Filming

    The actor was pictured filming scenes for the eighth 'Mission: Impossible' movie in the British capital on April 28 Raw Image / Goff / Splash / SplashNews Tom Cruise has taken over the streets of ...