"The Firm," by John Grisham, is one of my favorite "grown-up" books (OK, I admit it: I read a lot of children's literature). So, I was thrilled when I heard that "The Firm" was being made into a movie. I heard this right as I was reading the book, too. Needless to say, I went right out and saw this movie as soon as it came out.
And boy, was I disappointed. I just watched it again last night, so all of the details are fresh in my mind, and I'm reminded of why I was disappointed all over again.
For those of you who don't know the plot, "The Firm" is about a young lawyer named Mitch McDeere. He's just graduating from law school, and everyone is fighting for his services. So it's a surprise to everyone when he decides to join Bendini, Lambert, and Locke, a small firm in Memphis, Tennessee. The offer they give is fantastic: his school loans get repaid, they lease him a car, and his starting salary is $96,000 a year.
Mitch soon finds out that everything isn't all it's cracked up to be a Bendini, Lambert, and Locke. He starts getting visits from the FBI, who tell him some very scary things about the firm and its clients. The FBI then "asks" for Mitch's help in breaking up the firm, which will require Mitch to do things that will get him disbarred. But if he refuses, he'll go to jail when the FBI eventually busts the firm. Mitch is caught in a no-win situation.
This is where the movie takes a dramatic and unrealistic turn from the book. Mitch manages to turn the whole thing around, concoct a grand and legal scheme to indict the firm, and pull it off without the FBI knowing about the change and without getting himself killed.
Tom Cruise is good as Mitch McDeere, showing a good mix of ethics and deceptiveness. He is always in control of every situation, whether dealing with the FBI or the Mafia. This does seem pretty unrealistic for a guy fresh out of law school, however.
I guess that what disappointed me the most is that the book has a tight, believable plot, while the movie's plot is pretty unrealistic. In the movie, when things go majorly wrong with Mitch's plan, everything still works out. He's even in the office when the firm finds out that he's cut a deal with the FBI, and he escapes by turning and running. Give me a break! I guess the director decided that more excitement was needed. The whole "chase scene" at the end is completely unrealistic.
On the plus side, "The Firm" has a decent jazzy piano/country soundtrack. Dave Grusin does the piano, and it's fun. I actually listen to the soundtrack more than I watch the movie.
This movie would be halfway decent if the viewer hasn't read the book. If you've read the book, you'll be disappointed by the movie. If you've neither read the book nor watched the movie, read the book and leave the movie on the shelf.
Three-time Oscar& nominee Tom Cruise delivers the most electrifying performance of his career in this riveting film based on the international best-se...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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