tom cruise movie john grisham

10 Best John Grisham Movies, Ranked

John Ray Grisham Jr., commonly known as John Grisham, a name profoundly recalled among Law & Legal Fraternity. An Attorney and Politician, Grisham became a worldwide sensation after following his second calling. As an author, his first book A Time to Kill published in 1989, which took him nearly 4 years to complete. Grisham tasted his first success with novel The Firm, turning into a bestselling novel of 1991. Since then, John Grisham has turned the face of legal thriller through his sheer brilliance. With a Literature world obsessed with Romance and Fantasy , the genre of law and legal thriller gripped their readers. After his novels conquered nearly all Best-selling charts, legendary Director Sydney Pollack provided a reel life to his pages.

The success of Pollack’s legal thriller, put Grisham on the graph for filmmakers of 90’s. With time, he became the most desired author of his time. Many John Grisham books started being made as movies and TV shows. Movies adapted from his novels were both critical and commercial success. Many great Director of 90’s, utilised Grisham’s books and novels to create a masterpiece with it. Alan Jay Pakula, Robert Altman, Francis Ford Coppola with ensemble cast turned his novels into successful cinematic venture.

John Grisham’s influence on entertainment industry is exceptional with his works ranging from films to TV series. The author also helmed sports genre apart from crime thrillers . With numerous awards and accolades to his name, Grisham is considered as the most significant author of his time. With that said, here is the list of top John Grisham movies ever, ranked. You can watch some of these good John Grisham movies on Netflix or Amazon Prime or Hulu.

10. Christmas with the Kranks (2004)

John Grisham’s Skipping Christmas, a New York Times Best-seller, adapted into Joe Roth’s Christmas with Cranks is a Christmas comedy film , written and produced by Chris Columbus. The film follows a couple which decides not to celebrate Christmas without their Daughter. Due to this, the couple is considered an outcast and are oppressed by the neighbourhood. Though the film received generally unfavourable reviews, it was a moderate box-office success.

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9. The Chamber (1996)

The story involves Adam Hall (Chris O’Donell) returning to his hometown to appeal against his grandfather’s death sentence. Sam Cayhall (Gene Hackman) is convicted of murder of two Jewish children 30 years ago. Adam faces a dilemma as his grandfather was the reason for his father’s suicide. The Chamber (Novel) was incomplete when author sold the rights, which Grisham considers a reason for failure of the film. Gene Hackman , appearing a third time in the list, stole the show with his crude performance. The Chamber was a ‘box-office bomb’ and failed from the critical perspective as well. Unlike the novel, that gained popularity when published in 1994. Critics believed, that Director James Foley was unable to transform the novel’s artistic writing successfully into the movie.

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8. Mickey (2004)

‘Mickey’ is the only film in the list not based on John Grisham’s novel, but a script conceived by him. It is a sports drama involving a widowed father, who wrongfully files a suit for being bankrupt during his wife’s illness. IRS department disclose the truth, forcing him to shed the town and identity with his son. In a new place, his son outshines in baseball and becomes popular. This puts them under IRS radar, leading to disqualification of his team and his father’s arrest. Mickey is a rather less-known movie compared to others in the list. It was unsuccessful at the box-office, but critics praised the different take by Grisham, part from his usual genre.

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7. The Pelican Brief (1993)

Alan J. Pakula’s final film as a producer and writer, Pelican Brief starred Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington in the leading roles. Released in the same year as ‘The Client’. Based on John Grisham’s third novel The Pelican Brief in 1992. The film is a political-thriller, following the assassination of two supreme court justices. Darby Shaw (Julia Roberts), a law student accurately debriefs the murder mystery of the judges, but later faces life threats. Gray Grantham (Denzel Washington), a journalist later contact Darby regarding the assassinations to unsolved the mystery. Huge secrets are revealed as the story progresses. Roger Ebert hailed a favourable review for the film describing it a fast-paced and chilling thriller. According to the author, he considered it a justified adaptation to his successful novel. The film was a Box-office success, making John Grisham one of the most popular writer among film industry.

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6. A Time to Kill (1996)

Joel Schumacher praised Grisham’s writing and work. A Time to Kill became his second Directorial venture based on author’s novel. Grisham’s first novel made through an ensemble cast of  Matthew McConaughey , Sandra Bullock , Samuel L. Jackson and Kevin Spacey . The film follows a girl named Tonya being brutally raped by two racists and his father fighting against them in the court. When justice is not served, he takes matter in his own hands. One of the finest performed courtroom drama, with an emotional story-line. Excellent performances from the cast as well as the Director. Roger Ebert praised the film for its convincing plot and performances. A controversy regarding the movie spilled out due to the apology of death penalty and right of self-defense. In France, it was released with the tittle ‘A Right to Kill?’ Nevertheless, the film became a commercial and critical success.

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5. Runaway Jury (2003)

Based on the seventh novel by Grisham, Director Gary Fleder consolidated two cinema giants: Dustin Hoffman and Gene Hackman. However, there are differences between the novel and the movie, yet both proclaim similar cat and mouse chase. A mass murder-suicide case is revoked when a woman files a suit against the gun manufacturers. Case comes into the limelight, bringing together the legends. Rankin Finch (Gene Hackman), a ruthless and brilliant jury consultant against Wendall Rohr (Dustin Hoffman). Suddenly, this seemingly cat and mouse chase is manipulated and the whole scenario is changed. Jury is set for sale, agitating the minds of both the characters. John Grisham considered it “smart” and “suspenseful” but was disappointed because of the marginal collection. We saw the ‘Clash of Titans’, where both veterans stole the show, with their brilliant performance. Gene Hackman appeared second time in the list. The first one being ‘The Firm’.

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4. The Gingerbread Man (1998)

The Gingerbread Man proves the significance of Grisham as a writer. A discarded manuscript by him was considered vital enough for filmmakers. Directed by one of the most revered auteur of all time, Robert Altman. The Gingerbread Man is a thrilling experience of crime drama, focusing on a corrupt Lawyer Rick Magruder (Kenneth Barnagh) who files a suit against Dixon Doss ( Robert Duvall ). He does it under the influence of Dixon’s daughter and sends him to Mental Asylum. Eventually he breaks-free and threatens Rick and his family. As the story picks up, truths are unravelled. Robert Altman received critical appraisal for his Direction and his modifications to the script. Kenneth Barnagh’s performance was highly appreciated alongside Robert Duvall. Although, the film faced debacle in its post-production and release. It is considered one of the best thrillers made by Robert Altman. Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel gave their famous “two thumbs-up” after their review on the movie.

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3. The Firm (1993)

John Grisham’s first walk to fame The Firm, the best-selling novel of 1991. Sydney Pollack adapted this legal-thriller into a feature film starring  Tom Cruise and Gene Hackman. The film depicts Mitch McDeere, an ambitious Law student lured by money and perks offered from a law firm. Eventually, he finds himself in hostile condition when dark truths about the firm are revealed. Considered as one of the best thrillers, The Firm, turned out to be a lucrative venture. Critics like Roger Ebert gave 3 out of 4 stars, praising the performances of Tom Cruise and Gene Hackman. The influence of John Grisham’s bestseller is seen later on Television, with a series of same name aired on NBC . Grisham turned into a producer for the series.

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2. The Client (1994)

Director Joel Schumacher made this legal thriller , based on John Grisham’s fourth ‘The Client’. With the cast of Susan Saanson and Tommy Lee Jones and a thrilling story-line, the film turned out to be an overall success. Two brothers witness the suicide of a mob lawyer, because of it one of them faces serious mental condition. Mob and authorities are concerned whether the lawyer has revealed their secrets to those kids. The kids face a grave danger as an assassin follows them. They later seek the help of an alcoholic advocate Regina “Reggie” Love (Susan Saanson), who helps them. Critics and audience equally praised the pace, thrilling and chilling atmosphere. Susan Saanson’s performance is considered brilliant as she received nomination for “Best Actress in The Leading Role”. She won the Golden Globe the same year.

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1. The Rainmaker (1997)

This time it was Francis Ford Coppola , who took his piece of John Grisham. The Rainmaker, Grisham’s sixth courtroom thriller was adapted with splendid cast of Matt Damon , Claire Danes, Jon Voight and Danny DeVito . It can be considered as one of the ‘Best Directed Movie’ based on Grisham’s novel. The film focuses on a young man, Rudy Baylor (Matt Damon), from an impoverished background. He makes his way through Law studies but languishes with an unsuccessful career. Eventually he turns into an ‘ambulance chaser’ for money and work. Later after a chain of events and cases, Rudy realizes that clients are more than just wealth but are victims. Critics praised the performances of Matt Damon and Danny DeVito with Jon Voight receiving various nominations for his Supporting role. A moderate commercial hit, ‘The Rainmaker’ garnered critical accolades. Coppola amazed through his Direction and Screenwriting. The film surely deserves to be on the top of the ranking.

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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 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 (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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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.

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Sydney Pollack

Mitch McDeere

Jeanne Tripplehorn

Abby McDeere

Gene Hackman

Avery Tolar

Holly Hunter

Tammy Hemphill

Wayne Tarrance

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Common sense media reviewers.

Grisham thriller has lots of twists, turns but is overlong.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

There's considerable lying, manipulating, spyi

A lot of off-screen violence: talk of two lawyers

Mitch makes out with his wife, talks about cooking

Considerable salty language, including "son o

We see quite a few Mercedes, and there's menti

Several characters drink to the point of being dru

Parents need to know that this thriller based on a John Grisham novel contains considerable discussion of violence, corruption, and sexism. Women are treated as objects to either have affairs with or to bear their husbands' children. Mitch cheats on his wife. Several characters die, three of them on-screen and two…

Positive Messages

There's considerable lying, manipulating, spying, blackmail, and terrorizing. One man talks about raping a girl, saying, "It was just statutory rape." Another man refers to the only female lawyer in the firm as "affirmative action on stilts."

Violence & Scariness

A lot of off-screen violence: talk of two lawyers being killed on a boat that inexplicably explodes, talk of suicide and death. Some thugs repeatedly wound a man by shooting off a part of his ear and then grazing his shoulder before killing him on screen. Mitch kills one man by dropping heavy weights on him and beats another man to death.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Mitch makes out with his wife, talks about cooking food naked, and has sex with another woman on a beach. Nothing graphic is shown other than some finger sucking and the unbuttoning of clothes. Avery flirts with and tries to seduce Abby.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Considerable salty language, including "son of a bitch," "hell," "f--k," "motherf--ker," "c--ksucker," and "s--t."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

We see quite a few Mercedes, and there's mention of Red Stripe beer and Hilton hotels.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Several characters drink to the point of being drunk. Avery drinks so much he passes out. Lamar drinks beer and smokes after he realizes that his coworkers have been killed. Abby drinks when she's unhappy with her husband.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this thriller based on a John Grisham novel contains considerable discussion of violence, corruption, and sexism. Women are treated as objects to either have affairs with or to bear their husbands' children. Mitch cheats on his wife. Several characters die, three of them on-screen and two of them by the supposed good-guy. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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• Kids say (9)

Based on 1 parent review

The firm rating

What's the story.

Tom Cruise is Mitch McDeere, a poor kid who grew up to graduate from Harvard Law School as one of the top five students. He's a whiz, but he's worked for everything he's got and he never got over his mom living in a trailer park. So when Bandini Lambert and Locke, a small Memphis law firm, offer him a huge salary, a house, a car and, most importantly, a sense of family, he moves his life, and his wife, Abby ( Jeanne Tripplehorn , who looks oddly similar to Katherine Heigl in this film) to the south. There, he discovers that, like a quiet suburban neighborhood, all is not what it appears. But can he get himself and Abby out before it destroys his life, his career, and his family -- and before he loses his life?

Is It Any Good?

Like all good dime-store thrillers, The Firm keeps you guessing and moves the plot along quickly through its many twists and turns. Still, that's not enough to make up for the indulgent length (2 1/2 hours) and one-dimensional characters. That is, except for slimy mentor Avery ( Gene Hackman ), who is conniving, scared, remorseful and libidinous all at once. He's fun to watch and the movie's only comic relief.

Don't expect the Hitchcock-level suspense The Firm clearly aims for. It twists and turns successfully, but the running time is tiring and the plot still sticks to a formula. You know Cruise's character will survive. The only question is How? Unlike thrillers like The Bourne Identity and its sequels, The Firm is predictable.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the importance of wealth. Do you believe, like Mitch, that there's not enough money to feel rich? How important is having things and money to you? What would you do to get it?

In classic literature, the character Faust makes his deal with the devil. Can you think of other movies or books where characters do the same thing?

Movie Details

• In theaters : May 22, 1993
• On DVD or streaming : May 23, 2000
• Cast : Gene Hackman , Jeanne Tripplehorn , Tom Cruise
• Director : Sydney Pollack
• Inclusion Information : Female actors
• Studio : Paramount Pictures
• Genre : Thriller
• Run time : 154 minutes
• MPAA rating : R
• MPAA explanation : language and some violence
• Last updated : February 11, 2024

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The Pelican Brief

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Film Details

• Articles & Reviews

Brief Synopsis

Cast & crew, sydney pollack, jeanne tripplehorn, gene hackman, holly hunter, technical specs.

Tom Cruise learns that if something looks too good to be true, it probably is, when he accepts an excessively lucrative offer from a Memphis firm after graduating from Harvard Law. In this thriller from director Sydney Pollack, based on the bestselling novel by John Grisham, Cruise's ambitious character Mitch McDeere discovers that the firm's prosperity is a direct result of its mob ties. When the murders and seductions pile up, Mitch must get to the truth and get out alive. Also starring Oscar winner Gene Hackman, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Paul Sorvino, and Ed Harris.

David Strathairn

Hal holbrook, steven hill.

Wilford Brimley

Bart whiteman, richard r ranta.

Terri Welles

Jeffrey ford, karina lombard, paul sorvino, jimmy lackie, margo martindale, tommy cresswell, william j parham, levi frazier jr., david a kimball, susan elliot, ollie nightingale, jonathan e kaplan, mark johnson, jerry weintraub, brian casey, jerry chipman, james white, victor nelson, clinton smith, joe viterelli, terry kinney, william r booth, chris schadrack, michael d allen, debbie turner, lannie mcmillan quartet, rebecca glenn, little jimmy king, teenie hodges, frank crawford, jerry hardin, erin branham, paul calderon, dean norris, tommy matthews, david dwyer, barbara garrick, afemo omilami, sullivan walker, deborah thomas, jeane aufdenberg, janie paris, joey anderson, ed connelly, greg goossen, david l abell, stephanie antosca, andy armstrong, brian armstrong, joyce arrastia, david beadle, jennifer blair, steve bowerman, bill bradford, randy bricker, sharleen bright, david brink, brooke brooks, charles brown, robert bruce, lauren buckley, david l butler, gerry byrne, debbie charboneau, marjorie chodorov, cathleen clarke, drew clarke, ann cockerton, lucy coldsnow-smith, carla corwin, john craigmile, eric davidson, richard davis, kim davis-wagner, andrew j. day, richard dean, mathilde decagny, michael dellheim, michael dick, lindsay doran, michael doven, francois duhamel, mary kate edmonstone, bruce ericksen, jenny evans, mark fabert, william farley, james c. feng, scott ferguson, carmen flores de tanis, jessica gallavan, michael gastaldo, thomas gilbert, claudia gilligan-ivanjack, john grisham, dave grusin, yael haffner, casey hallenbeck, barbara harris, scott harris, michael hausman, rachel heilpern, d. m. hemphill, jerry henery, a mcrae hilliard, j paul huntsman, steven husch, steven jackman, jerry jackson, chris jargo, chris jenkins, derek johansen, sunny wayne johnson, david jones, jonathan klein, robin knight, lisa knudson, larry leggett, vicki r lybrand, richard macdonald, david macmillan, elton macpherson, bobby mancuso, karen marmer, wende martin, joseph mcafee, marjorie mccown, leo mcdaniel, david mcgiffert, lee mclemore, lisa maria miller, robin l miller, dennis milliken, theresa repola mohammed, john monsour, paul murphey, myron nettinga, phill norman, ben nye jr., donna ostroff, randy ostrow, kevin patterson, jennifer portman, peggy pridemore, lyndell quiyou, david rayfiel, spencer h register, luke reichle, darin rivetti, pete romano, david rubin, scott rudin, carolann sanchez-shapiro, john r saunders, adam sawelson, matthew g sawelson, riko schatke, doug schwartz, nanette siegert, steven d spallone, fredric steinkamp, karl steinkamp, robert steinkamp, william steinkamp, daniel strol, mike thompson, robert towne, chris ubick, mark van loon, sam velasco, john g. velez, tommy walker, david weathers, ted whitfield, john willett, darryl wilson, jeanine wilson, michael t wilson, alonzo woods, frank woodward, award nominations, best original score, best supporting actress.

Miscellaneous Notes

Released in United States on Video December 16, 1993

Released in United States Summer June 30, 1993

Meryl Streep was at one time mentioned to play a female version of the character Avery, who in the book is a womanizing male attorney.

Tom Cruise reportedly received $12,000,000 for this film.

Began shooting November 9, 1992.

Completed shooting March 20, 1993.

Rights to "The Firm" were purchased by Paramount for a reported $600,000.

Robin Wright was originally set to play Abby McDeere.

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Review/Film: The Firm; A Mole in the Den of Corrupt Legal Lions

By Vincent Canby

• June 30, 1993

At the time it was published in 1991, "The Firm," John Grisham's best-selling suspense novel, was described by one critic as "mean and lean." Mean, possibly, but lean? The book is 501 pages.

Now Sydney Pollack's film version far more accurately characterizes the source material. The movie is extremely long (two hours and 34 minutes) and so slow that by the end you feel as if you've been standing up even if you've been sitting down. It moves around the map a lot, from Boston to Memphis to the Caribbean to Washington, without getting anywhere. It is also physically elaborate, the cinematic equivalent of the book's relentlessly descriptive prose. One of its sets is reported to have required seven and a half miles of 2-by-4 lumber and 225 gallons of glue to hold it together.

But, you may well ask, what about the story? After all, underneath Mr. Grisham's verbiage but not quite suffocated by it, there is an entertaining moral tale about the 1980's:

Mitch McDeere, a bright young man, born poor and deprived, lusts for the good things in life. He graduates from Harvard Law School near the top of his class and joins a small, conservative, very rich firm of tax and corporate law specialists in Memphis. Almost immediately, he discovers that he has sold his soul to the devil. Or, as a Federal agent tells Mitch in the movie, "Your life, as you've known it, is now over."

Bendini, Lambert & Locke is a front for a conspiracy of delicious malevolence and, early on, anyway, quite persuasive complexity. Only its senior partners know its full scope. The firm has a policy of bringing aboard crackerjack young lawyers of Mitch's hungry background, and then overpaying and materially spoiling them to the point that when they find out the firm's true nature, they can't afford to quit.

There are only two ways for lawyers to exit Bendini, Lambert & Locke. They can stick around until they retire as thoroughly compromised, multi-millionaire senior partners, or they die before their time in mysterious circumstances.

Not long after he joins the firm, Mitch is approached by the F.B.I. The bureau wants him to act as a mole. They point out that his house and his office are bugged by the firm, and that at least three of his restless predecessors have been murdered. On the other hand, Mitch realizes that the firm's business associates have long memories and that no witness protection program is 100 percent reliable. What is a guy to do?

As in the novel, what the guy does is the heart of the film directed by Mr. Pollack and written by David Rabe, Robert Towne and David Rayfiel. Mitch (Tom Cruise) plays each side against the other in a manner that becomes increasing mysterious until, near the end, even someone who has read the book is likely to be lost. Whether the problem is in the writing, the direction or maybe the editing is anybody's guess. Whatever the reason, the film's end is a long time coming and, when it finally does arrive, is unable to do justice to the buildup.

"The Firm" has been so extravagantly cast that its two liveliest performances are by stars in comparatively small roles. Holly Hunter, who was named the best actress at this year's Cannes festival for Jane Campion's "Piano," has a ball as a cheeky Memphis secretary, who's married to an Elvis Presley impersonator and who turns into an unlikely heroine when the chips are down. Equally good is Gary Busey as a cheerful, down-and-dirty private eye who figures in Mitch's initial investigations into the firm's darker associations.

The ever-reliable Gene Hackman appears as Avery Tolar, the firm's partner who becomes, in effect, Mitch's control, the man assigned to break in the new recruit and to guide him on the downward path. Mr. Hackman has reached that plateau in his career where he can play almost any kind of part in a way that gives it both credibility and humanity.

For that matter, there's nothing wrong with any of the performances in "The Firm." Mr. Cruise and Jeanne Tripplehorn, who plays Mitch's wife, Abby, are attractive as a young, rather vacuous couple in distress, defined more by their actions than by anything they are given to say, which is as it should be. David Straithairn appears as Mitch's somewhat enigmatic brother, Ray, a jailbird, and Ed Harris gives a strong performance as an F.B.I. agent whose shiny, eye-catching bald head would not make it easy for him to go unnoticed in a stakeout.

As if to change his television image as a lovable old geezer who can't eat enough Quaker Oats, Wilford Brimley turns up as the firm's most vicious hit man. Aw, shucks.

In spite of all this talent, "The Firm" is something less than a nonstop pleasure. The adjustments made in the story are intelligent ones even if, by the end, Mitch has come to seem almost as devious and opportunistic as the people he's fighting. That could be the film's own comment on the time, place and characters.

A more difficult problem is the film's pace, which may have something to do with the editing. "The Firm" maintains its sluggish gait even through its concluding sequence, which frantically cross-cuts between simultaneous actions in the Cayman Islands and Memphis. One will accept almost anything in a suspense movie as long as the payoff satisfies. That's what they're all about.

"The Firm" ultimately provides no liberation from the sweet tyranny of its own plotting.

"The Firm" has been rated R (Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian). It has a lot of vulgar language and some violence. The Firm Directed by Sydney Pollack; written by David Rabe, Robert Towne and David Rayfiel, based on the novel by John Grisham; director of photography, John Seale; edited by William Steinkamp and Fredric Steinkamp; music by Dave Grusin; production designer, Richard MacDonald; produced by Scott Rudin and John Davis; released by Paramount. Running time: 154 minutes. This film is rated R. Mitch McDeere . . . Tom Cruise Abby McDeere . . . Jeanne Tripplehorn Avery Tolar . . . Gene Hackman Oliver Lambert . . . Hal Holbrook Lamar Quinn . . . Terry Kinney William Devasher . . . Wilford Brimley Wayne Tarrance . . . Ed Harris Tammy Hemphill . . . Holly Hunter

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Product Description

A young lawyer takes a dream job only to find out he is working for the mob and that the Feds want to use him to destroy the firm. Genre: Suspense Rating: R Release Date: 19-AUG-2003 Media Type: DVD

Product details

• Aspect Ratio ‏ : ‎ 1.85:1
• Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ R (Restricted)
• Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.5 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches; 4 ounces
• Director ‏ : ‎ Sydney Pollack
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ NTSC, Multiple Formats, Color, Dolby, Widescreen, Closed-captioned, Anamorphic
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 2 hours and 34 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ May 23, 2000
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Tom Cruise, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Gene Hackman, Hal Holbrook, Terry Kinney
• Dubbed: ‏ : ‎ French
• Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ English
• Language ‏ : ‎ English (Dolby Digital 5.1), Unqualified (DTS ES 6.1), French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround)
• Studio ‏ : ‎ Paramount
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0792164962
• Writers ‏ : ‎ David Rabe, David Rayfiel, John Grisham, Robert Towne
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
• #2,808 in Mystery & Thrillers (Movies & TV)

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The 10 Highest-Grossing Francis Ford Coppola Movies

Money isn't everything, but it's impressive.

Across a career that spans back to the 1960s, Francis Ford Coppola has become one of the most revered names in American cinema, making some of the most celebrated films the world has ever seen. An integral figure in the seismic evolution of Hollywood throughout the 1970s, Coppola shot to stardom with such acclaimed classics as The Godfather films and Apocalypse Now . While plenty of his pictures have become quintessential artistic achievements, Coppola has had just as interesting and influential a relationship with the box office .

From some of his iconic masterpieces to underrated gems, and even to the odd misstep that still found a way to perform commercially, these 10 films mark the best financial achievements for the illustrious director. However, it is worth noting that box office numbers alone can be a treacherous way to evaluate films, as evinced by the fact that Coppola's excellent 1974 thriller The Conversation didn't make the cut.

10 'The Outsiders' (1983)

$25.6 million.

An adaptation of S. E. Hinton ’s 1967 coming-of-age novel, The Outsiders focused on members of a teenage gang in rural Oklahoma in 1965. When Ponyboy ( C. Thomas Howell ) and Johnny ( Ralph Macchio ) are involved in a brawl that leaves a member of a rival gang dead, the two young “Greasers” are forced into hiding. As the situation begins to escalate, some of the gang strive to find redemption while others are drawn into violence and peril.

While Coppola concocted a film of arresting visual style and intriguing, play-like melodrama, it was undoubtedly the cast of up-and-coming stars that was its greatest asset. Included among the ensemble were Tom Cruise , Matt Dillon , Rob Lowe , and Patrick Swayze . While it opened to mixed reviews, it became a commercial success against its budget, grossing $25.8 million , but it has endured as an iconic 80s classic .

The Outsiders

Set in a small town, a group of underprivileged teenagers known as the Greasers constantly clash with the affluent Socs. The stark contrast in their socioeconomic statuses leads to a tragic chain of events, testing the bonds of friendship and the notion of loyalty among the Greasers.

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9 'The Cotton Club' (1984)

$25.9 million.

Released just one year after The Outsiders , The Cotton Club offered another tall tale of impassioned crime drama. Based on James Haskins ’ 1977 novel, it follows Dixie Dwyer ( Richard Gere ), a jazz musician in late-20’s Harlem who falls in with the mob to advance his career and falls for a gangland kingpin’s girlfriend, Vera Cicero ( Diane Lane ), in the process. As Dixie goes on to be a Hollywood star, his ties to organized crime grow complicated.

It received praise upon release, earning recognition for its vibrant energy, its stylized allure, and its performances, but it still flopped at the box office. While in production, the film’s budget blew out to $58 million , making its box office intake of $25.9 million far from impressive. Upon discovering his original cut in 2015, Francis Ford Coppola invested as much as $500,000 of his own money to restore the film to his initial vision , with The Cotton Club: Encore being met with critical praise.

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8 'Peggy Sue Got Married' (1986)

$41.3 million.

A complete pivot from Coppola, Peggy Sue Got Married saw the director follow up The Cotton Club with a time-traveling fantasy rom-com . It follows the titular Peggy Sue ( Kathleen Turner ), a recent divorcee who attends her 25-year-high school reunion where she passes out after realizing how much she regrets every aspect of her life. When she awakens in 1960, she is granted the chance to re-live her life by making different decisions.

A breezy movie that mixed heartfelt fun with interesting insights into life and romance, it excelled as a quieter, more human-focused piece when compared to Coppola’s more renowned crime epics. Thriving off the back of Turner’s magnetic and Oscar-nominated lead performance, Peggy Sue Got Married went on to make $41.3 million .

Peggy Sue Got Married

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7 'The Rainmaker' (1997)

$45.9 million.

An adaptation of John Grisham ’s legal novel of the same name, The Rainmaker earned critical acclaim upon release but performed disappointingly at the box office. Made on a budget of $40 million, its $45.9 million in-take did provide a marginal profit , but compared to other Grisham adaptations - such as The Firm and A Time to Kill , which made $270.2 million and $152.2 million respectively - it was a commercial disappointment. The shame in that is, The Rainmaker was the strongest of all the Grisham adaptations.

Making use of an exceptional cast, it saw Matt Damon star as Rudy Baylor, an inexperienced lawyer who takes on a major insurance company by representing a young boy dying of leukemia. An intelligent and honorable adaptation, Coppola brought Grisham’s style to the screen in a way no one else had by emphasizing the impact of even the smallest characters while offering fierce commentary on the legal system.

Watch on Paramount+

6 'The Godfather Part II' (1974)

$47.9 million.

Viewed by many to be not only the greatest sequel of all time but one of the best movies ever made, The Godfather Part II is arguably Francis Ford Coppola’s most defining achievement. A 202-minute crime epic, it was divided into two narratives to run as both a prequel and a sequel. In 1958, Michael Corleone ( Al Pacino ) must fight to maintain control of his organization following an attempt on his life. Additionally, from 1901-1922, a young Vito Corleone ( Robert De Niro ) immigrates to America and embarks on a life of crime.

Defined by its enormity, ambition, and the brilliant realization of its juxtaposing tales, it became an instant sensation, winning six Academy Awards including Best Picture . Exact figures on its earnings are rather scarce, however. According to Box Office Mojo, the film grossed $47.8 million domestically, but international figures are difficult to pinpoint. Additionally, it should be noted that it was not uncommon for sequels to perform dubiously at the box office in the 1970s.

The Godfather: Part II

The early life and career of Vito Corleone in 1920s New York City is portrayed, while his son, Michael, expands and tightens his grip on the family crime syndicate.

5 'Jack' (1996)

$58.6 million.

Ironically enough, while a masterpiece like The Conversation made just $4.6 million, one of Coppola's most successful films was arguably his worst in Jack . A bizarre coming-of-age comedy, it stars Robin Williams as a ten-year-old boy with a condition that rapidly accelerates his aging process, making him look four times older than he actually is.

Despite striving for a feel-good, wholesome, and charming viewing experience, the film was received as a tonally jumbled and somewhat disturbing mess which is today viewed as a bit of a so-bad-it’s-good flick . However, with Coppola attached and Williams in the starring role, it debuted at number one at the US box office and went on to make $58.6 million . Regardless of its quality, it does stand as a prime example of Coppola’s admirable desire to experiment in new genres.

Watch on Disney+

4 'Apocalypse Now' (1979)

$104.8 million.

Francis Ford Coppola’s 1979 classic is still regarded as the definitive film about the Vietnam War, excelling as a terrifying yet enchanting nosedive into the feverish mania of the conflict. It follows a US Army Officer who is assigned the mission of trekking into Cambodia to assassinate a rogue Special Forces Colonel who is revered as a demigod by the Americans, Montagnard, and Khmer troops he commands.

A cinematic masterpiece and a maddening war odyssey of epic proportions, Apocalypse Now is one of the defining American pictures and a yet-to-be-surpassed depiction of, not only the horror but the insanity of war. While a polarizing film upon release, Apocalypse Now was an immediate success, making $104.8 million . While a box office triumph, its immortal legacy is in its atmospheric presentation and awe-inspiring story, more so than in its commercial performance.

Apocalypse Now

3 'the godfather part iii' (1990), $136.8 million.

The culmination of The Godfather trilogy, The Godfather Part III was released 16 years after the second film, offering an intriguing though flawed conclusion to the Corleone story . With Michael (Pacino) nearing 60 and living in regret over his violent life, he attempts to legitimize his criminal empire, a pivot that doesn’t sit well with the New York mob boss. Additionally, Michael’s efforts to determine a successor are complicated by the arrival of his illegitimate nephew, Vincent ( Andy Garcia ).

While it was revered as a technical feat, The Godfather Part III did garner widespread criticism for its overburdened story and some poor casting decisions. That being said, it did offer satisfying closure to Michael’s overall journey, going from a dutiful military man to a reluctant boss, and finally to a shattered old man plagued by regret. Despite its mixed reception, it was a significant financial success, making $136.8 million against a budget of $54 million .

The Godfather: Part III

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2 'Bram Stoker’s Dracula' (1992)

$215.8 million.

Anything but restrained, Bram Stoker’s Dracula was a film of glorious excess as it tackled the famous horror novel with tremendous fervor and an all-star cast. Gary Oldman starred as Count Dracula, a centuries-old vampire who travels to England to pursue the love of his solicitor’s fiancé, Mina ( Wynona Ryder ), who he believes is his long-lost wife reincarnated. In the process, he unleashes a reign of terror upon Britain.

Coppola instilled the film with an operatic grandiosity that allowed it to stand distinct among the many ‘Dracula’ adaptations , making for a divine spectacle of delightfully overblown horror and romance. While it made an impressive $82.5 million domestically, it thrived internationally, where it made $133.3 million for a combined total box office performance of $215.8 million . It was the ninth highest-grossing movie of 1992 and remains a cherished cult classic over three decades later.

Bram Stoker's Dracula

1 'the godfather' (1972), $250.3 million.

Francis Ford Coppola’s magnum opus, The Godfather is viewed by many to be the greatest film of all time. The crime drama focuses on the Corleone crime family, with the aging patriarch Vito ( Marlon Brando ) looking to hand over power to his reluctant son Michael (Pacino), an uneasy transition that leaves the family vulnerable to their rivals.

The acclaimed masterpiece marks one of Hollywood’s greatest-ever critical and commercial successes. It won three Academy Awards, including Best Picture, while also becoming the highest-grossing film to that point in time with its box office intake of $250.3 million . Its excellence and influence remain apparent, with its astonishing visual display, iconic performances, and absorbing story setting a benchmark not just for crime movies, but for all cinema. Over 50 years since its release, it's standing as one of cinema’s true triumphs remains firmly intact.

The Godfather (1972)

KEEP READING: All 23 Francis Ford Coppola Movies, Ranked

“I suddenly saw the whole film collapsing”: Hugh Grant’s First Tryst to Become Tom Cruise Almost Ended Up Killing Him in a Movie That Didn’t Even Want to Cast Him

H ugh Grant is one of the most celebrated actors in Hollywood, and his perfect combination of wit and charm only makes it more understandable why. Needless to say, his very charming personality and physical features are also the reason why a lot of the roles he has donned have been in rom-coms. But even through those rom-coms, Grant has displayed quite a bit of action.

However, one time, this display of action in a similar ruthless manner as Tom Cruise almost ended up killing him. This happened in the iconic film that set him up as the King of rom-coms and is still regarded as a masterpiece, Four Weddings and a Funeral . But that isn’t the only surprising fact, because Grant was actually never the first choice to play the protagonist in that movie!

Hugh Grant Almost Killed Himself While Shooting Four Weddings and a Funeral

Though Tom Cruise is widely hailed as the ultimate action star in Hollywood after all the nail-biting stunts he has performed by himself to date without losing his life, someone else, too, once performed an epic action sequence that almost cost him his life.

This  someone else was none other than Hollywood’s very own favorite Hugh Grant , who quite literally put his life on the line while shooting as the fan-beloved Charles in the all-time-best critically acclaimed film from 1994,  Four Weddings and a Funeral .

“I’m too old and ugly, thank God”: Hugh Grant is Grateful for Losing His Charm After a Traumatizing Experience While Working With Nicole Kidman

The scene in the talk is the opening scene of the movie, where Grant’s Charles and his best friend Scarlett (Charlotte Coleman) are late to a wedding, and on the way, nearly crash into a truck while reversing the car to take the correct route to the place where they were headed.

As filmmaker Mike Newell shared in an interview with The Guardian :

“That scene on the motorway, for some reason, Hugh was actually driving. He shouldn’t have been but he was. They were within inches of backing at full speed into a truck that was coming at them.”

“We were all sure we’d made a giant turkey”: Hugh Grant Believed His Four Weddings and a Funeral Was Destined to Flop Only to Change His Career in the Best Way Possible

Needless to say, that moment most certainly felt as surreal in the film as it was in real life, considering how Newell further expressed:

“I suddenly saw the whole film collapsing in front of me, and what I had done was engineer the death of the leading man on the motorway.”

However, fortunately, Mike Newell ‘s fears couldn’t go farther than this, because both Grant and his best friend in the film sitting shotgun were saved and got out unscathed, as was seen in the movie, and no one was hurt while shooting the scene either.

“When my mother gave me my first camcorder… a despot was born”: What Elizabeth Hurley’s Son Damian Made Her Do to Hugh Grant is Diabolical

But while Grant managed to pull off such an unbelievable feat that only Cruise in the industry could be expected to, what’s even more surprising is the fact that the creative heads for the movie never really wanted to cast him in the role of the protagonist!

Hugh Grant was Never Supposed to Play Charles in the 1994 Rom-Com

While the film went on to crown him one of the most iconic kings in the rom-com industry, the truth is that Grant was never supposed to star as the lead Charles in 1994’s  Four Weddings and a Funeral . And, for the record, it was writer Richard Curtis who was against his casting.

“I’m afraid I am shying at that fence”: Hugh Grant Confesses He Cannot Afford $12 Million Court Trial Against The Sun Despite $150 Million Net Worth

As Curtis himself shared in an interview with The Times :

“I argued hard against Hugh Grant. I had in my mind a less glamorous person because I’m a very unglamorous person. So I was thinking Jim Broadbent, Robbie Coltrane, John Gordon Sinclair. I argued for Alan Rickman.”

However, after interviewing about  “70 other people” for the role, Curtis was met with the realization that  “the combination you need of charm and wit to make it funny was very hard to find.” But when it came to the now-63-year-old actor:  “Hugh had it instantly.”

“It’s pretty much an extinct genre”: Glen Powell Gets Trolled For His Contribution to Rom-Com as Hugh Grant Films Still Linger in Public Memory

As the writer continued to share about Grant while revealing how Newell “took the casting unbelievably seriously” :

“[Grant] gives the impression of being feckless and that he can’t act, but he worked so hard on every line.”

Now that’s a hard fact, because there has hardly been a movie where Hugh Grant didn’t absolutely nail it .

You can watch Four Weddings and a Funeral on Prime Video.

The Firm (1993)

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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

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.

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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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