I have mentioned in few of my previous posts that there was a cable TV channel which showed movies from the 1990s and before. So I quite regularly check every night at 7PM on the movie that I could watch. Last night it happened to be this film that I did not see in theaters during its screen time, most probably because during those period, I only went to cinemas and saw huge blockbuster action movies. Anyway, I decided to watch it and want to write about the film.
Brief Story Line
A young Harvard law student Mitch McDeere (Tom Cruise - American Made, Jack Reacher: Never Go Back etc) was about to be one of the top 5 graduate of his class and got lots of offers from big law firms but he decided to join a smaller firm. Together with his wife Abby (Jeanne Tripplehorn - Waterworld, Big Love TV series etc) they moved to Memphis and started new life there. Despite feeling a little uneasy with the firm due to its seemingly interference in personal life, Abby still fully supported Mitch.
Mitch would start to be overwhelmed with his new job and given huge task by one of the senior partner Avery Tolar (Gene Hackman - The French Connection, Mississippi Burning etc). But when the FBI led by Agent Tarrance (Ed Harris - Appaloosa, Westworld TV series etc) started to approach him about the firm's dubious practice, Mitch started to question his bosses' activities. Advised by his older brother Ray (David Strathairn - Good Night, and Good Luck, Alphas TV series etc), Mitch would later seek the help from private detective Eddie Lomax (Gary Busey - Lethal Weapon, Point Break etc) with his secretary Tammy (Holly Hunter - Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, The Piano etc) to investigate further.
As he was drawn deeper, Mitch would realize he was in a major dilemma & greater danger than he thought. And he had to find ways to save his life and the people he loved.
End of Brief Story Line
Well that was quite fun. I knew this movie was good (especially after my wife who has seen and read the book, recommended it), but what totally surprised me was how I enjoyed watching the movie. The story telling was well done with everything ran smoothly. From the start we were introduced to the young lawyer Mitch and his wife and rooted for them. And funnily enough, the way that things were revealed slowly was not boring at all. I think it's because the characters were nice to watch.
One thing that I noticed was that, even though the cast were quite large, most of them had some important role to play. Almost every one who seemed unimportant at first, would later have impact to the story. However, there was something that did not meet my expectation. I originally thought that this would be a totally suspenseful thriller from start to finish, but it turned out to be more of a drama thriller. Yes there was some suspense but not the kind which would make you completely thrilled and strapped to your seat.
What I liked about this movie apart from its story telling was the solution that was pretty intelligent. For those who are not aware, this was based on best selling novel of the same title written by John Grisham (other works included The Rainmaker, The Chamber, The Pelican Brief and several more). With so many success under his name, it was no wonder the movie was a big hit. Though from what I understood, there were few alterations done on the movie compared to the novel itself, but since I have not read it, it was not really big deal for me. As far as I could see, it was still cleverly done. Oh I also believe the movie was good due to its directing by Sydney Pollack (famous for previous notable works such as The Way We Were, Tootsie and few others).
Even after 27 years, this 1993 movie was still entertaining to watch. I guess it was due to its topic which was not that out of place now. We could also still relate to the characters and because there was not a lot of actions, we would not be seeing scenes that would look ridiculous during the time when CGI is already so common. Plus looking at Tom Cruise who did not seem too much different compared to his more recent movies make me did not feel this to be too outdated (except of course if we were very particular with the hairdos, computer, use of pager etc).
Overall this is a movie that aged quite well. I think if the movie is watched again in several years time, it would still be entertaining and relevant enough. The characters were very lively with some actors/actresses who have won multiple nominations and awards who are still quite active till now. The plot/story was also interesting and the ending was satisfying for me. So if you ever come across this movie on cable TV/live streaming and you have not seen it, it's good to give this a try.
Mike's movie moments rating: 4 out of 5 stars
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