Paramount Pictures executive Lance Young received the manuscript for John Grisham’s as yet unpublished novel, The Firm, in late Dec 1989, first from producer John Davis, and days later, from producer Scott Rudin, who had a production deal at Paramount. As noted in the 26 Jan 1990 Publishers Weekly, on 7 Jan 1990, Paramount finalized a deal with John Grisham’s New York City agent, Jay Garon, paying $350,000 against $600,000 for film rights. The purchase catalyzed interest from publishers, and the book was released by Doubleday in 1991. It went on to sell seven million copies by the time the film opened, according to the 30 Jun 1993 LAT.
       At Paramount’s request, John Davis and Scott Rudin agreed to work together. Ignoring the studio’s prohibition against approaching actors directly, they visited Tom Cruise on the set of A Few Good Men (1992, see entry) and presented him with the project as a potential starring and directing vehicle. Cruise did not want to direct, but was interested in the role of “Mitch McDeere,” depending on the director. According to items in the 3 Feb 1992 and 16 Mar 1992 Var, Lili Fini Zanuck, Kevin Reynolds, John McTiernan, John Badham, and Ron Howard were considered before Sydney Pollack came on board to direct.
       Playwright David Rabe was hired to adapt the screenplay. He wrote two or three early drafts that were deemed unsatisfactory for deviating too far from the novel. A Paramount executive, quoted in a 4 Jul 1993 LAT article, described Rabe’s version as “a kind of Faustian epic” in which “Abby McDeere” is raped, “Ray McDeere” is murdered, and Mitch McDeere seeks revenge by bursting into his law firm and gunning everyone down – none of which was in Grisham’s book. Screenwriter Daniel Pyne was brought on to replace Rabe. After he wrote two more drafts, Pyne was replaced by David Rayfiel, who was tasked with re-writing the character of “Avery Tolar” as a woman when Pollack decided to cast Meryl Streep in the role, as noted in the 12 May 1992 DV and 17 May 1992 LAT. The decision was later reversed, and Gene Hackman was cast instead of Streep. In Mar 1992, still unsatisfied with the script, Pollack hired his friend and neighbor, Academy Award-winning screenwriter Robert Towne, who agreed to step away from his current project, a film adaptation of Paul Lindsay’s book, Witness to the Truth (New York, 1992), to spend three weeks rewriting The Firm, as noted in a 7 Jul 1992 DV item.
       Around the time David Rayfiel became involved, John Grisham was rumored to be unhappy with the way the film was being adapted. However, an 8 Mar 1992 LAT item quoted Grisham as saying he had not seen the script nor had he spoken to anyone at Paramount in the two years since the book was sold. Towne and Rayfiel’s rewrites deviated from Grisham’s novel by rearranging the order of events and devising a new ending, in which Mitch McDeere masterminds a way to avoid being disbarred by exposing the firm’s overbilling practices instead of incriminating the Moroltos, and Abby McDeere helps him by seducing and drugging Avery Tolar.
       An 8 Mar 1992 LAT item noted that location scouting was underway in Memphis, TN. However, filming, which had originally been set for summer 1992, was delayed until fall due to changes in “top-level management” at Paramount, and a looming actors’ strike.
       An item in the 29 Jun 1993 LAT listed the production budget as $45 million. It was reported in the 27 Jun 1993 LAT and 12 Jul 1993 NYT that Tom Cruise received a salary of $12 million, Sydney Pollack was paid an estimated $5.5 million, and both would receive a share of the box-office gross. Gene Hackman was paid an estimated $2 million for the role of Avery Tolar. Because he came onto the project later than Tom Cruise, whose contract stipulated only his name could appear above the title in advertisements, Hackman chose to remove his name from advertisements entirely. Frontrunners for the role of Abby McDeere included Jeanne Tripplehorn, Robin Wright, and Bridget Fonda, according to a 13 Oct 1992 DV brief. Tripplehorn was ultimately cast.
       Principal photography began 9 Nov 1992, as stated in the 3 Nov 1992 HR production chart. The first three months of filming took place in Memphis, according to a 28 Feb 1993 Long Beach Press-Telegram item, followed by filming in the Cayman Islands, which stipulated a disclaimer in end credits, denying the Cayman Islands were a “money-laundering haven” as depicted in the film, according to the 25 Jan 1993 Var. The company moved to Washington, D.C. on 14 Mar 1993, as stated in a 17 Mar 1993 HR item. There, filming took place between 15 and 17 Mar 1993, and on 18 Mar, cast and crew went to Boston, MA, for the final days of shooting.
       A 25 Jun 1993 NYT article listed Memphis locals from the law community who appeared in uncredited roles, or as background actors, including: prosecutor Barbara Zoccola, who played a bar exam proctor; Judge George Brown and Mike McLaren, both of whom appeared in a basketball scene; married couples Steve and Diana Vescovo, and Chris and Anna Vescovo; head of the Memphis Bar Association, Alex Wellford and his cousin, Judge Harry W. Wellford; former Attorney General of Tennessee, Mike Cody, who played a bit part and served, along with Kathy Story, as a technical legal advisor; and Mike Williams, Joe Barnwell, and Bill Gibbons, who appeared in portraits as lawyers who had been murdered.
       The 28 Feb 1993 Long Beach Press-Telegram noted that furnishings and other items from the Memphis set were donated to a fundraiser for Les Paseese Children’s Rehabilitation Center, in which the McDeere’s iron bed was auctioned for $3,800; an attorney-at-law sign signed by Tom Cruise went for $1,900; and John Grisham paid $19,000 for a 100-year-old Wooton desk.
       An item in the Jun 1993 issue of Pulse! magazine stated that songwriter-producer Jim Dickinson, who produced the song “I Sho’ Do” used in the film, served as an off-camera piano player. However, Dickinson is not credited.
       The Jun 1993 issue of Spy magazine reported a rumor that Pollack banned Scott Rudin from the set. Rudin was also rumored to have had problems with John Grisham, who allegedly preferred dealing with John Davis.
       A controversy arose over screenwriting credits, as noted in the 4 Jul 1993 LAT. Although Daniel Pyne did not request a credit on the final film, David Rabe did, angering Scott Rudin and executive producer Lindsay Doran, who claimed Rabe’s contributions to the final script amounted to “one-half of a line of dialogue.” A Writers Guild of America (WGA) arbitration ruled in Rabe’s favor, necessitating early advertisements for the film, which credited only Robert Towne and David Rayfiel, be replaced. The decision also made Rabe eligible to receive residual payments, if the film made a profit. Sydney Pollack, Scott Rudin, and Lindsay Doran wrote letters of protest to the WGA, but the decision was upheld.
       The theatrical release, initially scheduled for 2 Jul 1993, was moved up two days to 30 Jun 1993, to get “a jump” on other major films opening over the Fourth of July weekend, including Walt Disney Pictures’ re-release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1938, see entry) and Son-in-Law (1993, see entry). The film opened on 2,339 screens, according to the 29 Jun 1993 LAT, and took in $7.2 million in box-office receipts the first day, setting a record for the highest-grossing “midweek opening of a non-sequel film” to that time, as stated in the 2 Jul 1993 LAT.
       Reviews were mixed. Critics generally concurred the film had box-office potential and solid performances, especially by Tom Cruise, despite a lagging 155-minute running time. In a 9 Sep 1993 interview in The Times [London], Sydney Pollack stated his own belief that the film was too long and claimed he would have made it shorter had there been more time for post-production. Regardless, The Firm was a commercial success, taking in $145 million in domestic box-office receipts in the first eight weeks of release.
       Holly Hunter, who plays secretary “Tammy Hemphill,” was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, and Dave Grusin received an Academy Award nomination for Best Music – Original Score, and Grammy Award nomination for Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture or for Television.
       According to the 12 Jul 1993 NYT, Paramount gave $100,000 Mercedes SL convertibles to Tom Cruise, Sydney Pollack, and Scott Rudin as thank-you gifts. Although John Davis was offered one as well, he requested the money be donated to the Fulfillment Fund, a charity providing college tuition to underprivileged teenagers in Los Angeles, CA.
       A 9 Jan 1994 Long Beach Press-Telegram brief noted the city of Memphis devised a walking tour of filming locations, and made itineraries available at the Visitors Information Center. The film’s popularity also prompted a 53% spike in sales of Red Stripe beer, which Mitch McDeere is seen drinking in the Cayman Islands, as noted in the Oct 1995 issue of Playboy.
       End credits include the following statements: "The Producers would like to acknowledge: Office furniture provided by Kimball International; selected men's wardrobe by Paul Stuart; Gene Hackman's wardrobe provided by Canali; Anne Klein II Apparel and Accessories; Arrow Shirts & Hosiery; business machines serviced by Mid-South Systems, Inc.; The Florsheim Shoe Company; Southland Dog Track; Union Planters NAtional Bank; Memphis State University; Bob Soto's Diving, Ltd.; the People of Memphis, Tennessee; Mayors W. W. Herenton and William N. Morris; Linn Sitler and the Memphis and Shelby County Film, Tape and Music Commission," and, "Special thanks to: Ruth Pomerance; John S. Edmunds, Esq., Edmunds & Verga; Anthony Pellicano." Finally stated: "The Producers wish to thank the Cayman Islands government and His Excellency Mr. Michael Gore, CBE, Governor, 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."