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‘The Firm’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan

December 11, 2018 · The Firm (1993) · Drama · Mystery · Thriller · 1:25:06

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Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 19:34The chase sequence when Mitch gets the warning call from Ed Harris to 'get out of there' and runs through the office, jumps onto a truck with pillows, gets on a tram, and is chased - the whole 15-minute escape sequence
Chris Ryan▶ 20:57The scene where Mitch guesses his salary and figures out how the firm recruited him by bribing a Harvard placement clerk
Sean Fennessey▶ 21:50The Grand Cayman scene where Hackman and Cruise talk to Jerry Weintraub's character Sonny Capps, showing Mitch's skills as a lawyer

Picking Nits

Bill Simmons▶ 45:52Tom Cruise gets the overbilling idea too easily from the guy they're overbilling, who just lays out the whole scheme, and Gene Hackman just rolls over when Jeanne Tripplehorn drugs him and he hears her on the phone - he's not mad at all
Sean Fennessey▶ 46:07The actor who explains the overbilling scheme is weird and strange, looks like Eddie Murray the baseball player, and his performance is just living exposition

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 46:43Did Gene Hackman actually die in this movie, plus mentions having a very big unanswerable question
Sean Fennessey▶ 46:35Did they kill him or did he kill himself

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 48:47Jason Patric — Discusses Jason Patrick turning down Mitch role, questions the Meryl Streep as Gene Hackman casting change, notes Robin Wright turned down Gene Tripplehorn's role, and mentions Halle Berry auditioned for the beach seduction role
Chris Ryan▶ 49:01Jason Patric — Comments on Jason Patrick's career misses, agrees Cruise was the biggest star at the time making $20 million, and discusses the casting timeline
Sean Fennessey▶ 50:14Meryl Streep — Opposes the Meryl Streep casting change, arguing Gene Hackman makes more sense because his character type can 'lure Mitch into his web' in a way that fits the story better

Joey Pants Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:00:02Jerry Hardin — Jerry Hardin (who plays Royce McKnight), with Hal Holbrook's character as runner-up
Chris Ryan▶ 1:00:08Jerry Hardin — Jerry Hardin - supports another host's choice and provides extensive filmography details
Sean Fennessey▶ 59:29Asks clarifying questions about the category definition but doesn't give a specific pick

Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill Simmons▶ 1:00:49Gene Hackman's name not on poster due to Tom Cruise's deal; book ending differs from movie; Jeanne Tripplehorn dated Ben Stiller 6 years; TV series 'The Firm' in 2012; Cayman Islands hotel was Hyatt Regency destroyed by Hurricane Ivan; Gene Hackman last movie 2004 'Welcome to Moose Port'; Hackman still alive at 88, rides electric bikes in New Mexico
Chris Ryan▶ 1:05:23Contributed guess that Hackman's last movie was 2009, noted Tarantino wanted Hackman for Jackie Brown role, made jokes about bicycling.com vs bison herding
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:01:23Made comparisons about credit negotiations, discussed Jeanne Tripplehorn's career and 90s appeal, shared story about Grantland accidentally making people think Gene Hackman died due to headline

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:07:31Wilford Brimley — No for Tom Cruise, yes for Wilford Brimley, yes for Jeanne Tripplehorn, yes for Holly Hunter, yes for John Grisham
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:07:46Wilford Brimley — No for Wilford Brimley (thinks Cocoon is more iconic), disagrees on Holly Hunter (thinks Broadcast News was her peak)

Best Quote

Bill Simmons▶ 1:15:44Multiple quotes including 'it's amazing how much you miss the sky', 'what do you think I am the fucking night watchman', Brimley's Harvard/jail quote, and everything Ed Harris says especially his profanity-laden federal agent speech
Chris Ryan▶ 1:16:36'we'll take those steak sandwiches to go'
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:17:18'they don't own me and you don't own me' (noting it's lifted from Thief)

Movies Referenced (48)

Collateral (2004)

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan▶ 1:23:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

A Few Good Men (1992)

4 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 5:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Broadcast News (1987)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey▶ 1:08:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

4 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 17:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

In the Name of the Father (1993)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 13:31IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jurassic Park (1993)

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 11:13IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Presumed Innocent (1990)

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 6:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Robin Hood (2010)

3 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 9:31IMDb ↗Lb ↗

All the President's Men (1976)

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 4:54IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Basic Instinct (1992)

2 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 15:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

In the Line of Fire (1993)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 14:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Miami Vice (2006)

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 1:17:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (1)

Richard Fearless

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Lost in Space, Mission: Impossible - Fallout, The Replacement Killers▶ 13:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (33)

Holly Hunter

8 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Broadcast News▶ 11:31IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Wilford Brimley

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for The Natural, The Thing▶ 53:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tom Cruise

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Top Gun, Minority Report▶ 0:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ed Harris

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for The Truman Show▶ 10:33IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Pete Postlethwaite

4 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Usual Suspects, The Town▶ 4:11IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Terry Kinney

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 36:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Emma Thompson

3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Sense and Sensibility, The Remains of the Day▶ 13:31IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Estel Tort

2 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Barbie▶ 7:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Gary Busey

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Lethal Weapon, Point Break▶ 12:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Gene Hackman

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for The French Connection, The Royal Tenenbaums, Unforgiven▶ 4:16IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jerry Weintraub

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for The Firm▶ 21:57IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Khurshed Lawyer

2 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 7:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (6)

John Grisham

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Runaway Jury, A Time to Kill▶ 10:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Andy Greenwald

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 47:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Robert Towne

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Chinatown, Mission: Impossible, The Last Detail▶ 4:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Roger Ebert

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 16:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tommy Lee

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Vanilla Sky▶ 14:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

William Goldman

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, All the President's Men, The Princess Bride▶ 1:20:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗