I've left my TV parked on HDNet Movies today (nice channel, btw) and currently have the showing of the movie: The Firm on. It's an "ok" movie I guess, but one that I really wish had remained more "true to the book." If you've been by my blog before, you may have seen me make positive comments about John Grisham's books in the past. I normally enjoy them a lot, though I will also say that there have been times when he has taken the 'easy way out' in the endings of a few of them.
The Firm was one of the first (the first?) of Grisham's books that was turned into a film. It was given an all-star cast, with the up-and-coming Tom Cruise, Hal Holbrook, Gene Hackman, Jeanne Tripplehorn, David Straitharn, Holly Hunter, Gary Busey and more (including Ed Harris in a bit part). Unfortunately it was also given a completely different ending from the original book. Up until that part of the film, it's actually not that far from the original story in the book.
I understand that there are times when films based on books have to take creative license and some major editing must be done, but the ending of The Firm just seems so anti-climatic and dull when compared to the book that it leaves me feeling the whole movie is just bleh.
Similar problems have happened with other Grisham books, and with Tom Clancy's and others. I wish that Hollywood would figure out to stay truer to the works of the authors they use for inspiration for the movies they make. Perhaps they'd be more enjoyable and I would feel more inspired to go out of my way to visit a movie theatre to "consume their products."
