#originally this post was going to include information about wilford as well but it was too long and ngl it just came down to i personally

[crazyw3irdo]

oh believe me i had to force myself to try and keep this paragraph short lol

So in 2012 Markiplier uploaded a short video called “Don’t blink” in which he stares ominously at the camera without speaking as a distorted version of his face appears in the background. A month later he posted a similar video called “Don’t move.” Fans decided to create a character based on these videos called “Darkiplier” as in “Dark Markiplier” and came up with lots of headcanons and designs and stuff for this non-existent character, that is, until 2017 when A Date With Markiplier made him canon and Who Killed Markiplier gave him a backstory.

[hstott]

Holst’s “The Planets” and WKM Characters

Here we go people! Prepare yourself to read a lot of nerdy comparisons :)

For this, I decided to focus on the main characters that don’t include the DA.

Mars, the Bringer of War- The Chef There were many characters that I considered for this role (The Detective, The Colonel, and especially Mark), but the person that exudes the most amount of hostility toward the DA is the Chef. His tone is very pugnacious, and he frequently chops up meat quite aggressively. I believe that the famous underlying cadence pattern in Mars sounds quite a bit like chopping. He doesn’t like anyone in his kitchen, and prepares to fight them if someone is there. He doesn’t trust anyone, so he has his Little Buddy. Like Mars, the Chef is very loud and forceful. He habitually curses people out, as well as just cursing frequently in general. The Chef hides important information about the Groundskeeper, and argues with the Detective frequently. He is prideful in his decision to hide the information, like the pride expressed in the movement. The Chef leaves shouting furiously, just like how Mars ends with the very loud sustained notes.

Venus, the Bringer of Peace- Damien Poor, sweet Damien. He just wanted to be with all of his friends again. The tender tone of Venus is quite thoughtful, like Damien is. Damien calms the DA when he sees them at first: calling them “old friend”, asking about their new office, and giving them gentle smiles. Venus is about affection and love, which can be shown platonically or otherwise. He helps the DA after they are punched, expressing great concern. One can also presume that he wants the best for his city, and that he cares about the peace. When he finds out that Mark is dead, he is immediately heartbroken. Although he then argues with the Colonel, he then later regrets it. The tone of Venus can be quite solemn and regretful. He fully trusts the DA, and typically trusts the Colonel. Progressing on with the story, Damien snaps more and more out of frustration from losing a loved one. He supports Celine, and tries to protect her, not wanting to see another close friend get hurt. He also settles the groundskeeper argument between the Detective and the Chef by stating that their arguing will get them nowhere. Venus is about trying to keep the peace. When the DA sees Damien and Celine after they die, Damien is truly angry, but then persuades the DA to trust them, promising to fix the situation at hand. When we see Damien/Dark at the end, he seems very angry. I believe that he is angry at Mark, for making him take his dear friend’s body, for forcing him to manipulate his companion, and trapping them in the mirror for all of eternity. After all, he just wanted his dear friends to be together, and he had that ripped away from him, so he then must go against his original morals, and hunt the one friend that he used to trust the most. He used to always say that “life is ours to choose”, but then went to being “forced” to become the villain. One could think that Damien goes from Venus, the Bringer of Peace, but then morphs into Mars, the Bringer of War. This is especially true within Mark’s video, “Damien”. He goes from trying his best to keep the peace, to becoming the villain that Mark so desperately wanted. But even then, he just wants to help his sister, and tries to make things right. Very interesting…

Mercury, the Winged Messenger- Benjamin the Butler I feel as this one may be quite obvious and literal. Every time we see the Butler, he always is quite sudden with his return, which corresponds to the liveliness of Mercury. I find it very interesting that near the beginning of Mercury, a bell is heard, not unlike one used to summon a butler. He also almost always brings something to the DA, whether it be champagne, seltzer with cocaine, or even “important” information. At first, Benjamin seems quite exuberant and lively. Then he begins to deteriorate as his master was murdered. He tries his best to help the DA throughout the investigation, until he must abandon the manor and take his leave.

Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity- The Colonel The Colonel has always been an eccentric, according to Damien. He is always quite courteous towards the DA, but not as much toward the Detective. The Colonel is very prideful. He is exuberant, even during the mystery of Mark’s death, joking around and being sarcastic. He tries his best to stay away from the investigation, going as far as to go swimming and golfing to avoid Damien and the Detective. He further tries to stay away from everyone but the DA. At the end, he fully believes that this is all a joke, and that he didn’t kill anyone, which he exclaims loudly over and over. In Wilford Motherloving Warfstache, Wilford still firmly believes that he is not a murderer. He is very happy to see “Dave”, and asks about “his wife”. He doesn’t seem to mind being kidnapped be the Detective, and continues to try to drink his cocktail. After he finally realizes just who has him, he is extremely happy to see Abe, and expresses melancholy for his friends. He also seems quite contempt with not knowing what is going on. He apologizes to Abe, even going in for a hug. When Abe freaks out about not remembering anything, Wilford comforts him and tries to bring joy to Abe’s life. He tries to help Abe have fun and forget about the murders. Jupiter is quite brash and joyful. There are repetitive motifs, not unlike how the Colonel has his sayings, such as “buoy” and “this is all a joke!”. Jupiter is also very majestic and resplendent, yet noble in nature. Wilford/the Colonel is a perfect comparison. In the second section of Jupiter, the tone seems very wistful, and almost melancholic, not unlike Wil when he sees the photographs of his friends in Abe’s office. 

Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age- Abe The Detective This may be a strange title for Abe, but trust me. Abe is very melancholic in nature, spending quite a bit of time reflecting on his past partners. He seems to be stuck in the past, focusing on finding Wilford for presumably many years. Saturn is very heavy-hearted in tone. Saturn is also very patient and prideful. This expresses how Abe is very invested into his work, and is willing to spend a lot of time trying to solve his cases. He takes much pride in his duties. This is shown by his joy when he finally traps Wilford, from finding him in the club, handcuffing him in his car, and then tying him up in his office. In Saturn, there are brief moments of madness, which are focused around time, being projected as clock bells and chimes. Sound familiar? This is exactly like when Abe has his breakdown about not remembering things that he should. Eventually, this calms down, not unlike how Abe accepts the madness that Wilford describes, and starts getting his boogie on.

Uranus, the Magician- Mark Now, you may be wondering, “Shouldn’t Celine be the Magician?”, but on the contrary, she is not the only person that dealt with what may have been “magic”. Uranus deals with magic, and magic may constitute as curses. Mark had repeatedly tried to end his life, but was thwarted by the mystical powers of the house. When Mark invites the others to his poker night, he does it to try to get his revenge, and uses the house’s powers, as well as his curse, to execute it. To differentiate Uranus’ movement versus Neptune’s, one must consider the tone of the section itself. Uranus sounds brash and vengeful within the first few bars. Then the tone shifts to madness, with a hint of playfulness. Mark sounds quite like this as he is introducing the evening’s festivities as he waltzes down his staircase. After all, it isn’t about the poker, it’s about “you”, which includes the guests he is trying to get revenge on. Even joy is heard, as I would think Mark would have as his plan is being thought. As the movement progresses, the tone becomes brasher and more powerful, until it all collapses into quietness. I imagine this as Mark solidifying his actions by killing himself for what is the last time. The tone becomes somewhat solemn, but a deep, uneasy voice is heard lurking underneath the silence. This could connotate the shift of mood of the whole production as a whole, from the mystery of Mark’s death and disappearance of the body, to the DA seeing the true darkness that the house exerts.

Neptune, the Mystic- Celine We know very little about Celine herself; we only know that she is Damien’s twin sister, Mark’s ex-wife, the Colonel’s ex-lover, and that she dabbles with the mystic arts. Neptune represents the unknown, as well as mystery. Celine obviously has mystical powers, that end up joining with the house’s darkness when she has the DA travel their mind to see visions of what they should do. Celine grows more powerful as she uses the house, but then is taken into its darkness, along with Damien. Damien and her both disappear mysteriously. Neptune’s tone, especially with the twinkling bells, reminds one of the stars (like on Celine’s dress), and the unknown that comes with space. The portion with the angelic singing morphs into a very dissonant tone that grows more as time goes on. The music slowly fades away until one is left with nothing. The tone of Neptune is much more serious and steady, rather than the brashness and anger of Uranus’. Celine is very serious when she talks, and she doesn’t try emotionally reflect on what Mark’s death meant, she immediately tries to figure out what mystic forces are at this house. She takes control of the investigation, and everyone that she can persuade. She knows that there is more to this world than what most people know.

Sorry for the long post! Let me know what you think!

Tagging some people that I think might find this interesting:

@blackaquokat @abethedetective @clanwarrior-tumbly @raimeyl @theashofwkm @falseroar @thatonebubblebitch @miaiplier @markired @marksandrec @chelseareferenced

[cliftonsteen]

A Guide to Green Coffee Auctions

Green coffee auctions are a popular way to buy and sell green coffee on the international market. Not only do they often provide producers with an opportunity to sell coffee at premium prices, they also help them to connect with buyers and build their reputation.

There are many green coffee auctions held around the world. The most well-known, however, are the Cup of Excellence (COE) auctions. However, while overlooked or rare specialty coffee micro lots are often picked up at auction, the associated fees and costs do affect what producers are paid. 

I spoke to Saša Šestić, director of Australia’s ONA Coffee and creator of the Project Origin: Best of Coffee auctions, and Arturo Aguirre, a seven-time Guatemala COE winner and the owner-operator of Finca El Injerto. They told me more about these auctions, and discussed the challenges they can present for producers.

You may also like Green Coffee Buying: 5 Tips for Bidding in Online Auctions

How Is Green Coffee Auctioned?

For centuries, green coffee has been traded at auction. Auctions are typically held by importers, exporters, and coffee organisations, and take place either on-site or on the internet. They aim to bring attention to specialty coffee producers and their coffees. Typically, producers also receive better coffee prices and promote their farm to new buyers in new regions.

On-site auctions usually take place at origin during events hosted by exporters, NGOs, or other industry stakeholders. They allow producers and buyers to meet face to face, and sometimes include farm visits and cupping sessions as well as the actual auction itself. While they can foster long-lasting relationships between producers and buyers, they can be costly for producers to take part in. Even if there are no fees, producers incur an opportunity cost as they can’t be on their farm working. Alongside this, payment terms also differ from auction to auction, meaning that producers sometimes have to wait longer for their money than they normally would.

Online auctions, however, provide producers with more flexible access to the international green coffee market. Buyers from around the world will bid on coffees online, usually after they have been judged, scored, and awarded. Roasters can also request cupping kits and samples to allow them to make a more informed decision about which coffee they buy. Arturo favours this option as he says it exposes producers to more roasters than on-site auctions.

However, while online auctions give producers a bigger pool of buyers, they can be less personal than meeting on-site. As a buyer, Saša prefers building relationships with producers in person at origin. He does, however, acknowledge that online auctions are preferable in countries where travel is restricted, and that it can sometimes be costly. 

Saša elaborates: “[It is challenging] to bring roasters from all over the world to an event. It’s a big commitment for roasters and producers to come and be there for the entire week. 

“I think it’s nice what other auctions are doing, because it’s the only way we can taste these coffees when we cannot travel there to see the country and the farm. So in a situation like this, it’s better to set up the online platform, taste these coffees, and bid on them.”

How Auctions Like The Cup Of Excellence Can Benefit Producers 

The Cup of Excellence is a global specialty coffee competition managed by the non-profit Alliance for Coffee Excellence. It takes place in many producing countries, including El Salvador, Honduras, and Ethiopia. After each competition, the top 30 coffees – provided all have a cupping score of 87 or above – advance to a Cup of Excellence auction.

COE auctions can help producers receive more for their coffee than they would elsewhere. For example, the 2020 COE in Ethiopia saw the highest-scoring coffee sell for US $185.10 per pound – the highest price ever paid for an Ethiopian coffee. The producer, Nigusie Gemeda, said: “I have been a coffee farmer for a long time, but I am just learning the value of our coffee. I am so happy with the result. Never could I have imagined coffee would have sold at such a price.”

COE competitions and auctions also encourage farmers to invest in improving the quality of their coffee. Geoff Watts, Vice President of Coffee at Intelligentsia, says: “Ethiopia is widely considered to be the producer of the most delicious coffees in the world, yet many of its farmers are among the poorest. This auction sends a message that not only validates investment – and the associated risks – in quality but also serves as a reminder that the quality movement is here to stay.”

COE events can also expose producers to coffee buying markets they might not normally come into contact with, such as those in Japan, South Korea, and China. Saša says that in his experience, auction-winning coffees are considered prestigious by many customers in these markets, and are highly sought after. He says: “The roaster or the company that purchased that coffee did so because they know customers want it. They are comfortable spending a lot of money to promote it.”

While other independent green coffee auctions do exist, the most significant is the Specialty Coffee Association of Panama’s annual Best of Panama competition, which first took place in 2006. Last year’s auction broke records when the Lamastus family’s Elida Estate’s natural processed Geisha sold for US $1,029 per pound at a cupping score of 95.25 points. These auctions have helped popularise Geisha as a high end specialty coffee. Fourth generation farmer at Elida Estate, Wilford Lamastus Jr., says that while his coffee won awards, “people will remember the origin and variety, not individual producers… in the long run”.

Saša also believes that these high prices benefit the country’s producers more widely. He says that when “the Best of Panama coffees go for US $700 or US $1,000 a pound, everyone benefits”. He explains that by improving the global perception of the coffee, it encourages others to spend more. This often means that producers are better compensated for the effort they’ve put into growing it.

Typical Green Coffee Auction Fees

For green coffee auctions to be accessible for producers, the fees they are charged need to be worth the potential price they can expect from a sale. Fees are generally calculated as a percentage of a lot’s final sales price, but these may not be fixed and vary from auction to auction. Producers also have other unforeseen costs that they have to consider.

Darrin Daniel is the ACE’s Executive Director. He says that the exact percentage that the producer goes home with will depend on other added costs. “Washing stations in Burundi and Rwanda charge a fee to individual producers for milling and grading the coffee. The ACE receives 1% for commission, and the country partners [receive a percentage on] a moving scale of 10 to 18%.” He says that, eventually, “closer to 69 to 73% goes back directly to the producer”. 

To decide if it’s worth entering a particular auction, producers should examine coffee prices from previous auctions. They should also research typical fees ahead of time, and check the sales figures for certain varieties. This information will help producers to decide which events to attend, and which coffees they should aim to sell.

Producers who would prefer more control over what or how they’re paid can take their coffee to a private or producer-organised auction. These may also be suitable for producers who do not meet the minimum required lot size for larger auction events. However, while these events might provide them with more control, producers will often have to rely on their own reputation to attract buyers.

If cash flow is an issue, producers can also consider immediate payment auctions for smaller specialty lots. For example, Brazil held a Micro Region Showcase Caparaó auction in 2019, which was organised by the Brazilian Association of Specialty Coffees and Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency. 

This auction allowed producers to enter nano lots for auction, which were sold for between US $15 and US $54 a pound. The upper end of this range is around 20 times higher than what regional producers were typically receiving. The auction also required buyers to pay in cash when bidding. 

Many larger auctions operate on a delayed payment model, which can mean producers wait for up to a year before they are paid for their coffee. For smaller producers, timely payment could mean the difference between staying profitable or getting into debt.

Green coffee auctions can be highly beneficial for specialty coffee producers. If successful, they can help them to develop long-term relationships with buyers and build a reputation for their coffee. 

However, it’s also important for producers to make sure they’re appropriately informed and making the best decision. There may be other auction models out there that are more suitable.

Enjoyed this? Then Read How Can Coffee Auctions Enable Direct Trade Relationships?

Photo credits: Diego Nájera, Finca El Injerto, Cup of Excellence, Nick Castellano

Perfect Daily Grind

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[bunnyrapline]

Markiplier Ego AU

So I got bored, and I was thinking of that Editing is Everything trailer that was basically all the egos were split personalities. So I made a little thing. It’s not a story it’s more like an idea for a story? Kind of like a quick list of which personalities I’d include and some of their traits. I ended up turning it into a kind of observation sheet though.

So I guess it’s more like a prologue of a story I’m most likely not going to write. Basically it’s an observation sheet from someone at a hospital that Mark was admitted to after an incident with one of his personalities. It’s a bit of their observations as well as written down characteristics that Mark has given them followed by some advice for whoever the lucky therapist is. (If I wanted to keep it the spirit of things as they have been the Therapist could even be Y/N). Im going to post it below this (also the dates aren’t included in the sheet, they were there for me to figure out who was made first. That was part of the boredom thing).

List of Personalities

Mark (2012)

The original personality

Dark (2012)

Main emotions: Anger and Rage

Also a schemer and manipulator

Wilford Warfstache (2012)

Unstable

Holds the worst of trauma

Can be Violent

Doesn’t understand consequences of actions

King of the Squirrels (Jan 2013)

Animal lover

Loves outdoors

The Author (Feb 2013)

Loves to write

Enjoys trying to get others to do what he wants

Like to push others to their limits

Ludwig Von BallingCrusher (July 2013)

Work out enthusiast

strong

Dr. Iplier (Oct 2013)

Obsessed with others dying (not in a murder way)

Believes self to be doctor and has significant medical knowledge

Bad bed-side manner; lacks empathy

Tim (Jan 2014) (It’s tiny box tim but it felt weird not including him so I mae him a personality)

Innocent

Has the mind of a child

Mental age around 7-10 is the guess right now

Silver Shepard (June 3, 2014)

Wants to help save the day

Wants to help people

low self-esteem

Googleiplier (Oct 2014) (May 2017 goes by Google Blue or Blue)

The logical side

Not emotionless; likes to ignore emotions

Has stammering issues that translate as glitches and pauses in “system”

Has a dislike for humanity and wishes to see them destroyed

Bim Trimmer (Dec 2014)

Business oriented

Could be a cannibal? (talks about it sometimes)

Bad with names

Ed Edgar (Mar 2015)

Obsessed with selling things; specifically people though

Has tried on numerous occasions to sell us the Tim personality

At denials lowered price and even offered to give us money if we took him

We find this concerning for a multitude of reasons

The Host (May 2015)

Created from the author

Traumatized

Narrates what happens around him

Talks to themselves b/c of this and has a hard time communicating with others

(FNAF) Security Guard (June 2015)

Paranoid about safety

Concerned with keeping entries and exits to the places their staying are secure

Survivalist (Feb 2016)

Loves harsh realities of outdoors

Extremist

Has a hard time dealing with society

Chefiplier (Aug 2016)

Has a passion for cooking

Yandereplier (Nov 13, 2016)

Dangerous and unstable

Focus on individuals they think they love

Violent when perceived to be rejected

Likes swords

Santiplier (Nov 2016)

Unhealthy obsession with Christmas

Takes the negative part of Christmas to seriously

The Jims (May 5, 2017)

Ridiculous but antics are humorous

IS One personality as but contains many within it

leads to conversations with Himself (their selves?)

Bingiplier (May 2017)

More relaxed than Google

More concerned with being cool

Has a bro skater personality

Doesn’t suffer from same glitching problem that Google Blue does

-23. Google’s Red, Yellow, & Green (May 2017)

Function more smoothly than Google Blue

Each have their own separate personality

Yellow is more human and has the widest range of emotions

Red tends to be less patient and easier to anger

Green tends to take more after B with few emotions, but is calmer than all the rest

R, Y, & G don’t feel the same contempt for people that B does but assist in his plans anyway

Oddly enough they also don’t suffer from the same “glitching” that Google Blue does

Note:

As of this moment it is not exactly clear what has brought out the personalities of The Host, Google Red, Google Green, and Google Yellow. All that is known, is that they are a split off from two of the main personalities; The Author and Google Blue (formally known as Googleiplier) respectively. We can only deduce that the splits of occurred from some form of trauma the aforementioned personalities suffered personally. Being that Mark has had no form of therapy to treat his condition before this point there is, at this moment, no way to gather information on the trauma without directly discussing it with the personalities involved.

As you read the list that follows this note, you will find this to be particularly distressing. The best thing for now would be to get the personalities comfortable with you before trying to push any sensitive subjects. A good portion of them don’t do well under stress, and some show high likely hoods of being dangerous as a main part of their personalities. It is presumed that these personalities are the ones that were created specifically to protect Mark at the time from danger, but have also been warped by the traumas they were created by.

Another important matter. DO NOT REFER TO THEM AS PERSONALITIES. For an unknown reason this has had a poor effect on every single personality, even the original Mark showed a disdain. They see themselves as completely separate beings all stuck in the same body, and while this is a serious issue, for now it would be better to refer to them as they have asked and have done so themselves for years. When you refer to them CALL THEM EGOS. It’s ridiculous I know but the first step is building a rapport with Mark and them before we can move any further. Once they trust you they will be more likely to share and hopefully some healing can occur.

Be careful though. Some of them are manipulators and will say what you want to here if they think they can get something out of it. Both the above list and the one below, though they do contain info we’ve gathered from our brief time of observation, are mostly compiled from what the patient, Mark, has told us of the individual personalities egos. I would take them as fact until he comes in for his first session and you are able to determine for yourself.

Though there are many concerning attributes of some of the egos, it is important to note that, until the incident that occurred a few days ago, there have never been any incidents, police reports, or anything pointing to troubling behavior from Mark that would point this being a known pattern of behavior. Hopefully whatever occurred was just a onetime occurrence of a mind under serious duress. However, If you see anything that points to the opposite of that it is your responsibility to report, and if necessary commit the young man if necessary. The safety of the public must come first.

Good Luck. Below are the egos put in categories egos are the least likely to be triggered into a violent state, can be triggered into a violent state, and those to be extremely cautious of.

Mostly Harmless Egos

Bingiplier

The Jims

Chefiplier

King of the Squirells

Bim Trimmer (watch him though, the talk of cannibalism makes us uncomfortable)

Ed Edgar

Silver Shepard

Tim

Ludwig von BallingCrusher

Egos Likely to Be Triggered into Violence or Instability

The Host

Wilford

FNAF Security Guard

Survivalist

Santiplier

Google’s Red, Green, & Yellow

Egos that are Dangerous

Dark

Google B

Yandere

The Author

So that’s it. Know it’s long. And if I got anything wrong either with the egos or with therapy, therapist stuff let me know. Any mistakes were not intentional. If I ever did write this I would do more proper research or I would switch the focus away from the therapy stuff if I got too worried about getting all that stuff messed up (which I am by the way).

Here’s the video by the way

[citizenscreen]

“You don’t identify him with one kind of film.  He can do it all.  He has what I call an omni-talent.  360 degrees.”

Cliff Robertson said those words of Sydney Pollack – actor, writer, producer and director.

  Sydney Pollack began his career as an actor and as an acting teacher. He transitioned to director with episodic television with series like, Shotgun Slade, Ben Casey and The Alfred Hitchcock Hour and the first feature he directed was The Slender Thread starring Sidney Poitier in 1965.

“In those days the film industry looked to television for its directors.”  – Pollack

Sidney Pollack’s over forty films received a total of 46 Academy Award nominations, including four for Best Picture. Pollack himself was nominated three times and received his only Oscar for directing, Out of Africa (1985) for which he also won the Best Picture honor as producer. Out of Africa, which stars Robert Redford and Meryl Streep earned eleven Academy Award nominations in all with seven wins, including Pollack’s two. I think it’s telling and certainly worth mentioning that Pollack directed twelve different actors to Oscar-nominated performances during his career: Jane Fonda, Gig Young, Susannah York, Barbra Streisand, Paul Newman, Melinda Dillon, Jessica Lange, Dustin Hoffman, Teri Garr , Meryl Streep, Klaus Maria Brandauer and Holly Hunter.

  Perhaps more impressive than the Oscar nods Pollack received during his career is that among the 100 best-loved American movies ranked by American Film Institute (AFI) in June, 2002, Pollack is the only director credited with two films near the top of list. His The Way We Were (1973) is ranked #6 and Out of Africa (1985) is ranked #13. I think that may surprise people because Sidney Pollack is rarely mentioned among top director lists, but there’s just so much to enjoy in his movies, which, no matter the genre, always have solid relationships at the center. Pollack had a knack for people and despite the fact that his movies range from thrillers to epics to comedies, the best of them are relatable on a personal level.

Like most people I enjoy several movies in Pollack’s repertoire with my favorites being They Shoot Horses, Don’t They (1969), The Way We Were (1973), Three Days of the Condor (1975), a terrific thriller I had the privilege to see on the big screen at the Turner Classic Movies Film Festival, and Tootsie (1982). But while perusing my movie collection recently I ran across Pollack’s 1993 legal thriller, The Firm starring Tom Cruise, which is based on a popular novel by John Grisham and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it and so here I am discussing a non-classic as I am compelled to do now and again…

THE FIRM (1993)

Produced and directed by Sydney Pollack.

Admittedly, Sidney Pollack had a lot of trouble trying to visualize John Grisham‘s hugely popular novel, The Firm, as a feature film. He felt that if he followed the book exactly, he couldn’t make the film work. So, Pollack made changes to the script that many disagreed with. One of those changes is the ending of the story in the film, which is quite different from the one depicted in Grisham’s novel. I have no problem with the changes Pollack made to the film, except that it is too clean, if that makes any sense. I start then with what I like least in The Firm. While the overall story told in Pollack’s version of the story is clear and enjoyable, there are several convoluted moments in the film where one wonders what’s going on. It’s a bit messy and I feel the ending should be a bit messy too. Having said that, with a running time that exceeds two hours, The Firm manages to keep me interested for its duration.

As The Firm opens we see Mitch McDeere (Tom Cruise), a recent graduate of Harvard Law interviewing with different law firms. He is, in fact, being wooed by notable firms from New York and Chicago. But it’s a small firm in Memphis, Bendini, Lambert & Locke that makes Mitch an irresistible offer that includes a substantial salary , a low-interest mortgage rate so he can buy a house, several bonus packages, and the Mercedes of his choice. Bendini, Lambert & Locke become “the firm.”

Once Mitch accepts the offer he and his wife, Abby (Jeanne Tripplehorn) attend a large party thrown by the firm so they can get to know everyone, a welcoming into the family. Mitch is sold immediately, but Abby sees early signs of trouble. Although, honestly, they’re pretty blatant. One woman at the party, the wife of one of the partners tells her, “oh, you’re allowed to work and children are encouraged.” Stepford much???

Domestic bliss before The Firm’s claws are felt

After the party Abby tells Mitch about her unease, but they move to Memphis anyway and start a new life with the firm. Unfortunately, it’s not long before all starts going awry. I don’t intend on telling you the entire story – as if I could – but know that there are murders, wire tapping, mysterious trips, serious over-billing issues, organized crime, misadventures, chases, disguises and a guy who thinks he’s Elvis. In other words there’s enough sinister goings on to keep you entertained. Of the excess of legal thrillers made in the 1980s and early 1990s, of which I’ve seen many, The Firm may not be one of the best, but it’s not one of the worst either.

PERFORMANCES

Of Tom Cruise’ performance in The Firm, John Grisham said, “did a good job. He played the innocent young associate very well.” I agree. Cruise is perfectly suited for the role of Mitch at that point in his career and is enjoyable as the “conspiracy buster,” (EW). Cruise is certainly a lot more entertaining in this than in most of his later performances, where the off-screen Cruise overwhelms his performances in my opinion. The rest of the cast is also enjoyable including a wonderful array of actors in great character performances. To begin, there’s Ed Harris, who plays the FBI agent in charge of the case against the firm. Then you have David Strathairn, who plays Mitch’s older brother who’s doing time for manslaughter. And then there’s Holly Hunter who’s just fantastic as Tammy, a woman who by choice and circumstance gets embroiled in the plot to get the firm. Hunter received one of the two Oscar nods for The Firm – Best Supporting Actress. Interestingly, Hunter’s on-screen for a total of five minutes and 59 seconds, one of the shortest (to that time) performances ever to receive an Oscar nomination. I was quite surprised when I read this bit of trivia in IMDB because she’s so good in the role that it feels as though Tammy’s a huge part of the movie. Smaller parts are played convincingly by Hal Holbrook, Wilford Brimley, in a rare bad guy part as the firm’s “security director,” and Gary Busey.

Pollack directing Cruise

Particularly impressive in major roles here are Jeanne Tripplehorn and Gene Hackman. Then again, has Hackman ever brought anything but his A game to any movie? Well, he’s as impressive as ever here. One of the most enjoyable scenes from an acting perspective is between Hackman and Tripplehorn. The scene takes place in a schoolyard, should you happen to tune in. This is how it’s done.

The other Oscar nod received by The Firm – aside from Hunter’s supporting recognition – went to Dave Grusin for Best Music, Original Score, which is a thrilling, piano-based ride. (By the way, “piano-based” simply means the piano stood out for my non-musical ears.)

Upon its release The Firm received decent reviews and went on to become the third highest grossing film of 1993. It’s worth noting that John Grisham was at the height of his popularity then and had, I believe, three novels on the New York Times Best Seller list the week The Firm was released. That’s not a bad promotion for the movie.

Trivia tidbit – Sydney Pollack makes a cameo appearance in The Firm as the voice of the prison warden on the phone. Pay close attention to when that voice informs Special Agent Terrance (Harris) that a prison guard sent an unauthorized fax regarding Mitch McDeere’s brother Ray.

POLLACK

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that I am a huge fan of Sydney Pollack the person. Or, at least, the person he seems to be in every clip and/or interview I’ve ever seen him in. I am always compelled to listen to him closely. He’s one of those directors whose love of film (like Martin Scorsese for instance) is evident by the passion with which they discuss the movies. It’s not only admirable, but contagious. Turner Classic Movies (TCM) features Pollack on a clip in which several filmmakers discuss letterbox vs. pan and scan and although I’ve seen the clip more times than I can count – who hasn’t? – I can never look away from it because of Sydney Pollack and the way he describes the importance of staying true to the work as dictated by the original format. And Pollack didn’t just talk the talk. In 1997 he brought a lawsuit against Danish TV for screening Three Days of the Condor in pan-and-scan in 1991. The court ruled that the pan scanning conducted by Danish television was a ‘mutilation’ of the film and a violation of Pollack’s legal right as an artist to maintain his reputation by protecting the integrity of his work. Nonetheless, the court ruled in favor of the defendant on a technicality. (IMDB)

In tribute to Sydney Pollack the film fan, albeit a fan with extraordinary knowledge of film, here’s a clip from AFI during which he discusses our fascination with The Godfather films. And the following clip, as you’ll see, is from when Pollack was a host on The Essentials on TCM. Here he introduces Stanley Kubrick’s, 2001 A Space Odyssey.

For his love of film and for the films that he made that I love, I post this in honor of Sidney Pollack (July 1, 1934 – May 26, 2008).

Sydney Pollack and THE FIRM (1993) "You don't identify him with one kind of film.  He can do it all.  He has what I call an omni-talent.