The Firm (1989 movie) facts for kids

The Firm is a British drama movie made for television in 1989. Alan Clarke directed it, and Al Hunter Ashton wrote it for the BBC. The movie stars Gary Oldman, Phil Davis, Charles Lawson, and Steve McFadden.

This film is about groups of football supporters who sometimes got into fights. It focuses on a group linked to the West Ham United football club in the 1970s and 1980s. When it was released, the movie was talked about a lot. Many people now see it as one of the best films about these kinds of fan groups.

A unique thing about The Firm is that it has almost no background music. The only song you hear is "That's Amore" by Dean Martin at the very beginning. Many critics have praised Gary Oldman's acting in the movie, calling it one of his best performances ever.

What the Movie is About

The main character is Clive Bissel, also known as "Bex" or "Bexy." He is married and has a baby son. Bexy leads a group of football supporters called the ICC (Inter City Crew). His wife does not like his involvement with these groups, especially since he has a respectable job as an estate agent.

Bexy enjoys the excitement of being part of the group and does not want to stop. His father, however, seems to accept Bexy's lifestyle. He even takes a photo of the group. Bexy's father says he used to do similar things when he was younger.

The Start of the Story

The movie begins with a rival group called "The Buccaneers." They damage Bexy's car. While Bexy is playing football, they also spray graffiti in the changing room. Yeti, the leader of the Buccaneers, even drives his car across the football pitch.

Bexy has a big idea. He wants to create a "National Firm." This would be a very large group made up of different rival fan groups. His goal is for this big group to be strong enough to challenge other large international fan groups.

Meeting Other Groups

Bexy sets up a meeting with leaders from other groups, including the Buccaneers. They meet at the Tower Hotel in London. The other groups like the idea of forming a bigger national group. However, they do not want Bexy to be the main leader.

To decide who will lead the new "firm" into Europe, the rival groups agree to fight each other. Bexy uses strong tactics to keep his position as the leader of the ICC. The young men in his group think they are respected in their local area.

Bexy's Challenges

Bexy's wife tells him that people do not respect him. She says they actually think he is a joke. She explains that people are afraid of his violent nature, which is why few people stand up to him.

The ICC group manages to survive tough fights with other fan groups. But they still need to defeat the Buccaneers. Bexy is very eager to beat Yeti, the Buccaneers' leader.

The Ending

During a clash between the ICC and the Buccaneers, Bexy beats up Yeti. However, an injured Yeti then shoots Bexy, and Bexy dies.

The movie ends with the remaining members of the ICC in a pub. They honor Bexy as a hero. They decide they will continue to fight the European groups in memory of their dead leader. The group members agree that Bexy was a visionary who brought them all together. They see him as a legend and promise to keep his dream alive.

Main Actors

• Gary Oldman as Clive "Bex" Bissell
• Lesley Manville as Sue Bissell
• Albert Bentall as Sammy Bissell
• Phil Davis as "Yeti"
• Andrew Wilde as "Oboe"
• Charles Lawson as "Trigg"
• William Vanderpuye as "Aitch"
• Jay Simpson as Dominic
• Patrick Murray as "Nunk"
• Robbie Gee as "Snowy"
• Terry Sue-Patt as Yusef
• Nick Dunning as Simon
• Nicholas Hewetson as "Beef"
• Steve McFadden as Billy
• Steve Sweeney as JT
• Hepburn Graham as Stu

Movie Releases

The movie was first available on VHS tapes on October 21, 1996. It was sold in a special two-movie pack with another film called ID.

The first DVD version of The Firm came out on February 2, 2004, released by Prism Leisure. The film has also been sold in many different box sets. These sets often include other movies that are similar or also directed by Alan Clarke.

On September 10, 2007, the BBC released a special edition DVD. This version came in a special collectible SteelBook case. This special edition included extra features like:

• An introduction to the film by David Leland
• A documentary about the work of Alan Clarke
• A documentary called Timewatch that looked into the history of football fan groups
• A discussion panel from The Late Show about the film
• Audio commentary with actors Phil Davis and Lesley Manville

Newer Version of the Story

The story of The Firm was made into another movie in 2009. This newer film has the same name and was adapted by Nick Love.