Abby McDeere
Abigail Sutherland "Abby" McDeere is a fictional character in John Grisham's 1991 novel The Firm. Abby McDeere is a Western Kentucky University-educated elementary school teacher, and the wife of Mitch McDeere, a Harvard graduate and tax lawyer who has certified public accountant credential. The character was portrayed by Jeanne Tripplehorn in the 1993 film adaptation of the novel, and most recently by Molly Parker for Entertainment One Television's show also titled The Firm.
Background
The novel sold 7 million copies and the movie starred Tom Cruise. The film grossed over $158 million ($ million in dollars) domestically and $111 million internationally ($ million in dollars). Additionally, it was the largest grossing R-rated movie of 1993 and of any film based on a Grisham novel. The film was released while Grisham was at the height of his popularity. That week, Grisham and Michael Crichton evenly divided the top six paperback spots on The New York Times Best Seller list.
Character
Abby McDeere is described as the " wife" by Mike Hale of The New York Times. She earned her degree in elementary education at Western Kentucky and then taught at a private kindergarten in Boston, while Mitch, her high school sweetheart, attended Harvard Law School. After she and Mitch graduated from college, they married. Her dreams come undone, however, when Mitch tells her that his firm is part and parcel of a massive money laundering and tax fraud operation operated by a Mafia family. She works with Mitch to bring down the firm, even feigning that she and Mitch have separated so she can slip out of Memphis and help copy documents for the FBI without attracting suspicion.
Critical review
Film
Joe Brown of The Washington Post described Tripplehorn's performance as the increasingly suspicious, resenting and brooding Abby as "a welcomely elegant and alert presence." He described her performance glowingly: "At times uncannily resembling Genevieve Bujold, Tripplehorn gets to do a bit more than hold down the home front and express doubt and fury at her husband's long hours." while Empires Matt Mueller describes her as Mitch's "more intuitive, earthy wife". Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times says that one late scene between Gene Hackman and Tripplehorn "is like a master class in acting."
Television
The Hollywood Reporter Tim Goodman describes Parker's portrayal as dutiful. Los Angeles Times television critic Mary McNamara describes Parker's role as thin, saying she "is given less than nothing to do save offer her husband contradictory pep talks". Mike Hale of The New York Times also claims that Parker is "stranded in a part that looks like a drag so far" in his early take on her role.<ref name="ALLWPBEFNR"/>
Background
The novel sold 7 million copies and the movie starred Tom Cruise. The film grossed over $158 million ($ million in dollars) domestically and $111 million internationally ($ million in dollars). Additionally, it was the largest grossing R-rated movie of 1993 and of any film based on a Grisham novel. The film was released while Grisham was at the height of his popularity. That week, Grisham and Michael Crichton evenly divided the top six paperback spots on The New York Times Best Seller list.
Character
Abby McDeere is described as the " wife" by Mike Hale of The New York Times. She earned her degree in elementary education at Western Kentucky and then taught at a private kindergarten in Boston, while Mitch, her high school sweetheart, attended Harvard Law School. After she and Mitch graduated from college, they married. Her dreams come undone, however, when Mitch tells her that his firm is part and parcel of a massive money laundering and tax fraud operation operated by a Mafia family. She works with Mitch to bring down the firm, even feigning that she and Mitch have separated so she can slip out of Memphis and help copy documents for the FBI without attracting suspicion.
Critical review
Film
Joe Brown of The Washington Post described Tripplehorn's performance as the increasingly suspicious, resenting and brooding Abby as "a welcomely elegant and alert presence." He described her performance glowingly: "At times uncannily resembling Genevieve Bujold, Tripplehorn gets to do a bit more than hold down the home front and express doubt and fury at her husband's long hours." while Empires Matt Mueller describes her as Mitch's "more intuitive, earthy wife". Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times says that one late scene between Gene Hackman and Tripplehorn "is like a master class in acting."
Television
The Hollywood Reporter Tim Goodman describes Parker's portrayal as dutiful. Los Angeles Times television critic Mary McNamara describes Parker's role as thin, saying she "is given less than nothing to do save offer her husband contradictory pep talks". Mike Hale of The New York Times also claims that Parker is "stranded in a part that looks like a drag so far" in his early take on her role.<ref name="ALLWPBEFNR"/>
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