Disclosure (1994 film)

Disclosure is a 1994 American thriller film directed by Barry Levinson, starring Michael Douglas and Demi Moore. It is based on Michael Crichton's novel of the same name.[2] The cast also includes Donald Sutherland, Caroline Goodall and Dennis Miller. The film is a combination thriller and slight mystery in an office setting within the computer industry in the mid-1990s. The main focus of the story, from which the film and book take their titles, is the issue of sexual harassment and its power structure. The film received mixed reviews from critics but was a box office success grossing $214 million against its $50 million budget.

Disclosure
Theatrical release poster
Directed byBarry Levinson
Screenplay byPaul Attanasio
Based onDisclosure
by Michael Crichton
Produced by
  • Michael Crichton
  • Barry Levinson
Starring
CinematographyTony Pierce-Roberts
Edited byStu Linder
Music byEnnio Morricone
Distributed byWarner Bros.
Release date
  • December 9, 1994 (1994-12-09)
Running time
128 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$55 million[1]
Box office$214 million[1]

Plot

Bob Garvin, founder and CEO of DigiCom, a computer technology company, plans to retire when his company merges with a larger company. Production line manager, Tom Sanders, expects to be promoted to run the CD-ROM division. Instead, Meredith Johnson, Tom's former girlfriend, is brought on to handle the merger, as Garvin wanted to "break the glass ceiling".

Meredith calls Tom into her office, wanting to discuss difficulties with CD-ROM drives that are made in Malaysia. Instead, she seduces him. He initially allows her to perform oral sex then rebuffs her attempts for sexual intercourse. As Tom abruptly leaves, Meredith follows, angrily threatening him.

Meredith leaves Tom a false message that the next morning's merger meeting has been changed to an hour later. Tom consequently arrives late. Meredith has taken over the meeting with the merger partners where Tom is forced to admit that he is unaware what caused the CD-ROM production problems. Tom then discovers that Meredith has filed a sexual harassment complaint against him. To save the merger from a scandal, causing Garvin to lose $100 million if the deal fall through, DigiCom officials demand that Tom accept reassignment to another state. He will lose his stock options in the new company, his career will be ruined, and he will be jobless if he takes the outplacement, as the other location will sold following the merger.

An anonymous e-mail from "A Friend" directs Tom to Catherine Alvarez, an attorney specializing in sexual harassment cases. Tom decides to sue DigiCom, alleging Meredith harassed him, though this causes animosity with his wife and colleagues. At the initial mediation, a "tearful" Meredith repeatedly lies and blames Tom.

Tom's phone happened to record the encounter and proves that Meredith's accusation is false. Garvin, believing the merger will fail without Meredith, proposes if Tom drops the lawsuit, he will not be transferred. Tom suspects that Meredith's accusations are vulnerable. Tom remembers mis-dialing a number on his cell phone during the encounter with Meredith, but not hanging up. The incident was captured on a colleague's voicemail. Tom rejects Garvin's proposal and plays the recording at the next meeting. discrediting Meredith. DigiCom agrees to a settlement calling for Meredith to be quietly eased out after the merger.

As Tom celebrates his apparent victory, he receives another e-mail from "A Friend" warning that all is not what it seems. Tom overhears Phillip telling Meredith that although Tom won the sexual harassment suit, they will make him look incompetent at the next morning's merger conference, all with Garvin's knowledge. The CD-ROMs problems are shown as coming from the Malaysian production line, which is under Tom's supervision. He can be fired for it. Tom attempts to find clues in the company database, but his access privileges have been revoked. He remembers that the merging company's executives have a virtual reality demonstration device in a nearby hotel that has access to the company database.

As Tom accesses DigiCom's files, he sees that Meredith is deleting them. Fortunately, Tom's Malaysian colleague is able to fax him copies of incriminating memos and videos. They show that Meredith, and one of the heads of operations in Malaysia, changed Tom's production specifications without his knowledge to gain the Malaysian government's favor, and cut costs to make DigiCom appear more profitable in order to complete the merger. Because Meredith lacked the technical expertise and knowledge, the production changes she ordered caused problems with the Malaysian CD-ROMs line. To avoid accountability, protect the merger, and save her career, Meredith (with Blackburn's support) staged the sexual encounter with Tom to falsely accuse him of sexual harassment, forcing him out of DigiCom by blaming him for her mistakes.

When Tom makes his presentation at the conference, Meredith immediately brings up the production problems. Tom publicly shows the evidence that exposes her direct involvement in causing the hardware defects. Meredith angrily accuses Tom of being an incompetent manager and erroneously believed that the merging company had prioritized profitability, rather than the actual products being produced. Garvin fully realizes Meredith's incompetence and fires her.

Garvin subsequently announces the merger's completion and then names Stephanie Kaplan to head up the Seattle operation, a decision Tom supports. Tom subsequently asks Stephanie's son, Spencer, a University of Washington student, if he knows "A Friend". Spencer reveals he is Professor Arthur Friend's research assistant at the university. Spencer had access to Friend's email account, enabling Stephanie (via her son) to warn Tom as "A Friend", as she knew what was happening involving the CD-ROM Drives and Meredith. A grateful Tom happily resumes his position as head of manufacturing.

Cast

Production

Michael Crichton sold the movie rights for $1 million before the novel was published.[3][4] Miloš Forman was originally attached to direct but left due to creative differences with Crichton.[3] Barry Levinson and Alan J. Pakula were in contention to take the helm and Levinson was hired.

Annette Bening was originally set to play Meredith until she became pregnant and soon dropped out.[5] Geena Davis and Michelle Pfeiffer were then considered before Levinson decided to cast Demi Moore. Crichton wrote the character Mark Lewyn for the film specifically with Dennis Miller in mind. The character from the book was somewhat modified for the screenplay to fit Miller's personality.

The visual effects and animation for the film, including in particular the virtual reality corridor sequence were all created and designed by the visual effects technicians at Industrial Light & Magic.[6]

Filming locations

The movie was filmed in and around Seattle, Washington.[7] The fictional corporation DigiCom is located in Pioneer Square, on a set which was constructed for the film. Production designer Neil Spisak said, "DigiCom needed to have a hard edge to it, with lots of glass and a modern look juxtaposed against the old red brick which is indigenous to the Pioneer Square area of Seattle. Barry liked the idea of using glass so that wherever you looked you'd see workers in their offices or stopping to chat. This seemed to fit the ominous sense that Barry was looking for, a sort of Rear Window effect, where you're looking across at people in their private spaces."[6]

Also shown are the Washington State Ferries and Capt. Johnston Blakely Elementary School on Bainbridge Island, where Douglas's character's family lives. Other locations include Washington Park Arboretum, Volunteer Park, the Four Seasons Hotel on University St., Pike Place Market, and Smith Tower (Alvarez's law office).[8] The director of photography was British cinematographer Tony Pierce-Roberts.

Marketing

The film's marketing touted it as the first Hollywood movie with major stars to address the topic of sexual harassment.[5][9]

The press kit for the film was the first multimedia press kit issued by Warner Bros. with them producing it on floppy disk.[10]

Soundtrack

The score of Disclosure was composed, orchestrated and conducted by Ennio Morricone. Original Motion Picture Soundtrack from the Film Disclosure was released by Virgin Records on January 24, 1995.[11]

Track listing
  1. "Serene Family" − 4:11
  2. "An Unusual Approach" − 7:07
  3. "With Energy and Decision" − 2:07
  4. "Virtual Reality" − 6:24
  5. "Preparation and Victory" − 4:04
  6. "Disclosure" − 0:49
  7. "Sad Family" − 1:29
  8. "Unemployed!" − 1:10
  9. "Sex and Computers" − 2:50
  10. "Computers and Work" − 2:00
  11. "Sex and Power" − 2:33
  12. "First Passacaglia" − 4:21
  13. "Second Passacaglia" − 1:41
  14. "Third Passacaglia" − 4:33
  15. "Sex, Power and Computers" − 4:23[12]

Release

Box office

Disclosure was a financial success, grossing $214 million worldwide ($83 million in U.S. and Canadian ticket sales and $131 million in other territories), against a budget of about $55 million.[13][14] It became one of director Barry Levinson's most successful films after his initial successes with Good Morning, Vietnam and Rain Man.[15]

Critical reception

Critical response was mixed, with some lauding the film's take on sexual harassment and others critiquing its plot, character development, and implausibility. Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle praised the film and said Douglas makes for "a complex and sympathetic Everyman", adding, "along the way it paints a picture of corporate America that in itself is a kind of horror story".[16] Ian Nathan of Empire magazine gave it four stars out of five and called it "genuinely gripping", further stating that "Demi Moore makes an awesome femme fatale."[17]

Critic Roger Ebert called the film's theme "basically a launch pad for sex scenes" and further said, "yet the movie is so sleek, so glossy, so filled with Possessoporn (toys so expensive they're erotic), that you can enjoy it like a Sharper Image catalog that walks and talks."[9] He also criticized its convoluted plot, of which he said, "I defy anyone to explain."[9] He added, "As the movie started, I expected a sexy docudrama about sexual harassment. What I got was more of a thriller and whodunit, in which the harassment theme gets misplaced. Too bad, since the best scenes involve the attorneys for Moore and Douglas, and especially the scenes where Douglas' attorney sets out in chilling detail what a lawsuit is likely to do to his life. There's also an intriguing subplot involving Douglas' relationship with his wife (Caroline Goodall). Much could have been made of this material. Much has been made of it. But not the same much."[9]

Marjorie Baumgarten of The Austin Chronicle observed, "In its rush to push hot buttons, Disclosure neglected some essentials of good storytelling."[18] The New York Times critic Janet Maslin wrote much of the film "is talky and uneventful, with legal maneuverings and corporate strategies substituting for more energetic drama".[19] Maslin concluded, "The storytelling of 'Disclosure' is too forced and polemical to be on a par with better Crichton tales like 'Jurassic Park.' This time, it's the author who's the dinosaur."[19]

Some critics described the characters as flat and lacking dimension.[20][21][22] The Washington Post's Desson Thomson felt that the script left out key sections of the novel.[22] Others noted Meredith's motives went unexplored,[23][24][2] with some opining Moore is stuck playing a thankless femme fatale role.[25][23][26] The Los Angeles Times' Kenneth Turan said while the film is "adequately entertaining", it lacks a "creative passion."[2] He added "screenwriter Attanasio, who dealt thoughtfully with ethical dilemmas in 'Quiz Show,' works in a more limited moral palette in 'Disclosure,' where questions of who is right and who is wrong are plainly obvious. The idea that sexual harassment is about power, not sex, and that a woman in power can potentially misbehave just like a man may be news to certain segments of the population, but they are not news enough to light a much-needed fire under this production."[2] The climactic virtual reality scene has since been singled out for its datedness and "silliness".[27][28][20]

Critics claimed that the movie was about the male cultural fear of feminism and powerful women in the workplace.[23][24][29] Some critics expressed their disappointment that though the film purported to be about sexual harassment, the topic is merely used as a plot device as part of a broader corporate thriller story.[26][21][2][15] In the Chicago Tribune, Michael Wilmington wrote, "there's a fairy tale quality about Crichton's resolution. Supposedly 'Disclosure' is about sexual harassment as a universal problem. But, on a deeper level, it's probably about the fear of men in the modern corporate world that women have them at a disadvantage. It suggests that a really evil, conscienceless-and sexy-woman can manipulate that changed climate to destroy a decent but non-political man (because she'll be believed when he won't)."[20]

The supporting cast, particularly Roma Maffia and Donald Sutherland, received positive reviews.[18][25][26][19] Commendation was also given to the film's production design, particularly the DigiCom offices.[19][21][2][20]

The film has an approval rating of 59% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 63 reviews.[30]

Year-end lists

The adult animated sitcom Big Mouth parodied the film in "Disclosure the Movie: The Musical" (season 3 episode 10), featuring a raunchy stage musical adaptation starring pre-teen students.[33]

See also

References
  1. "Disclosure (1994)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
  2. Turan, Kenneth (December 9, 1994). "MOVIE REVIEW : 'Disclosure': The Plot Thickens . . . : Douglas, Moore Star in Adaptation of Crichton's Novel on Harassment Reversal". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on July 4, 2019. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  3. Eliot, Marc (2013). Michael Douglas: A Biography. Crown. p. 204. ISBN 978-0-3079-5237-0.
  4. "Harassment On The Tech Highway". Chicago Tribune. January 16, 1994. Archived from the original on July 27, 2022. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
  5. Weinraub, Bernard (December 6, 1994). "A Man. A Woman. Just a Movie. Not a Polemic". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
  6. "Production notes". Disclosure (DVD). Warner Home Video. 2000.
  7. Lyke, M.L. (August 10, 1994). "Crichton's 'Disclosure' filming in Seattle". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). (Seattle Post-Intelligencer). p. F5.
  8. "Film Map". City of Seattle. Archived from the original on December 19, 2013. Retrieved February 7, 2010.
  9. Ebert, Roger (December 9, 1994). "Disclosure movie review & film summary (1994)". rogerebert.com. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
  10. O'Steen, Kathleen (November 15, 1994). "WB goes interactive for 'Disclosure' push". Daily Variety. p. 5.
  11. "Amazon.com: Disclosure (1994 Film): Music". Amazon. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
  12. "Disclosure [Original Soundtrack] - Ennio Morricone". AllMusic. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
  13. "Weekend Box Office Disclosure' Is Hot on a Slow Weekend". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 12, 2010.
  14. "'Disclosure' Edges Out 'Santa' at the Box Office Movies: Much-hyped sexual-harassment drama pushes aside the Tim Allen heavyweight". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 12, 2010.
  15. Berardinelli, James. "Disclosure". Reelviews Movie Reviews. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  16. LaSalle, Mick (June 16, 1995). "FILM REVIEW -- 'Disclosure' Features Sexual Harassment With a Twist". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  17. Nathan, Ian. "Disclosure". Empire. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
  18. Baumgarten, Marjorie (December 9, 1994). "Disclosure". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  19. Maslin, Janet (December 9, 1994). "FILM REVIEW: DISCLOSURE; Doing Business In a Manner Most Unbusinesslike". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 26, 2015. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  20. Wilmington, Michael (December 9, 1994). "False Alarm: Shallow 'Disclosure' Reveals Little About War Between The Sexes". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on April 9, 2015. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  21. Littwin, Mike (December 12, 1994). "Harassment isn't what's revealed in 'Disclosure'". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on June 20, 2021. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  22. Thomson, Desson (December 9, 1994). "'Disclosure'". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  23. Rosenbaum, Jonathan (December 6, 1994). "Disclosure". Chicago Reader. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  24. "Revisiting "Disclosure", 25 years on". The Economist. December 9, 2019. Archived from the original on December 4, 2022. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  25. Siskel, Gene (December 9, 1994). "'Disclosure' Reveals Moore But Very Little Plot Coherence". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on April 9, 2015.
  26. Martin, Adrian (January 1995). "Disclosure". filmcritic.com.au. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  27. Singer, Matt (June 7, 2021). "Can We Talk About How 'Disclosure' Has the Single Silliest Scene of Any '90s Movie?". ScreenCrush. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  28. Ryan, Kyle (July 27, 2016). "Much of Disclosure is dated, but its white-male paranoia sadly isn't". The A.V. Club. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  29. Moyer, Justin Wm. (December 22, 2017). "A look back at 'Disclosure': Does Hollywood prefer films about women sexually harassing men?". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on December 23, 2017. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  30. "Disclosure (1994)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
  31. Simon, Jeff (January 1, 1995). "Movies: Once More, with Feeling". The Buffalo News. Retrieved July 19, 2020.
  32. Craft, Dan (December 30, 1994). "Success, Failure and a Lot of In-between; Movies '94". The Pantagraph. p. B1.
  33. "'Big Mouth' Season 3: Creator Andrew Goldberg on How and Why They Made the 'Disclosure' Musical Episode". Newsweek. October 9, 2019.
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