February 12, 1993
The Temp is a 1993 American neo-noir psychological thriller film directed by Tom Holland and starring Timothy Hutton, Lara Flynn Boyle, and Faye Dunaway. Its plot follows a troubled businessman whose life is upturned after the arrival of a mysterious female temp worker in his office. Oliver Platt, Dwight Schultz, Steven Weber, and Maura Tierney appear in supporting roles.
Written by Kevin Falls and Tom Engleman, The Temp was originally conceived as a thriller with pronounced elements of dark humor, but was reshaped by the studio, Paramount Pictures, into a more straightforward thriller, based on the success of such films as The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (1992). Principal photography took place in Portland, Oregon, in the spring of 1992. After Holland's original climactic sequence proved too violent for test audiences, Paramount mandated that a new ending be added. Reshoots of the climactic sequence began in January 1993, less than one month before the film was scheduled to be released.
The Temp, released on February 12, 1993, was a box-office bomb, grossing only $5 million. It received generally negative reviews, with some critics praising the performances, though many commented that the film seemed tonally uneven.