<PAGE>   1
     As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 26, 1997
                                                Registration No. 333 -__________
================================================================================


                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                            WASHINGTON, D.C.  20549

                            --------------------

                                    FORM S-8

                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                     under
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                            --------------------

                                TOM BROWN, INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


          DELAWARE                                      95-1949781
(State or other jurisdiction of                     (I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization)                      Identification No.)

   508 WEST WALL STREET, SUITE 500
           MIDLAND, TEXAS                                  79701
(Address of principal executive offices)                 (Zip Code)


                     TOM BROWN, INC. 1989 STOCK OPTION PLAN
                            (Full title of the plan)

                              WILLIAM R. GRANBERRY
                                   President
                           500 Empire Plaza Building
                             Midland, Texas  79701
                    (Name and address of agent for service)

                                  915-682-9715
         (Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

                                    Copy to:
                             Bruce R. DeBoer, Esq.
                                Tom Brown, Inc.
                            508 West Wall, Suite 500
                              Midland, Texas 79701


                        CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                
================================================================================
                                     Proposed         Proposed
                                      Maximum         Maximum       Amount of
Title of Securities  Amount to be  Offering Price     Aggregate    Registration
  To Be Registered     Registered    Per Share*     Offering Price      Fee   
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                     <C>           <C>          <C>              <C>
Common Stock,
  $.10 par value        600,000       $18.0625       $10,837,500     $3,284.20 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>

  *Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee
pursuant to Rule 457(h) on the basis of the average of the high and low sales
prices of the Registrant's Common Stock as reported on the NASDAQ National
Market System on June 20, 1997.
<PAGE>   2
                               EXPLANATORY  NOTE

       This Registration Statement relates to the registration of 600,000
additional shares of Common Stock authorized for issuance under the
Registrant's 1989 Stock Option Plan.  Accordingly, pursuant to General
Instruction "E" of Form S-8, the contents of the Registrant's Registration
Statement No. 33-42991 and No. 33-60191 are hereby incorporated by reference.


                                    PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

ITEM 5.  INTERESTS OF NAMED EXPERTS AND COUNSEL

       The validity of the issuance of the Common Stock issuable upon exercise
of the options has been passed upon for the Registrant by Lynch, Chappell &
Alsup, a Professional Corporation, Midland, Texas.  James M. Alsup, a
shareholder in the firm of Lynch, Chappell & Alsup, is the Assistant Secretary
of the Registrant and the beneficial owner of 10,000 shares of Common Stock of
the Registrant.

ITEM 8.  EXHIBITS

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
              Exhibit No.                    Description
              -----------                    -----------
               <S>          <C>
               *  5  --     Opinion of Lynch, Chappell & Alsup, a Professional
                            Corporation

               *23.1 --     Consent of Lynch, Chappell & Alsup, a Professional
                            Corporation (contained in Exhibit No. 5)

               *23.2 --     Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP

               *23.3 --     Consent of Williamson Petroleum Consultants, Inc.

               *23.4 --     Consent of Ryder Scott Company

               *24.1 --     Power of Attorney contained on Page 6 hereof
</TABLE>

               --------------                                                   

               * Filed herewith.


ITEM 9.  UNDERTAKINGS

       (1)    The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes to deliver or cause
to be delivered with the prospectus to each employee to whom the prospectus is
sent or given a copy of Registrant's Annual Report to Stockholders for its last
fiscal year, unless such employee otherwise has received a copy of such report,
in which case the Registrant shall state in the prospectus that it will
promptly


                                     -2-
<PAGE>   3
furnish, without charge, a copy of such report on written request of the
employee.  If the last fiscal year of the Registrant has ended within 120 days
prior to the use of the prospectus, the annual report of the Registrant for the
preceding fiscal year may be so delivered, but within such 120-day period the
annual report for the last fiscal year will be furnished to each such employee.

       (2)    The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes to transmit or cause
to be transmitted to all employees participating in the Tom Brown, Inc. 1989
Stock Option Plan, who do not otherwise receive such material as stockholders
of the Registrant, at the time and in the manner such material is sent to its
stockholders, copies of all reports, proxy statements and other communications
distributed to its stockholders generally.

       (3)    The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes
of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of
the Registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of
the Exchange Act that is incorporated by reference in the registration
statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the
securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time
shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

       (4)    The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

              (a)    To file, during any period in which offers or sales are
       being made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:

                     (i)    To include any prospectus required by Section
              10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;

                     (ii)   To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events
              arising after the effective date of the registration statement
              (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which,
              individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change
              in the information set forth in the registration statement;

                     (iii)  To include any material information with respect to
              the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the
              registration statement or any material change to such information
              in the registration statement;

provided, however, that paragraphs (4)(a)(i) and (4)(a)(ii) do not apply if the
registration statement is on Form S-3 or Form S-8, and the information required
to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained
in periodic reports filed by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section
15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in the
registration statement.

              (b)    That, for the purpose of determining any liability under
       the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be
       deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities
       offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall
       be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.




                                     -3-
<PAGE>   4
              (c)    To remove from registration by means of a post-effective
       amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at
       the termination of the offering.

       (5)    Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling
persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise,
the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and
Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed
in the Securities Act of 1933 and is, therefore, unenforceable.  In the event
that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the
payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer
or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any
action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or
controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the
Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been
settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction
the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as
expressed in the Securities Act of 1933 and will be governed by the final
adjudication of such issue.




                                     -4-
<PAGE>   5
                                   SIGNATURES


       Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the
Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets
all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8, and has duly caused this
Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto
duly authorized, in the City of Midland, State of Texas, on the 24th day of
June, 1997.



                                   TOM BROWN, INC.


                                   By: /s/ WILLIAM R. GRANBERRY             
                                      ------------------------------------------
                                           William R. Granberry, President




                                     -5-
<PAGE>   6
                               POWER OF ATTORNEY

       KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears
below constitutes and appoints William R. Granberry and R. Kim Harris and each
of them, either one of whom may act without joinder of the other, his true and
lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and
resubstitution, for him in his name, place and stead, in any and all
capacities, to sign any and all amendments to this Registration Statement, and
to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection
therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said
attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them severally, full power and
authority to do and to perform each and every act and thing requisite and
necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully and to all intents and
purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all
that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, or their substitute
or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

       Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the
capacities and on the date indicated.

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
     Signature                   Title                         Date      
--------------------        ----------------             ----------------
<S>                         <C>                                 <C>
/s/ Donald L. Evans         Chairman of the Board of Directors
-------------------------     and Chief Executive Officer     
Donald L. Evans               (Principal Executive Officer)     June 24, 1997

/s/ William R. Granberry    President, Chief Operating                       
-------------------------     Officer and Director              June 24, 1997
William R. Granberry                               

/s/ R. Kim Harris           Controller (Principal Financial
-------------------------     Officer)                          June 24, 1997 
R. Kim Harris                                                                 

/s/ Thomas C. Brown         Director                            June 24, 1997
-------------------------                                                    
Thomas C. Brown

/s/ David M. Carmichael     Director                            June 24, 1997
-------------------------                                                    
David M. Carmichael

/s/ Henry Groppe            Director                            June 24, 1997
-------------------------                                                    
Henry Groppe

/s/ Edward W. LeBaron, Jr.  Director                            June 24, 1997
-------------------------                                                    
Edward W. LeBaron, Jr.

                            Director                            June 24, 1997
-------------------------                                                    
George M. Simmons

/s/ James B. Wallace        Director                            June 24, 1997
-------------------------                                                    
James B. Wallace

/s/ Robert H. Whilden, Jr.  Director                            June 24, 1997
-------------------------                                                    
Robert H. Whilden, Jr.
</TABLE>




                                     -6-
<PAGE>   7
                                 EXHIBIT INDEX


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Exhibit No.                 Description
-----------                 -----------
       <S>           <C>
       *  5   --     Opinion of Lynch, Chappell & Alsup, a Professional
                     Corporation

       *23.1  --     Consent of Lynch, Chappell & Alsup, a Professional
                     Corporation (contained in Exhibit No. 5)

       *23.2  --     Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP

       *23.3  --     Consent of Williamson Petroleum Consultants, Inc.

       *23.4  --     Consent of Ryder Scott Company

       *24.1  --     Power of Attorney contained on Page 6 hereof
</TABLE>

----------------                                                 

* Filed herewith.
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "description": "TOM BROWN, INC.", "secsgml_size_bytes": 14957}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "BROWN TOM INC /DE", "cik": "0000014803", "assigned-sic": "1311", "irs-number": "951949781", "state-of-incorporation": "DE", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-30069", "film-number": "97630005"}, "business-address": {"street1": "508 W WALL", "street2": "STE 500", "city": "MIDLAND", "state": "TX", "zip": "79701", "phone": "9156829715"}, "former-company": {"former-conformed-name": "BROWN TOM DRILLING CO INC", "date-changed": "19710915"}}
1
     As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 26, 1997
                                                Registration No. 333 -__________
================================================================================

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                            WASHINGTON, D.C.  20549

                            --------------------

                                    FORM S-8

                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                     under
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                            --------------------

                                TOM BROWN, INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

          DELAWARE                                      95-1949781
(State or other jurisdiction of                     (I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization)                      Identification No.)

   508 WEST WALL STREET, SUITE 500
           MIDLAND, TEXAS                                  79701
(Address of principal executive offices)                 (Zip Code)

                     TOM BROWN, INC. 1989 STOCK OPTION PLAN
                            (Full title of the plan)

                              WILLIAM R. GRANBERRY
                                   President
                           500 Empire Plaza Building
                             Midland, Texas  79701
                    (Name and address of agent for service)

                                  915-682-9715
         (Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

                                    Copy to:
                             Bruce R. DeBoer, Esq.
                                Tom Brown, Inc.
                            508 West Wall, Suite 500
                              Midland, Texas 79701

                        CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
================================================================================
                                     Proposed         Proposed
                                      Maximum         Maximum       Amount of
Title of Securities  Amount to be  Offering Price     Aggregate    Registration
  To Be Registered     Registered    Per Share*     Offering Price      Fee   
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock,
  $.10 par value        600,000       $18.0625       $10,837,500     $3,284.20 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee
pursuant to Rule 457(h) on the basis of the average of the high and low sales
prices of the Registrant's Common Stock as reported on the NASDAQ National
Market System on June 20, 1997.
2
                               EXPLANATORY  NOTE

       This Registration Statement relates to the registration of 600,000
additional shares of Common Stock authorized for issuance under the
Registrant's 1989 Stock Option Plan.  Accordingly, pursuant to General
Instruction "E" of Form S-8, the contents of the Registrant's Registration
Statement No. 33-42991 and No. 33-60191 are hereby incorporated by reference.

                                    PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

ITEM 5.  INTERESTS OF NAMED EXPERTS AND COUNSEL

       The validity of the issuance of the Common Stock issuable upon exercise
of the options has been passed upon for the Registrant by Lynch, Chappell &
Alsup, a Professional Corporation, Midland, Texas.  James M. Alsup, a
shareholder in the firm of Lynch, Chappell & Alsup, is the Assistant Secretary
of the Registrant and the beneficial owner of 10,000 shares of Common Stock of
the Registrant.

ITEM 8.  EXHIBITS
Exhibit No.                    Description
              -----------                    -----------
*  5  --     Opinion of Lynch, Chappell & Alsup, a Professional
                            Corporation

               *23.1 --     Consent of Lynch, Chappell & Alsup, a Professional
                            Corporation (contained in Exhibit No. 5)

               *23.2 --     Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP

               *23.3 --     Consent of Williamson Petroleum Consultants, Inc.

               *23.4 --     Consent of Ryder Scott Company

               *24.1 --     Power of Attorney contained on Page 6 hereof
--------------                                                   

               * Filed herewith.

ITEM 9.  UNDERTAKINGS

       (1)    The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes to deliver or cause
to be delivered with the prospectus to each employee to whom the prospectus is
sent or given a copy of Registrant's Annual Report to Stockholders for its last
fiscal year, unless such employee otherwise has received a copy of such report,
in which case the Registrant shall state in the prospectus that it will
promptly

                                     -2-
3
furnish, without charge, a copy of such report on written request of the
employee.  If the last fiscal year of the Registrant has ended within 120 days
prior to the use of the prospectus, the annual report of the Registrant for the
preceding fiscal year may be so delivered, but within such 120-day period the
annual report for the last fiscal year will be furnished to each such employee.

       (2)    The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes to transmit or cause
to be transmitted to all employees participating in the Tom Brown, Inc. 1989
Stock Option Plan, who do not otherwise receive such material as stockholders
of the Registrant, at the time and in the manner such material is sent to its
stockholders, copies of all reports, proxy statements and other communications
distributed to its stockholders generally.

       (3)    The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes
of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of
the Registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of
the Exchange Act that is incorporated by reference in the registration
statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the
securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time
shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

       (4)    The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

              (a)    To file, during any period in which offers or sales are
       being made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:

                     (i)    To include any prospectus required by Section
              10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;

                     (ii)   To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events
              arising after the effective date of the registration statement
              (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which,
              individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change
              in the information set forth in the registration statement;

                     (iii)  To include any material information with respect to
              the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the
              registration statement or any material change to such information
              in the registration statement;

provided, however, that paragraphs (4)(a)(i) and (4)(a)(ii) do not apply if the
registration statement is on Form S-3 or Form S-8, and the information required
to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained
in periodic reports filed by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section
15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in the
registration statement.

              (b)    That, for the purpose of determining any liability under
       the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be
       deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities
       offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall
       be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

                                     -3-
4
              (c)    To remove from registration by means of a post-effective
       amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at
       the termination of the offering.

       (5)    Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling
persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise,
the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and
Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed
in the Securities Act of 1933 and is, therefore, unenforceable.  In the event
that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the
payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer
or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any
action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or
controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the
Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been
settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction
the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as
expressed in the Securities Act of 1933 and will be governed by the final
adjudication of such issue.

                                     -4-
5
                                   SIGNATURES

       Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the
Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets
all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8, and has duly caused this
Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto
duly authorized, in the City of Midland, State of Texas, on the 24th day of
June, 1997.

                                   TOM BROWN, INC.

                                   By: /s/ WILLIAM R. GRANBERRY             
                                      ------------------------------------------
                                           William R. Granberry, President

                                     -5-
6
                               POWER OF ATTORNEY

       KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears
below constitutes and appoints William R. Granberry and R. Kim Harris and each
of them, either one of whom may act without joinder of the other, his true and
lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and
resubstitution, for him in his name, place and stead, in any and all
capacities, to sign any and all amendments to this Registration Statement, and
to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection
therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said
attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them severally, full power and
authority to do and to perform each and every act and thing requisite and
necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully and to all intents and
purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all
that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, or their substitute
or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

       Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the
capacities and on the date indicated.
Signature                   Title                         Date      
--------------------        ----------------             ----------------
/s/ Donald L. Evans         Chairman of the Board of Directors
-------------------------     and Chief Executive Officer     
Donald L. Evans               (Principal Executive Officer)     June 24, 1997

/s/ William R. Granberry    President, Chief Operating                       
-------------------------     Officer and Director              June 24, 1997
William R. Granberry                               

/s/ R. Kim Harris           Controller (Principal Financial
-------------------------     Officer)                          June 24, 1997 
R. Kim Harris                                                                 

/s/ Thomas C. Brown         Director                            June 24, 1997
-------------------------                                                    
Thomas C. Brown

/s/ David M. Carmichael     Director                            June 24, 1997
-------------------------                                                    
David M. Carmichael

/s/ Henry Groppe            Director                            June 24, 1997
-------------------------                                                    
Henry Groppe

/s/ Edward W. LeBaron, Jr.  Director                            June 24, 1997
-------------------------                                                    
Edward W. LeBaron, Jr.

                            Director                            June 24, 1997
-------------------------                                                    
George M. Simmons

/s/ James B. Wallace        Director                            June 24, 1997
-------------------------                                                    
James B. Wallace

/s/ Robert H. Whilden, Jr.  Director                            June 24, 1997
-------------------------                                                    
Robert H. Whilden, Jr.
-6-
7
                                 EXHIBIT INDEX
Exhibit No.                 Description
-----------                 -----------
*  5   --     Opinion of Lynch, Chappell & Alsup, a Professional
                     Corporation

       *23.1  --     Consent of Lynch, Chappell & Alsup, a Professional
                     Corporation (contained in Exhibit No. 5)

       *23.2  --     Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP

       *23.3  --     Consent of Williamson Petroleum Consultants, Inc.

       *23.4  --     Consent of Ryder Scott Company

       *24.1  --     Power of Attorney contained on Page 6 hereof
----------------                                                 

* Filed herewith.