A Civil Action (1998)

60% of critics liked it
(67 reviews)
53% of users liked it
(20,562 ratings)

Directed by Schindler's List screenwriter Steve Zaillian, this courtroom drama is based on a true story and non-fiction book by Jonathan Harr. The case revolves around an incident in 1979 in East Woburn, MA, where two drinking wells supplying water to the town were found to be contaminated with… More Directed by Schindler's List screenwriter Steve Zaillian, this courtroom drama is based on a true story and non-fiction book by Jonathan Harr. The case revolves around an incident in 1979 in East Woburn, MA, where two drinking wells supplying water to the town were found to be contaminated with industrial solvents. When toxic waste was discovered later that year, suspicions arose that the local factories caused the pollution. The residents felt these companies were responsible for the unusually high rate of leukemia deaths amongst the town's children. Anne Anderson (Kathleen Quinlan), a mother who lost her son Jimmy to leukemia, fronts an effort to bring a lawsuit against the major conglomerates Beatrice Foods and W. R. Grace & Co for their pollution crimes -- a heavy-duty problem, because these companies have the money to squash the less powerful citizens. Enter Jan Schlichtmann (John Travolta), a personal injury lawyer whose small law firm is hired to sue these industrial giants for millions of dollars in damages. He's up against Jerome Facher (Robert Duvall) and William Cheeseman (Bruce Norris), high-priced lawyers who represent the big companies. Most of the film takes place in the courtroom during the trial. It also features William H. Macy as Schlichtmann's accountant and John Lithgow as the judge. ~ Arthur Borman, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 1 hr. 52 min.
Directed By: Steven Zaillian
Genres: Mystery & Suspense, Drama

In Theaters: Dec 25, 1998 Wide
On DVD: Jul 13, 1999
Studio: Touchstone

Critic Reviews

Emanuel Levy, Variety
Based on a true story, this is an intelligent legal thriller, very much in the mode of 1970s issue-oriented films, that may be too subtle and complex for the damands of today's market.
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times
As proficient a job as writer-director Steve Zaillian and his team do, A Civil Action has unmistakably unraveled by its close.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
Like John Grisham for grownups.
Janet Maslin, New York Times
The story presents both Schlichtmann and the civil court system as stubbornly complicated. And it tells a finely nuanced tale of right, wrong and the gray area in between.
Paul Tatara, CNN.com
Schlichtmann may have gone through this conversion in real life, but I just didn't buy it the way Zaillian presents it.
James Berardinelli, ReelViews
Zaillian managed to surprise me by crafting a courtroom drama which is sufficiently different and thought-provoking that I can recommend it with a clear conscience.
Maitland McDonagh, TV Guide's Movie Guide
This is a case in which the material really is better served in book form.
Rob Gonsalves, eFilmCritic.com
The movie becomes one more David-and-Goliath morality play.
, Time Out
Delivering the verdict two thirds into the movie is anti-climactic, while Schlichtmann's belated atonement feels beside the point.
Anthony Miele, Film Threat
While Travolta is passable as Schlichtmann, it is the outstanding work from Duvall, Macy and briefly Tony Shalhoub that drive the story.
Robin Clifford, Reeling Reviews
I expected a harder hitting indictment against the uncaring power of corporate America. Instead, we get a middlin' courtroom drama that lacks the intensity of such films as the 1982 Sidney Lumet/Paul Newman film, The Verdict.
Dragan Antulov, Draxblog Movie Reviews
the film is slightly overlong and the ending is anti-cathartic.
Philip Martin, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
... hints at the complex moral issues that vein the story.
Judith Egerton, Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY)
A legal drama that doesn't follow the usual Hollywood-John Grisham formula.
James Sanford, Kalamazoo Gazette
neatly avoids slipping into melodrama, and despite plenty of niggling minor faults along the way the movie finally succeeds. With a more comfortably cast lead actor it could have been even more powerful.
Eugene Novikov, Film Blather
The film is so daring because it features a protagonist that we cannot and do not sympathize with.
John R. McEwen, Film Quips Online
My only real problem is with the script.
Margaret A. McGurk, Cincinnati Enquirer
More complex, subtle, perplexing and memorable than the usual courtroom theatrics.
Marty Mapes, Movie Habit
It's not bad, but with everything else out there, I won't recommend it.
Jeffrey Westhoff, Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL)
Just when it seemed the courtroom drama was suffering a fatal case of John Grisham, A Civil Action" rescues the genre.

Read all 21 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Mark W

"Schindler's List" scribe Steven Zaillian seems to craft meticulous pieces of work. It's hard to put into words but his films seem to have substance. He doesn't try to cut corners, which is precisely his downfall here. There's too much weight that,… More
"Schindler's List" scribe Steven Zaillian seems to craft meticulous pieces of work. It's hard to put into words but his films seem to have substance. He doesn't try to cut corners, which is precisely his downfall here. There's too much weight that, despite an excellent beggining, it gets bogged down and ultimately hoisted by it's own petard. A group of parents, whose children have died via pollution, enlist Jan Schlichtmann (John Travolta), a hot-shot ambulance chasing lawyer to fight their case against two huge corporations. But Schlichtmann soon realises that he may have met his match in opposing lawyer, Jerome Facher (Robert Duvall), with defeat possibly spelling financial ruin for him and his firm. This was only Zaillain's second film behind the camera and although there's much to admire, he still has much to learn. The problem he has, is with the pace. It was the same mistake he made later with his star studded "All the Kings Men". He has amassed an abundance of quality actors fleshed them out with substantial characterisations, yet they don't get a chance to shine. There is too much legal jargon going on for any of them to leap to the forefront. Duvall and Travolta duel with the viewers delight but the impressive supporting ensemble are wasted. Still, it's a cut above a John Grisham adaptation and if you don't mind a bit of legal mumbo jumbo and consider yourself a fan of slow talking legal drama's, then this will certainly appeal. Based on a true story and treads a similiar path that "Erin Brockovich" would tread a couple of years later. I'd have to say that the Steven Soderbergh/Julia Roberts film is the better of the two though.
Anthony L

A Civil Action is a pretty good court-room drama but without the usual court-room drama cliches. It's more of a non-bullshit version that shows the reality of a court case (well, a little more realistic) and how it can all go wrong. I have to say I find these types of films more… More
A Civil Action is a pretty good court-room drama but without the usual court-room drama cliches. It's more of a non-bullshit version that shows the reality of a court case (well, a little more realistic) and how it can all go wrong. I have to say I find these types of films more interest since I've been a juror. Better than average with a cast to die for, so definitely worth a watch!
Jeremy S

Ok Court drama.
Dan S

A disappointingly pulse-less legal drama that features an incredibly dull lead performance from John Travolta, despite the rest of the cast being fairly on their game. The main problem that undermines the film is the fact that the startling transformation that Travolta's… More
A disappointingly pulse-less legal drama that features an incredibly dull lead performance from John Travolta, despite the rest of the cast being fairly on their game. The main problem that undermines the film is the fact that the startling transformation that Travolta's character undergoes does not for one minute feel genuine. Despite this film being based on a true story, it's both the script's and Travolta's fault for not spending more time on why this character changed so suddenly and gave up so much. Instead, it gives us a brief two minute scene to convince us, which it doesn't, and instead goes full-steam ahead with the case when it hasn't even achieved a firm grasp of the basic fundamentals that make these sort of films compelling or watchable. That said, it's not a bad movie, everything else is relatively well done, but the fact that I didn't believe for one second in Travolta's character is what brought it down to "not so great" territory for me.
Candy R

Excellent movie based on true stories. John tries to find evidence to sue a factory for dumping waste in the local water supply.
Joseph E

I guess I have many thinks to pick out and chew at with "A CIvil Action", then again "William H. Macy" is one thing I can not tear apart, because his acting was "Superb". Idealy this slow moving, but internaly gripping true-story, legal thriller… More
I guess I have many thinks to pick out and chew at with "A CIvil Action", then again "William H. Macy" is one thing I can not tear apart, because his acting was "Superb". Idealy this slow moving, but internaly gripping true-story, legal thriller wasn't as much as a groundbreaking expiernce, but more of a painstaking trial and error, and a long waiting time of due process. If not for "William H. Macy's, Funny, yet Saddeningly touching performance", I might have liked it less. This Legal Thriller, Courtroom drama, True-Story is a hit and miss powerhouse, and one in which a supporting actor upstages the lead actor(William H. Macy, stealing Travolta's Glory), and in that regard, he made this one great movie to actual sit through." Just Barely, because of "William H. Macy", this a "Three and a Half Star out of Four" film. A Mmodest reccomendation.
Erin C

Good legal movie. Great cast and story. I wish it would've turned out differently for them.