Contents

Justice Has Its Price

1998




A Civil Action (1998)  

Directed by 
Steven Zaillian    
  
Writing credits 
Jonathan Harr   (book) 

 
Steven Zaillian    
  
Cast (in credits order) 
John Travolta ....  Jan Schlichtmann  
Robert Duvall ....  Jerome Facher  
Stephen Fry ....  Pinder  
James Gandolfini ....  Al Love  
Dan Hedaya ....  John Riley  
Zeljko Ivanek ....  Bill Crowley  
John Lithgow ....  Judge Walter J. Skinner  
William H. Macy ....  James Gordon  
Kathleen Quinlan ....  Anne Anderson  
Tony Shalhoub ....  Kevin Conway  
Bruce Norris ....  William Cheeseman  
Sydney Pollack ....  Al Eustis  
Mary Mara ....  Kathy Boyer  
David Thornton (I) ....  Richard Aufiero  
Ned Eisenberg ....  Uncle Pete  
Peter Jacobson ....  Neil Jacobs  
Paul Ben-Victor ....  Pasqueriella  
Daniel von Bargen ....  Mr. Granger  
Margot Rose ....  Donna Robbins  
Caroline Carrigan ....  Evelyn Love  
Paul Desmond (II) ....  Shalline  
Michael P. Byrne ....  Barbas  
Tracy Miller ....  Grace Worker  
Paul Hewitt ....  Grace Worker  
Clayton Landey ....  Grace Worker  
Elizabeth Burnette ....  Lauren Aufiero  
Alan Wilder (I) ....  Insurance Lawyer  
Gregg Joseph Monk ....  Insurance Lawyer  
Harout Beshlian ....  Insurance Lawyer  
Josh Pais ....  Law Clerk  
Haskell Anderson ....  Courtroom #7 Clerk  
Kaiulani Lee ....  Mrs. Granger  
Howie Carr ....  Radio Talk Show Host  
Denise Y. Dowse ....  Judge  
Pearline Fergerson ....  Court Clerk  
Scott Weintraub ....  PI Lawyers  
Robert Cicchini ....  PI Lawyers  
Christopher Stevenson ....  Insurance Plaintiff  
Kevin Fry ....  Waiter  
Brian Turk ....  Mover  
Rikki Klieman ....  T.V. Reporter  
David Barrett (I) ....  Teenager on Property  
Ryan Janis ....  Teenager on Property  
Rob McElhenny ....  Teenager on Property  
Michael Biase ....  Market Clerk  
Richard Calnan ....  Woburn Traffic Cop  
Gene Wolande ....  Hotel Clerk  
Sam Travolta ....  Grace Attorney  
Gregg Shawzin ....  Reporter  
Juli Donald ....  Reporter  
Sayla Alan ....  Reporter  
Catherine Leahan ....  Reporter  
Bruce E. Holman ....  Federal Marshall (as Bruce Holman)  
John Lafayette ....  Geologist  
Charles Levin ....  Geologist  
Byron Jennings ....  Geologist  
Jay Patterson ....  Geologist  
Charlie Stavola ....  Detective  
rest of cast listed alphabetically  
Kathy Bates ....  Bankruptcy Judge (uncredited)  
Phil Hawn ....  Attorney in Courtroom Gallery (uncredited)  
Edward Herrmann   
  
Produced by 
Henry J. Golas   (associate)  
David McGiffert   (associate)  
Rachel Pfeffer    
Robert Redford    
Scott Rudin    
David Wisnievitz   (executive)  
Steven Zaillian   (executive)  
  
Original music by 
Danny Elfman    
  
Cinematography by 
Conrad L. Hall    
  
Film Editing by 
Wayne Wahrman    
  
Casting 
Avy Kaufman    
  
Production Design by 
David Gropman    
  
Art Direction 
David J. Bomba    
John R. Jensen    
  
Set Decoration 
Tracey A. Doyle    
  
Costume Design by 
Shay Cunliffe    
  
Assistant Director 
David McGiffert ....  assistant director  
  
Sound Department 
Christopher Assells ....  sound editor  
Larry Kemp ....  supervising sound editor  
David MacMillan (I) ....  sound mixer  
Mary Ruth Smith ....  sound editor  
  
Other crew 
Todd J. Adelman ....  production medic  
Jennifer Blair ....  art department co-ordinator  
Tony Brazas ....  stand-in: Mr. Travolta  
Clyde E. Bryan ....  first assistant camera  
Lee Cunningham ....  assistant set decorator  
Kevin Fennessy ....  casting associate: Boston  
Mark Fitzgerald (II) ....  assistant location manager  
Jane Goldsmith ....  script supervisor  
Wylie Griffin ....  art department co-ordinator  
Ken Haber ....  location manager  
Jody Hummer ....  location manager  
Brian King (II) ....  title designer  
Brandon Lambdin ....  set production assistant  
James A. Mahathey ....  location scout: Pittsburgh  
Randy Manion ....  art department production assistant  
Daniel C. McFadden ....  camera loader  
Jeff Pelton ....  second assistant camera  
Carolyn Pickman ....  casting: Boston  
Lori Rowbotham ....  assistant art director  
Steven Samanen ....  script supervisor: second unit  
Rob Simons ....  assistant art director  
Frank Warren (II) ....  extras casting  
  
 
 
 


Click here to buy this movie on DVD at Amazon.com

Or Click here to buy this movie on VHS at Amazon.com
      
A CIVIL ACTION
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 1999 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****):  ***

In A CIVIL ACTION, Jan Schlichtmann, a personal injury lawyer, more aptly known as an ambulance chaser, has been named one of Boston's 10 most eligible bachelors. With his movie star good looks and his expensive clothing, he blasts down the small road in his sleek, black Porsche on the way to turn down some would-be clients. Their case, involving a cluster of leukemia deaths among 8 children, appears to be a financial loser. (He has already lectured the audience in voice-over about the "calculus" of human worth. Children, having no current incoming producing ability, fall at the bottom of the charts.)

Jan wants to waste as little of his valuable time as possible on this case. After getting his second speeding ticket of the day, he notices a stream near where his car had been pulled over by the officer. Following it, he gets his fancy shoes muddy, but he discovers the mother lode. There are two big companies (Beatrice Foods and W.R. Grace) who have facilities near the stream. As visions of checks with large numbers of zeros flash through his head, a smug smile comes across his face, and he decides then and there to take the case. Without any testing to see if the companies' proximity to the water has any relationship whatsoever to the children's illness, he knows only that the companies have the deep pockets from which he figures he can extract large sums of money for himself and his clients.

(Writer and director Steven Zaillian's adaptation of Jonathan Harr's book can be infuriating if you think too hard about some of the scientific conclusions being drawn. As recent articles in the "Wall Street Journal" and "Forbes" have pointed out, the case is far from the simplistic one described. Clusters will occur in any set of random numbers, and whether these two companies had anything to do with it was never proven. The articles point out that the chemical (TCE) mentioned in the movie is not a human carcinogen, and the town in question has had ground water contamination for 350 years. At any rate, the entertaining movie has significant problems even if you accept the book and screenplay as the full and complete truth.)

The problems start with John Travolta's flat performance as Jan. Travolta never warms up to the role, coming across as emotionally uninvolved. Whereas he threw himself into his recent part in PRIMARY COLORS, playing another character with a flexible set of morals, this time he approaches the role with clinical detachment. Generating neither sympathy nor scorn, he gives a passionless performance than leaves the movie with a hollow core.

Writer and director Zaillian, who was so masterfully in control in SEARCHING FOR BOBBY FISCHER, sets a languid pace in A CIVIL ACTION. Fascinating incidents frequently dissolve into tedium as the energy gets drained away.

Notwithstanding all of these troubles, the supporting cast is terrific, and, as a writer, Zaillian comes up with some great, subtle humor that provides one laugh after another as the lawyers put down each other and themselves. (The script is much less successful in conjuring up the pain and suffering of the children. Absent a few scenes, their misery is discussed with all of the compassion of a medical textbook.)

The movie is worth seeing for Robert Duvall's performance alone, which deserves to be remembered at Oscar time. As Jerome Facher, the cagey old lawyer for Beatrice, Duvall is mesmerizing as he runs circles around the younger and more aggressive lawyers. Acting like a man who always has 5 aces up his sleeve, Jerome disarms his prey by talking about everything but the law. In a particularly delicious scene, he sits listening to Jan hanging himself through the sin of pride. After asking if he could have the nifty hotel pen, Jerome smiles at his adversary and leaves, ignoring entirely Jan's pompous attempt at negotiations. The character of Jerome is so rich that a television series could easily be built around it. When Jerome is on the screen, all of the movie's failings are quickly forgotten.

The other amazing piece of work comes from William H. Macy as James Gordon, the accountant for Jan's small law firm, who tries valiantly but unsuccessfully to reign in the firm's soaring expenses for the case. As Jan bankrupts himself and his partners, James slowly and surely begins to lose it emotionally. Macy's sympathetic portrayal of James will have you laughing so hard that you almost cry as James tries everything from lottery tickets to a plethora of credit cards to come up with the cash necessary to keep the case afloat.

The battle, in which there were few winners, is all too neatly wrapped up in a Hollywood style ending. The legal conclusions are printed in stark white letters just before the ending credits. Don't read them too carefully, however, or you will realize how little was really decided.

A CIVIL ACTION runs 1:58. It is rated PG-13 for mature themes and several uses of the F-word and would be fine for kids around 12 and up.

Email: Steve.Rhodes@InternetReviews.com Web: www.InternetReviews.com


Have I Seen This Movie: Yes
And What Did I Think?: A Civil Action is a true life story about a lawyer named Jan Schlichtmann (played by John Travolta) who risks everything to help a small town take on a corporation who has polluted their water supply. Travolta gives a good performance as Schlictmann who changes from an egotisitcal lawyer out for his own gain to one with a heart. also starring in this film is Robert Duvall who plays the attorney for the corporation and is Schictmann's old rival from school. John Lithgow also costars as the judge that hears the case. This film has plenty of great courtroom drama, so if you're into that, you shouldnt be too disappointed. I found it moved along a little slow at times but eventually picked up. I found it interesting that Jan Schictmann went on to defend a town not far from me where there was numerous deaths from cancer, possibly from a contaminant. Check out A Civil Action if you enjoy legal dramas.
I give A Civil Action 3.5 out of 5 stars

Review written July 22, 1999

1