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Drama

A Civil Action

- Justice has its price.

Jan Schlickmann is a cynical lawyer who goes out to 'get rid of' a case, only to find out it is potentially worth millions. The case becomes his obsession, to the extent that he is willing to give up everything—including his career and his clients' goals—in order to continue the case against all odds.

Release Date : 1998-12-25

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Touchstone PicturesParamount PicturesWildwood EnterprisesScott Rudin Productions

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles : Civil Action, A

Cast

John Travolta

Character Name : Jan Schlichtmann

Original Name : John Travolta

Gender : Male

Robert Duvall

Character Name : Jerome Facher

Original Name : Robert Duvall

Gender : Male

Tony Shalhoub

Character Name : Kevin Conway

Original Name : Tony Shalhoub

Gender : Male

William H. Macy

Character Name : James Gordon

Original Name : William H. Macy

Gender : Male

Zeljko Ivanek

Character Name : Bill Crowley

Original Name : Zeljko Ivanek

Gender : Male

Bruce Norris

Character Name : William Cheeseman

Original Name : Bruce Norris

Gender : Male

John Lithgow

Character Name : Judge Walter J. Skinner

Original Name : John Lithgow

Gender : Male

Kathleen Quinlan

Character Name : Anne Anderson

Original Name : Kathleen Quinlan

Gender : Female

Peter Jacobson

Character Name : Neil Jacobs

Original Name : Peter Jacobson

Gender : Male

Mary Mara

Character Name : Kathy Boyer

Original Name : Mary Mara

Gender : Female

James Gandolfini

Character Name : Al Love

Original Name : James Gandolfini

Gender : Male

Stephen Fry

Character Name : Pinder

Original Name : Stephen Fry

Gender : Male

Denise Dowse

Character Name : Judge Constance Mullen

Original Name : Denise Dowse

Gender : Female

Dan Hedaya

Character Name : John Riley

Original Name : Dan Hedaya

Gender : Male

David Thornton

Character Name : Richard Aufiero

Original Name : David Thornton

Gender : Male

Sydney Pollack

Character Name : Al Eustis

Original Name : Sydney Pollack

Gender : Male

Ned Eisenberg

Character Name : Uncle Pete

Original Name : Ned Eisenberg

Gender : Male

Margot Rose

Character Name : Donna Robbins

Original Name : Margot Rose

Gender : Female

Daniel von Bargen

Character Name : Mr. Granger

Original Name : Daniel von Bargen

Gender : Male

Caroline Carrigan

Character Name : Evelyn Love

Original Name : Caroline Carrigan

Gender : Male

Paul Desmond

Character Name : Paul Shalline

Original Name : Paul Desmond

Gender : Male

Michael P. Byrne

Character Name : Tommy Barbas

Original Name : Michael P. Byrne

Gender : Male

Tracy Miller

Character Name : Grace Worker

Original Name : Tracy Miller

Gender : Male

Paul Hewitt

Character Name : Grace Worker

Original Name : Paul Hewitt

Gender : Male

Clayton Landey

Character Name : Grace Worker

Original Name : Clayton Landey

Gender : Male

Paul Ben-Victor

Character Name : Bobby Pasqueriella

Original Name : Paul Ben-Victor

Gender : Male

Elizabeth Burnette

Character Name : Lauren Aufiero

Original Name : Elizabeth Burnette

Gender : Male

Alan Wilder

Character Name : Insurance Lawyer

Original Name : Alan Wilder

Gender : Male

Gregg Joseph Monk

Character Name : Insurance Lawyer

Original Name : Gregg Joseph Monk

Gender : Male

Harout Beshlian

Character Name : Insurance Lawyer

Original Name : Harout Beshlian

Gender : Male

Josh Pais

Character Name : Law Clerk

Original Name : Josh Pais

Gender : Male

Haskell V. Anderson III

Character Name : Courtroom #7 Clerk

Original Name : Haskell V. Anderson III

Gender : Male

Kaiulani Lee

Character Name : Mrs. Granger

Original Name : Kaiulani Lee

Gender : Female

Howie Carr

Character Name : Radio Talk Show Host

Original Name : Howie Carr

Gender : Male

Pearline Fergerson

Character Name : Court Clerk

Original Name : Pearline Fergerson

Gender : Male

Scott Weintraub

Character Name : PI Lawyer

Original Name : Scott Weintraub

Gender : Male

Robert Cicchini

Character Name : PI Lawyer

Original Name : Robert Cicchini

Gender : Male

Christopher Stevenson

Character Name : Insurance Plaintiff

Original Name : Christopher Stevenson

Gender : Male

Kevin Fry-Bowers

Character Name : Waiter

Original Name : Kevin Fry-Bowers

Gender : Male

Brian Turk

Character Name : Mover

Original Name : Brian Turk

Gender : Male

Rikki Klieman

Character Name : TV Reporter

Original Name : Rikki Klieman

Gender : Female

Charlie Stavola

Character Name : Detective

Original Name : Charlie Stavola

Gender : Male

David Barrett

Character Name : Teenager on Property

Original Name : David Barrett

Gender : Male

Ryan Janis

Character Name : Teenager on Property

Original Name : Ryan Janis

Gender : Male

Rob McElhenney

Character Name : Teenager on Property

Original Name : Rob McElhenney

Gender : Male

Michael Biase

Character Name : Market Clerk

Original Name : Michael Biase

Gender : Male

Richard Calnan

Character Name : Woburn Traffic Cop

Original Name : Richard Calnan

Gender : Male

Gene Wolande

Character Name : Hotel Clerk

Original Name : Gene Wolande

Gender : Male

Sam Travolta

Character Name : Grace Attorney

Original Name : Sam Travolta

Gender : Male

Gregg Shawzin

Character Name : Reporter

Original Name : Gregg Shawzin

Gender : Male

Juliana Donald

Character Name : Reporter

Original Name : Juliana Donald

Gender : Female

Sayda Alan

Character Name : Reporter

Original Name : Sayda Alan

Gender : Male

Catherine Leahan

Character Name : Reporter

Original Name : Catherine Leahan

Gender : Male

Bruce Holman

Character Name : Federal Marshall

Original Name : Bruce Holman

Gender : Male

John Lafayette

Character Name : Geologist

Original Name : John Lafayette

Gender : Male

Charles Levin

Character Name : Geologist

Original Name : Charles Levin

Gender : Male

Byron Jennings

Character Name : Geologist

Original Name : Byron Jennings

Gender : Male

Jay Patterson

Character Name : Geologist

Original Name : Jay Patterson

Gender : Male

Taylor Bernard

Character Name : Trustee's Assistant

Original Name : Taylor Bernard

Gender : Male

Kathy Bates

Character Name : Bankruptcy Judge (uncredited)

Original Name : Kathy Bates

Gender : Female

Harry Dean Stanton

Character Name : Land Watcher (uncredited)

Original Name : Harry Dean Stanton

Gender : Male

Reviews

C

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2024-04-16

Based on a true story, John Travolta portrays an ambulance chasing lawyer whose company takes 40% of any settlement they get for their clients following accidents in the workplace, or during surgery, or on the road etc. It's when he becomes aware of a clutch of leukaemia sufferers that he begins to suspect that a local tannery might be polluting the water supply with toxic chemicals. Now he is used to quick in and out judicial procedures, high profit low costs. This case is the reverse. He knows that to bring a civil suit against a large-scale entity is rife with risk and costs, but he convinces his colleagues to take it on. The opponents have hired the services of the experienced "Facher" (Robert Duvall) who knows exactly how to play the system. He is an expert at dragging things out and protracting the entire legal process until his antagonists run out of money, or maybe even the will to live. With the costs mounting and the court case showing no sign of concluding, he and his team face bankruptcy. Can they get a settlement in time? It's all a rather plodding drama with little by way of excitement to stimulate the attention. Sure, the atrocity is ghastly but the dramatisation of the scenario surrounding it is rather exemplified by a rather weak contribution from Stephen Fry as the geology guru and an over-cooked contribution from William H. Macy as his increasingly frustrated partner. Duvall does the cynical and exploitative lawyer pretty well, but he doesn't really feature enough to enliven this and at almost two hours long, it's really just a showcase for Travolta and not much of one at that. Essentially it's a watchable enough television movie that shines quite a powerful light on the injustice of the American justice system, but that's about it.