6.4/10
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Class Action (1991)

R | | Drama, Thriller | 15 March 1991 (USA)
Class Action Poster
An attorney representing a traumatized accident victim finds that his opponent is a very familiar defense attorney - his own daughter.

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Stars:

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1 nomination. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
... Jedediah Tucker Ward
... Maggie Ward
... Michael Grazier
... Estelle Ward
... Nick Holbrook (as Larry Fishburne)
... Quinn
... Pavel
... Judge Symes
... Dr. Getchell
... Brian
... Ann
... Deborah (as Anne Elizabeth Ramsay)
David Byron ... Carl
... Howie
... Steven Kellen
See full cast »
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Storyline

Jed Ward is an attorney who specializes in whistle blower, David vs. Goliath, type cases. He finds a client who is suing an auto company over a safety problem that has had a severe effect on his life after the accident. He must replace the current attorney and be ready for trial quickly, and then he finds that the defense attorney will be his estranged daughter. Written by John Vogel <jlvogel@comcast.net>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

attorney | trial | female lawyer | two word title | father daughter conflict | See All (40) »

Taglines:

For the plaintiff...Jedediah Tucker Ward. For the defense...Margaret Eleanor Ward. Nothing Personal. It's just Father Vs. Daughter in the fight of their lives. See more »

Genres:

Drama | Thriller

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for uses of strong language | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

15 March 1991 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Személyes ügy  »

Filming Locations:

 »
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Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,207,923, 17 March 1991, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$24,277,858

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$28,277,918
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Production Co:

,  »
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Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Jed Ward's (Gene Hackman) office scenes were filmed on location in a real law office at 473 Jackson Street on the third floor. At the time, the space was occupied by the legendary San Francisco civil rights/criminal defense lawyer J. Tony Serra. Serra is also visible during the funeral scene sitting in the back of the pews: he's the gentleman with the long gray hair. James Woods played a character based on Serra in the film True Believer (1989). See more »

Goofs

The purse on the steps is just below a landing. But when Maggie rushes down the steps to her mother, she passes the purse without crossing a landing. See more »

Quotes

Jedediah Tucker Ward: By the way, you so much as look at my daughter, they won't be able to identify you with dental records.
See more »

Connections

Features The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) See more »

Soundtracks

If You Don't Know Me By Now
Written by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff
Performed by Simply Red
Courtesy of Elektra Entertainment/WEA Records Ltd.
By Arrangement with Warner Special Products
See more »

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User Reviews

 
A Compelling, Unheralded Gem
28 October 2007 | by – See all my reviews

This subdued courtroom drama starts out like an extended episode of L.A. LAW but quickly reveals itself as the unheralded gem it is. Gene Hackman is as solid as ever as a fervent lawyer battling an auto giant accused of manufacturing a faulty model. The twist is that his rival attorney just happens to be his self-reliant daughter, played by Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio.

CLASS ACTION is not a flashy, fill-up-the-screen-every-minute kind of film. But it is a quite compelling effort. The courtroom storyline is captivating, with director Michael Apted expertly showing the case and its various twists and turns from both sides. Anyone who was glued to the set anytime L.A. LAW came on be in heaven.

Then there's the family dynamic. Hackman and Mastrantonio are convincing as the father and daughter. He seems to know everything and she wants to prove that he does not. They begin the film miles apart in their relationship and it seems a tense court case will further drive in the wedge between them. It's a plot line that works well and helps elevate the film.
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