Class Action (1991)

An attorney representing a traumatized accident victim finds that his opponent is a very familiar defense attorney - his own daughter.

Director:

Michael Apted

Writers:

Carolyn Shelby, Christopher Ames

Stars:

Gene Hackman, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Colin Friels

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gene Hackman	...	Jedediah Tucker Ward
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio	...	Maggie Ward
Colin Friels	...	Michael Grazier
Joanna Merlin	...	Estelle Ward
Laurence Fishburne	...	Nick Holbrook (as Larry Fishburne)
Donald Moffat	...	Quinn
Jan Rubes	...	Pavel
Matt Clark	...	Judge Symes
Fred Thompson	...	Dr. Getchell (as Fred Dalton Thompson)
Jonathan Silverman	...	Brian
Joan McMurtrey	...	Ann
Anne Ramsay	...	Deborah (as Anne Elizabeth Ramsay)
David Byron	...	Carl
Tim Hopper	...	Howie
Robert David Hall	...	Steven Kellen

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.

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Plot Keywords:

judicial | judiciary | judicial system | foxvideo | attorney | 

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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.

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for uses of strong language

Did You Know?

Trivia

Argo is the name of auto manufacturer sued in the movie. It is the name of the fictional movie by the CIA in Argo (2012).

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Goofs

Maggie's mother falls down the stairs. The position of her purse changes between shots.

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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.

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Connections

Featured in At the Movies: The Hard Way/Closet Land/New Jack City/Shipwrecked/Ju Dou (1991)

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Soundtracks

Up, Up, Up
Written by Dan Hicks
Performed by Dan Hicks and the Acoustic Warriors with the Licketts

User Reviews

father and daughter, both attorneys, duke it out

Gene Hackman and Mary Elizabeth Mastroantonio are involved in a "Class Action" in this 1991 film that also stars Laurence Fishburne, Donald Moffatt, Joanna Merlin and Fred Thompson. Hackman and MEM, father and daughter, are both attorneys. "I raised you," Jed (Hackman) yells at Maggie (MEM) during one scene. "Mom raised me," she screams back. "You had a date." Maggie's resentment over her father's infidelity erupts after the death of her mother (Merlin) in a powerful scene. Although Maggie has tried to reconcile with him, she finds there is too much in the way. Maggie is in an ethical quandary when the law firm she works for wants to suppress evidence about an automobile manufacturer's malfeasance; complicating things is that her father heads the team the other side of the case.

This is a very good movie that emotionally rings true, thanks to a good script and fine performances by Hackman and Mary Elizabeth. I had the pleasure of working with Mary Elizabeth when she was a Broadway actress - a lovely woman with a great talent, shown here to excellent advantage. Grieving for her mother and unable to accept her father's love, she is blindsided by her boyfriend/boss' ethics violation and has nowhere to turn. The viewer can really feel her pain. Hackman is wonderful as a shark attorney who loved his wife deeply but made some unfortunate choices and alienated his only child. He finds himself now vulnerable and confused; Hackman expresses these emotions beautifully. There is able support from the top-notch cast.

Compelling and at times powerful.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 March 1991 (USA)

Also Known As:

Class Action

Filming Locations:

Bix Restaurant - 56 Gold Street, San Francisco, California, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,207,923, 17 March 1991

Gross USA:

$24,277,858

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$28,277,918

Company Credits

Production Co:

Interscope Communications, Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1