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

After this courtroom drama, star Gene Hackman would go on to appear in such legal dramas and thrillers as The Firm (1993), The Chamber (1996), Under Suspicion (2000) and Runaway Jury (2003).

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Goofs

After being deluged with former test engineer Pavel's lifetime work files while at the automaker, Jed Ward asks colleagues to find "Pavel, the bunny man," so they can speak with him. If they had not yet spoken with Pavel, Jed would not know to describe him as "the bunny man."

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Quotes

Jedediah Tucker Ward: If your mother could hear you now.
Maggie Ward: Well she can't, can she? She finally got out of here and wherever she is, she's gotta be much happier than she was with you.
Maggie Ward: [Jedediah attempts to hit Maggie, shocking her] Finally, words fail the great Jedediah Tucker Ward.

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Connections

Features The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

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Soundtracks

Canned Music
Written by Dan Hicks
Performed by Dan Hicks and the Acoustic Warriors with the Licketts

User Reviews

Insightful

Thanks to the recent legal decision against Toyota and memories of the ill-fated Ford Pinto, it's difficult not to think of "Class Action". Many reviewers like to think that court room dramas can always be better, but if you've ever witnessed real court proceedings then you'll discover they can be immensely boring and why film makers avoid it. What makes "Class Action" so refreshing is the context of the case, which is a bona fide problem considering numerous cars with dangerous design problems, the devious corporate view of profit over loss (including life), which gives the film an underplay of David vs. Goliath, the spicy exchanges in court, the conflict between father and daughter, which is essentially a clash of Right vs. Wrong, and of course first rate performances by the actors. There are a few predictable story lines, but that's to be expected. "Class Action" is altogether a very entertaining and insightful film.

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