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IMDbPro

A Civil Action

  • 19981998
  • PG-13PG-13
  • 1h 55m
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
30K
YOUR RATING
John Travolta in A Civil Action (1998)
Trailer for A Civil Action
Play trailer0:58
1 Video
51 Photos
Drama
A tenacious lawyer takes on a case involving two companies responsible for causing several children to be diagnosed with leukemia due to the town's water supply being contaminated, at the ri... Read allA tenacious lawyer takes on a case involving two companies responsible for causing several children to be diagnosed with leukemia due to the town's water supply being contaminated, at the risk of bankrupting his firm and career.A tenacious lawyer takes on a case involving two companies responsible for causing several children to be diagnosed with leukemia due to the town's water supply being contaminated, at the risk of bankrupting his firm and career.
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
30K
YOUR RATING
    • Steven Zaillian
    • Jonathan Harr(book)
    • Steven Zaillian(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • John Travolta
    • Robert Duvall
    • Kathleen Quinlan
    • Steven Zaillian
    • Jonathan Harr(book)
    • Steven Zaillian(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • John Travolta
    • Robert Duvall
    • Kathleen Quinlan
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 202User reviews
    • 65Critic reviews
    • 68Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 2 Oscars

    Videos1

    A Civil Action
    Trailer 0:58
    Watch A Civil Action

    Photos51

    John Travolta in A Civil Action (1998)
    John Travolta and Kathleen Quinlan in A Civil Action (1998)
    John Travolta in A Civil Action (1998)
    John Travolta, Robert Duvall, John Lithgow, and Zeljko Ivanek in A Civil Action (1998)
    John Travolta and Robert Duvall in A Civil Action (1998)
    John Travolta in A Civil Action (1998)
    John Travolta in A Civil Action (1998)
    John Travolta, William H. Macy, Tony Shalhoub, and Zeljko Ivanek in A Civil Action (1998)
    John Travolta in A Civil Action (1998)
    John Travolta, Robert Duvall, John Lithgow, and Zeljko Ivanek in A Civil Action (1998)
    John Travolta, William H. Macy, Tony Shalhoub, and Zeljko Ivanek in A Civil Action (1998)
    John Travolta in A Civil Action (1998)

    Top cast

    Edit
    John Travolta
    John Travolta
    • Jan Schlichtmann
    Robert Duvall
    Robert Duvall
    • Jerome Facher
    Kathleen Quinlan
    Kathleen Quinlan
    • Anne Anderson
    Tony Shalhoub
    Tony Shalhoub
    • Kevin Conway
    William H. Macy
    William H. Macy
    • James Gordon
    Zeljko Ivanek
    Zeljko Ivanek
    • Bill Crowley
    Bruce Norris
    • William Cheeseman
    John Lithgow
    John Lithgow
    • Judge Walter J. Skinner
    Peter Jacobson
    Peter Jacobson
    • Neil Jacobs
    Mary Mara
    Mary Mara
    • Kathy Boyer
    James Gandolfini
    James Gandolfini
    • Al Love
    Stephen Fry
    Stephen Fry
    • Pinder
    Dan Hedaya
    Dan Hedaya
    • John Riley
    David Thornton
    David Thornton
    • Richard Aufiero
    Sydney Pollack
    Sydney Pollack
    • Al Eustis
    Ned Eisenberg
    Ned Eisenberg
    • Uncle Pete
    Margot Rose
    Margot Rose
    • Donna Robbins
    Daniel von Bargen
    Daniel von Bargen
    • Mr. Granger
    • (as Daniel Von Bargen)
      • Steven Zaillian
      • Jonathan Harr(book)
      • Steven Zaillian(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Based on a true story.
    • Goofs
      Near the end of the movie, the envelope from the EPA appears on Facher's desk before the employee places it there.
    • Quotes

      Jan Schlichtmann: [narrating] The odds of a plaintiff's lawyer winning in civil court are two to one against. Think about that for a second. Your odds of surviving a game of Russian roulette are better than winning a case at trial. 12 times better. So why does anyone do it? They don't. They settle. Out of the 780,000, only 12,000 or 11/2 percent ever reach a verdict. The whole idea of lawsuits is to settle, to compel the other side to settle. And you do that by spending more money than you should, which forces them to spend more money than they should, and whoever comes to their senses first loses. Trials are a corruption of the entire process and only fools who have something to prove end up ensnared in them. Now when I say prove, I don't mean about the case, I mean about themselves.

    • Crazy credits
      The producers wish to thank the people of Boston, Waltham, Northbridge, Charlestown, Dedham, Brimfield and Palmer, MA.
    • Alternate versions
      In the North American prints, the 1985 Touchstone Pictures logo played first, followed by the 1995 version of the 1987 Paramount Pictures plays at the beginning. The international prints had the logos alternating with Paramount played first followed by Touchstone. The North American prints ending it with the Buena Vista Pictures Distribution disclaimer, followed by the closing version of the Paramount Pictures and Touchstone Pictures logos. The international prints meanwhile had also removing the Buena Vista references and it goes directly to the closing version of Touchstone Pictures and Paramount Pictures logos.
    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: Star Trek: Insurrection/Jack Frost/Shakespeare in Love/Psycho/The General (1998)
    • Soundtracks
      Hard Workin' Man
      Written by Jack Nitzsche, Ry Cooder, Paul Schrader

      Performed by Don Van Vliet (as Captain Beefheart)

      Courtesy of MCA Records

      Under license from Universal Music Special Markets

    User reviews202

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    7/10
    Travolta shines in well written fare
    Starting the film as the traditional stereotypical lowlife lawyer, John Travolta is actually superb as his character develops into someone who actually cares about his clients, and about people other than himself.

    Robert Duvall is excellent as his opposing counsel, and his character's interplay in the courtroom drama with Travolta is worth seeing the film for alone. Duvall plays quirky characters like few else in modern cinema.

    Given the job of prosecuting a tannery over water pollution that has led to the death of many children, this is well written and structured - as well as being brilliantly acted and well directed.

    The one complaint I would have is that this petered out a little in the finish, which was perhaps inevitable as it's a true story, and sometimes the climax of real life isn't as good as in fiction.
    helpful•18
    4
    • redkiwi
    • Jan 2, 2001

    FAQ4

    • What did Judge Skinner do that Jan didn't like?
    • Why did Facher exhibit odd behaviors?
    • What is an 'orphan'?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • January 8, 1999 (United States)
      • United States
      • English
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • Northbridge, Massachusetts, USA
    • Production companies
      • Touchstone Pictures
      • Paramount Pictures
      • Wildwood Enterprises
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • 1 hour 55 minutes
      • Color
      • DTS
      • Dolby Digital
      • SDDS

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