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A Civil Action (1998)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers (WGA):
Release Date:
8 January 1999 (USA)
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Tagline:
Justice has its price.
Plot:
The families of children who died sue two companies for dumping toxic waste: a tort so expensive to prove, the case could bankrupt their lawyer. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Lawyer
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Leukemia
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Lawsuit
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Settlement
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Toxic Waste
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Awards:
Nominated for 2 Oscars.
Another 5 wins
&
8 nominations
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NewsDesk:
(17 articles)
‘From Paris with Love’ Red Band Trailer
(From Screen Rant. 17 September 2009, 10:16 AM, PDT)
Gibson's Payback
(From Studio Briefing - Film News. 9 February 1999)
(From Screen Rant. 17 September 2009, 10:16 AM, PDT)
Gibson's Payback
(From Studio Briefing - Film News. 9 February 1999)
User Comments:
John Travolta, Conrad Hall Elevate This Nicely
more (169 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| John Travolta | ... | Jan Schlichtmann | |
| Robert Duvall | ... | Jerome Facher | |
| Tony Shalhoub | ... | Kevin Conway | |
| William H. Macy | ... | James Gordon | |
| Zeljko Ivanek | ... | Bill Crowley | |
| Bruce Norris | ... | William Cheeseman | |
| John Lithgow | ... | Judge Walter J. Skinner | |
| Kathleen Quinlan | ... | Anne Anderson | |
| Peter Jacobson | ... | Neil Jacobs | |
| Mary Mara | ... | Kathy Boyer | |
| James Gandolfini | ... | Al Love | |
| Stephen Fry | ... | Pinder | |
| Dan Hedaya | ... | John Riley | |
| David Thornton | ... | Richard Aufiero | |
| Sydney Pollack | ... | Al Eustis |
Additional Details
MPAA:
Rated PG-13 for some strong language.
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
115 min
Country:
Language:
Colour:
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
USA:PG-13 (certificate #36309) |
Iceland:L |
South Korea:12 |
Philippines:PG-13 |
Argentina:13 |
Australia:M (original rating) |
Australia:PG (TV rating) |
Chile:14 |
Finland:K-12 |
France:U |
Germany:12 (w) |
Norway:7 |
Peru:14 |
Portugal:M/12 |
Spain:T |
Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) |
Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) |
UK:15 |
Singapore:PG
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
During the phone conversation in the radio booth, a confused Schlictmann asks Anne Anderson, "Is this Rikki?" Rikki Klieman is a real-life lawyer and love interest of Schlictmann's in the novel.
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Goofs:
Continuity: At the end of the movie when the woman comes out on her front porch and picks up the newspaper, she removes the rubber band and looks at the top half of the paper. In the next cut she is looking at the bottom half of the paper and in the very next cut she is looking at the top half again.
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Quotes:
James Gordon:
[Regarding the case and the following settlement] Mrs. Anderson, you're looking at four guys who are broke. We lost everything trying this case.
Anne Anderson: How can you even begin to compare what you've lost, to what we've lost.
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Anne Anderson: How can you even begin to compare what you've lost, to what we've lost.
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Movie Connections:
Featured in The 56th Annual Golden Globe Awards (1999) (TV)
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Soundtrack:
Little Drummer Boy
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FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (169 total)
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On my first viewing of this, on VHS, I thought it okay but nothing special. I caught a break, being able to obtain the DVD for almost no cost, so I looked at it again. Wow, am I glad. I loved it the second time.
The DVD brings out the cinematography which is very, very good and the picture is razor-sharp. One of Hollywood''s Hall Of Fame photographers, Conrad Hall, shot this film. Story-wise, the courtroom scenes were the most dramatic of the film but this story dealt more with the behind-the-scenes digging of information to expose thoughtless businessmen who had dumped poison in an area and people were suffering because of it. It is supposedly-based on a true story.
Another big highlight of this movie is great performance by John Travolta, perhaps his best work ever. Just the pauses and looks on his face alone greatly enhanced his performance. He was just fascinating. Language-wise, this is pretty tame except for William H. Macy, who loses his cool a few times as the assistant lawyer/financial man for the law firm battling the polluters.
It's easy to get involved with the story, but don't overlook the great photography in here.