A Civil Action

copyright: Mike Way posted: 1-16-99

The film is crammed with wit, charm, and a sense of the debacle. Where it falls tragically short is the fact that the scope of the subject of the film, industrial pollution, could not be adequately addressed in a mere 112 minutes. The story is too detailed in some spots and gives almost no detail to other key exchanges. It shows the futility of fighting injustice without the financial resources to go the distance against giants with assets in the billions. It demonstrates the danger of ego in the face of a reasonable settlement offers and offers us an inside perch at the inner workings of a hometown law firm.

But back to the movie – the performances were in a word, magnificent. First there’s Robert Duvall. His performance as the unassuming corporate lawyer is brilliant. He comes off as a man who is sure of himself – not as power player, but someone who knows the real power of power. His banter with John Travolta is so sharp, so witty, and so on target that you almost want the bad guys to win. Travolta himself is no slouch. His air of cunning is exactly what you expect from an ambulance chaser converted by matters of conscience to a caring human being. You will find yourself torn between justice and practicality in the performance of Jan’s partners most notably played by William H. Macy (Fargo, Pleasantville) and Tony Shalhoub (Siege, Men In Black). The story of the partners is one of the stories within the story. You will see an almost loving dissension form between the partners as they all lose their home, lives, and nearly their professions as Jan sacrifices and risk all to win this one case.

I began by stating my disappointment. A Civil Action disappoints on several levels: first the length. The film is far too short for such a complex subject. I counted no less than six interesting story lines in the film but none of them were allowed to fully develop. I found myself wanting more with more never emerging. I felt like a juror flailing my arms at the prosecutor screaming in my mind, "but what about …." The relationship between the Judge, John Lithgow and big business is almost completely ignored. The court room scenes are only window dressing and are inadequately developed. Ironically, one of the more interesting scene occurs outside the courtroom between Travolta and Duvall while they both wait for a jury verdict. The scene is powerful and provocative. The aloofness of the plaintiffs, particularly, Anne Anderson (Kathleen Quinlan), in their disinterest in money but only wanting an apology from the responsible companies is complete bull. I personally found the trailer to be deceiving. I saw this film based on the trailer which was powerful and promised an even more powerful film. Instead, A Civil Action delivered a snapshot of what could have been a great legal beagle film.

So should you see A Civil Action? I wouldn’t recommend rushing out to see it. If you’re near a theater with nothing to do and enjoy this type film, by all means see it. The truth of it is that with such tremendous material and actors to work with, this film is not as nearly well executed as some of the better made for HBO and Showtime feature films. If you have a choice between a John Grisham movie and A Civil Action, choose Grisham’s The Rainmaker.

See you at the movies.

Mike Way

Copyright 1999 Creative Computer Specialists

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