IMDb > A Civil Action (1998)
A Civil Action
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv schedule
Awards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotes
Fun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

A Civil Action (1998) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 34 | slideshow) Videos (see all 2)
A Civil Action (1998) -- 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.
A Civil Action (1998) -- MovieMaze.de - Trailer (Quicktime)
IMDb Holiday Movie Guide

Overview

User Rating:
6.4/10   13,405 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 4% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Steven Zaillian
Writers (WGA):
Jonathan Harr (book)
Steven Zaillian (screenplay)
Contact:
View company contact information for A Civil Action on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
8 January 1999 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama more
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:
more
Awards:
Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 8 nominations more
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)
User Comments:
Well made drama about the more important things 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
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

MPAA:
Rated PG-13 for some strong language.
Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents
Runtime:
115 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS
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:
Beacon Hill, Boston, Massachusetts, USA more
Company:
Touchstone Pictures more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Steven Zaillian adapted the screenplay with nobody else but Robert Duvall in mind for the role of Jerome Facher. more
Goofs:
Continuity: At the meeting in the hotel where Jan asks for $300+ million, Cheeseman begins calculating the figures on a pad of paper with his left hand. A cut to an over-the-shoulder shot shows him writing the figures with his right hand. more
Quotes:
Jerome Facher: What's your take?
Jan Schlichtmann: They'll see the truth.
Jerome Facher: The truth? I thought we were talking about a court of law. Come on, you've been around long enough to know that a courtroom isn't a place to look for the truth.
more
Movie Connections:
Featured in The 56th Annual Golden Globe Awards (1999) (TV) more
Soundtrack:
Hard Workin' Man more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.

User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
9 out of 11 people found the following comment useful.
Well made drama about the more important things, 27 January 2001
Author: MisterWhiplash from United States

John Travolta gives a pretty good performance here in Steve Zaillan's (scripter of Schindler's List) Civil Action as a hot shot lawyer who gets a case of people in a small town poisoned by the local water. Then the lawsuit begins, though we learn more here than any Grisham film. A film about being humane and trying to do the right thing over money. The entire supporting cast is a big boost, including Robert Duvall as the opposing attorney, William H. Macy, Tony Shalhoub as Travolta's attorney's, Kathleen Quinlann who is the heart of the movie and James Gandolfini as a resident. A

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (169 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for A Civil Action (1998)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
The final scene (***Spoiler alert***) puffin88
More movies like 'A Civil Action' shrekkie
Legal Malpractice -- Spoiler anfeargal
Edward Herrmann, Harry Dean Stanton, Bryan Greenberg... goldenaxeband
Facher's Tactics to avoid in court exelzior
Why is Jan broke at the end? correo-8
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
Erin Brockovich Boy A Anatomy of a Murder Michael Clayton Karakter
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb Drama section IMDb USA section
Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.