A Civil Action (1998)
66%RT Audience Score: 55%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 2 Oscars
5 wins & 10 nominations total
Intelligent and unconventional
A Civil Action is like a legal thriller that’s trying to be a morality play, but ends up being a bit of both and not enough of either. Travolta is decent, but it’s Duvall who steals the show with his dreamy-fox portrayal of the opposition lawyer. The script is fine, but the movie feels a bit too long and the ending is a bit of a letdown. Overall, it’s worth a watch if you’re into issue-oriented films from the 70s, but don’t expect it to blow your mind.
Production Company(ies)
London Film Productions,
Distributor
Buena Vista Pictures
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Northbridge, Massachusetts, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for some strong language
Year of Release
1999
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:DTS Dolby Digital SDDS
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:1h 52m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jan 8, 1998 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 4, 2003
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring John Travolta, Robert Duvall, Tony Shalhoub, William H Macy, Željko Ivanek, Bruce Norris, Rachel Pfeffer, Robert Redford, Scott Rudin, directed by Steven Zaillian, written by Jonathan Harr, Steven Zaillian, legal thriller, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Joe Morgenstern, Richard Schickel, Owen Gleiberman, Emanuel Levy, Almar Haflidason, Kenneth Turan, Catherine Springer, Maitland McDonagh, Rob Gonsalves, Anthony Miele, Robin Clifford, PG-13, Buena Vista Pictures, Dolby SR, DTS, SDDS, Surround, Dolby A, Dolby Digital, Flat (1.85:1)
Worldwide gross: $56,709,981
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $101,795,997
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,008
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 11,100,981
US/Canada gross: $56,709,981
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $101,795,997
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 739
US/Canada opening weekend: $70,079
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $125,794
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,851
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $75,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $134,627,091
Production budget ranking: 263
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $72,496,689
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): -$105,327,783
ROI to date (est.): -51%
ROI ranking: 1,696
Robert Duvall – Jerome Facher
Tony Shalhoub – Kevin Conway
William H. Macy – James Gordon
Željko Ivanek – Bill Crowley
Bruce Norris – William Cheeseman
Rachel Pfeffer – Producer
Robert Redford – Producer
Scott Rudin – Producer
Jonathan Harr – Writer
Steven Zaillian – Writer/Director
Director(s)
Steven Zaillian
Writer(s)
Jonathan Harr, Steven Zaillian
Producer(s)
Rachel Pfeffer, Robert Redford, Scott Rudin
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 2 Oscars
5 wins & 10 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
All Critics (71) | Top Critics (19) | Fresh (44) | Rotten (27)
There’s much to enjoy in A Civil Action.
April 2, 2019
Joe Morgenstern
Wall Street Journal
TOP CRITIC
A richly acted – see especially Robert Duvall’s dreamy-fox opposition lawyer – subtly suspenseful, blessedly unmoralizing morality play.
April 1, 2019
Richard Schickel
TIME Magazine
TOP CRITIC
September 7, 2011 | Rating: C+
Owen Gleiberman
Entertainment Weekly
TOP CRITIC
Based on a true story, this is an intelligent legal thriller, very much in the mode of 1970s issue-oriented films, that may be too subtle and complex for the damands of today’s market.
June 1, 2006 | Rating: 3/4
Emanuel Levy
Variety
TOP CRITIC
A fine script from director Steven Zaillian gives all involved plenty to chew.
April 17, 2001 | Rating: 4/5
Almar Haflidason
BBC.com
TOP CRITIC
As proficient a job as writer-director Steve Zaillian and his team do, A Civil Action has unmistakably unraveled by its close.
February 14, 2001 | Rating: 2.5/5
Kenneth Turan
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
A wonderful ride but an ultimately unfulfilling destination.
July 26, 2021 | Rating: 3/5
Catherine Springer
CathsFilmForum.com
This is a case in which the material really is better served in book form.
November 22, 2009 | Rating: 2.5/4
Maitland McDonagh
TV Guide
The movie becomes one more David-and-Goliath morality play.
July 30, 2007 | Rating: 3/5
Rob Gonsalves
eFilmCritic.com
While Travolta is passable as Schlichtmann, it is the outstanding work from Duvall, Macy and briefly Tony Shalhoub that drive the story.
December 6, 2005 | Rating: 3/5
Anthony Miele
Film Threat
I expected a harder hitting indictment against the uncaring power of corporate America. Instead, we get a middlin’ courtroom drama that lacks the intensity of such films as the 1982 Sidney Lumet/Paul Newman film, The Verdict.
April 9, 2005
Robin Clifford
Reeling Reviews
the film is slightly overlong and the ending is anti-cathartic.
February 28, 2005 | Rating: 5/10
Dragan Antulov
Draxblog Movie Reviews…
Plot
Jan Schlichtmann, a tenacious lawyer, is addressed by a group of families. When investigating the seemingly non-profiting case, he finds it to be a major environmental issue that has a lot of impact potential. A leather production company could be responsible for several deadly cases of leukemia, but also is the main employer for the area. Schlichtmann and his three colleagues set out to have the company forced to decontaminate the affected areas, and of course to sue for a major sum of compensation. But the lawyers of the leather company’s mother company are not easy to get to, and soon Schlichtmann and his friends find themselves in a battle of mere survival.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The film features a strong cast including John Travolta, Robert Duvall, and William H. Macy.
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