A Civil Action

A Civil Action
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Steven Zaillian
Produced by	Scott Rudin Steven Zaillian David Wisnievi Robert Redford Rachel Pfeffer David McGiffert Henry J. Golas
Written by	Steven Zaillian
Based on	A Civil Action by Jonathan Harr
Starring	John Travolta Robert Duvall Tony Shalhoub William H. Macy Zeljko Ivanek Bruce Norris John Lithgow Kathleen Quinlan Peter Jacobson Mary Mara Stephen Fry Howie Carr Kathy Bates
Music by	Danny Elfman
Cinematography	Conrad L. Hall
Editing by	Wayne Wahrman
Distributed by	Touchstone Pictures (USA) Paramount Pictures (International)
Release date(s)	December 25, 1998 (1998-12-25)
Running time	115 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$75 million
Box office	$112,215,759

A Civil Action is a 1998 American drama film starring John Travolta (as plaintiff's attorney Jan Schlichtmann) and Robert Duvall, based on the book of the same name by Jonathan Harr. Both the book and the film are based on a true story of a court case about environmental pollution that took place in Woburn, Massachusetts in the 1980s.

The real case and movie revolve around the issue of trichloroethylene, an industrial solvent, and its contamination of a local aquifer. A lawsuit was filed as commercial operations appeared to have caused fatal cases of leukemia and cancer, as well as a wide variety of other health problems, among the citizens of the town. The case involved is Anne Anderson, et al., v. Cryovac, Inc., et al.. The first reported decision in the case is at 96 F.R.D. 431 (denial of defendants' motion to dismiss).

Duvall was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance.

Plot

Environmental toxins in the city of Woburn, Massachusetts contaminate the area's water supply, and become linked to a number of deaths of neighboring children. Jan Schlichtmann (John Travolta), a cocky and successful attorney who zips around town in his Porsche and his small firm of personal injury lawyers are called upon to take legal action against those responsible.

After originally rejecting a seemingly unprofitable case, Jan finds a major environmental issue involving groundwater contamination that has great legal potential and a couple of defendants with deep pockets. A tannery production company could be responsible for several deadly cases of leukemia, but also is the main employer for the area. Jan decides to go forward against two giant corporations (real-life companies Beatrice Foods and the W. R. Grace and Company) with links to the tannery, thinking it's another case that could possibly earn him millions, as well as a name for him and his firm.

With a class action lawsuit to file, Jan represents families who demand a clean-up of the contaminated area and an apology. However, it develops into a case that could ruin Jan and his firm. The lawyers of the leather company's parent corporation are not easy to intimidate, a judge rules against him, and soon Jan and his partners find themselves in a battle for mere survival.

Jan stubbornly declines settlement offers, gradually coming to believe that the case is about more than just the money. He allows his pride to take over, making outrageous demands and deciding that he must win at all cost. Pressures take their toll, Jan and associates going deeply into debt. The case is dismissed in favor of one of the two defendants. Jan is forced to accept a settlement with the other that barely accounts for his expenses.

His own colleagues no longer wish to work with him and break up the firm. Later, on his own, Jan comes up with an idea that is able to win a settlement for the families, but his life remains in shambles. He ends up alone, filing for bankruptcy. However, the Environmental Protection Agency later brings up a class-action suit against the offending company and they're forced to pay millions to clean up the groundwater. It takes Jan several years to settle his debt but he later goes into environmental damage law.

Differences from the book

The plotline has been greatly simplified from the book, e.g. later findings through the Environmental Protection Agency and its potential consequences that might have allowed Schlichtmann another trial against Beatrice, and which did ultimately lead to a conviction of perjury against John Riley, and improper conduct for Mary Ryan are absent.

The characters of Charles Nesson, Mark Phillips, Rikki Klieman, Teresa Padro and others have been completely removed from the film version of the story, as well as the plot points their characters contribute.

Cast

• John Travolta as Jan Schlichtmann
• Robert Duvall as Jerome Facher
• Tony Shalhoub as Kevin Conway
• William H. Macy as James Gordon
• Zeljko Ivanek as Bill Crowley
• Bruce Norris as William Cheeseman
• John Lithgow as Judge Walter J. Skinner
• Kathleen Quinlan as Anne Anderson
• Peter Jacobson as Neil Jacobs
• Mary Mara as Kathy Boyer
• James Gandolfini as Al Love
• Stephen Fry as Pinder
• Howie Carr as Radio Talk Show Host
• Kathy Bates as Bankruptcy Judge (uncredited)

Reception

Film review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes certified the Film as "Fresh" with 60% of reviews favorable, summarizing the consensus as "intelligent and unconventional."^[1] Despite receiving mostly positive reception from critics and with Duvall getting an Oscar nomination, A Civil Action was nowhere near as successful as anticipated with audiences. Its domestic gross was a mere $56 million, well below its $75 million budget. During its original theatrical release A Civil Action was competing with other Christmas season blockbusters including Shakespeare in Love, The Prince of Egypt, You've Got Mail, Stepmom and Patch Adams.

Music

The music score was written by Danny Elfman.

Other songs include:

• "There's a Rainbow 'Round my Shoulder"
  • Brian Setzer Orchestra
• "Hard Workin' Man" (featured on the opening credits)
  • Written by Jack Nitzsche, Ry Cooder, Paul Schrader
  • Performed by Captain Beefheart
  • Courtesy of MCA Records; under license from Universal Music Special Markets
• "Little Drummer Boy"
  • Written by Katherine Davis, Henry Onorati and Harry Simeone
  • Performed by Vienna Boys' Choir; London Symphony Orchestra
  • Courtesy of Sony Music Special Products, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
• "Take Me To The River"
  • Written by Al Green and Mabon Hodges
  • Performed by Talking Heads
  • Courtesy of Sire Records Company, by arrangement with Warner Special Products and licensed courtesy of EMI Records Ltd.
  • Version used is the live version from Stop Making Sense
• "Theme from A Summer Place"
  • Written by Max Steiner

Awards

• Academy Awards, USA
  • Nominated: Oscar Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Robert Duvall)
  • Best Cinematography (Conrad L. Hall)
• Blockbuster Entertainment Awards
  • Nominated: Favorite Actor - Drama (John Travolta)
  • Favorite Supporting Actor: Drama (Robert Duvall)
• Boston Society of Film Critics Awards
  • Won: BSFC Award Best Supporting Actor (William H. Macy, also for Pleasantville (1998) and Psycho (1998).)
  • Tied with Billy Bob Thornton for A Simple Plan (1998).
• Chicago Film Critics' Association Awards
  • Nominated: CFCA Award Best Supporting Actor (Robert Duvall)
• Florida Film Critics' Circle Awards
  • Won: FFCC Award Best Supporting Actor (Robert Duvall)
• Golden Globes, USA
  • Nominated: Golden Globe Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture (Robert Duvall)
• Political Film Society, USA
  • Won: PFS Award Human Rights
• Satellite Awards
  • Nominated: Golden Satellite Award Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture - Drama (Robert Duvall)
• Screen Actors' Guild Awards
  • Won: Actor Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role (Robert Duvall)
• USC Scripter Award
  • Won USC Scripter Award (Jonathan Harr (author), Steven Zaillian (screenwriter))
• Writers' Guild of America, USA
  • Nominated: WGA Award (Screen) Best Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published

See also

• Anderson v. Cryovac
• Beatrice Foods
• W. R. Grace and Company
• Trichloroethylene
• Aberjona River

References

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: A Civil Action (film)

• A Civil Action at the Internet Movie Database
• A Civil Action at Rotten Tomatoes
• A Civil Action at Metacritic
• A Civil Action at Box Office Mojo
• A Civil Action: Before the book and before the film (early newspaper articles by reporter Charles C. Ryan)
• Beyond A Civil Action hosted by W. R. Grace & Co.
• In Toxic Tort Litigation, Truth Lies at the Bottom of a Bottomless Pit by Eric Asimow, Picturing Justice: The On-Line Journal of Law & Popular Culture, February 1999
• Anderson v. Beatrice Foods Index and copies of every pleading filed in the Woburn suit, maintained by Florida State University College of Law