A Civil Action (released in theaters on Dec. 25, 1998) stands as one of the most intellectually honest legal dramas of its era. Directed by Steven Zaillian and based on Jonathan Harr’s non-fiction bestseller, the film avoids the triumphalist clichés of the courtroom genre. Instead, it offers a sobering, meticulously detailed exploration of the crushing financial and emotional toll inherent in the American legal system, anchored by a career-best ensemble cast.
Jan Schlichtmann (John Travolta) is a flamboyant, high-priced personal injury lawyer in Boston who prides himself on his ability to settle cases for maximum profit with minimum effort.
His life of expensive suits and fast cars is disrupted when he takes on a seemingly small case involving a cluster of childhood leukemia deaths in Woburn, Massachusetts.
The grieving parents, led by Anne Anderson (Kathleen Quinlan), believe their water was contaminated by two local leather-processing plants owned by corporate giants Beatrice Foods and W.R. Grace.
What begins as a quest for a lucrative settlement turns into an obsessive, multi-year crusade that threatens to bankrupt Jan and his partners—played by William H. Macy, Tony Shalhoub, and Zeljko Ivanek.
Jan finds himself outmatched by the cold, calculating legal brilliance of Jerome Facher (Robert Duvall), the eccentric defense attorney for Beatrice, and the ruthless Bill Cheeseman (Bruce Norris).
As the pre-trial discovery drags on, Jan encounters a series of formidable figures, including a pragmatic judge (John Lithgow), a shadowy corporate fixer (Sydney Pollack), and a determined EPA investigator (James Gandolfini).
The supporting cast is further bolstered by Dan Hedaya, Daniel von Bargen, and Paul Ben-Victor.
As Jan sacrifices his personal fortune and professional reputation to uncover the truth, the film moves toward a bittersweet conclusion that questions whether “winning” a case is ever the same thing as achieving justice.
Kathy Bates appears in an uncredited cameo.
John Travolta in A Civil Action (Photo/Touchstone Pictures)
Reception for A Civil Action
A Civil Action grossed $70,079 on its opening weekend, in limited release on two screens.
The film opened in wide release on Jan. 8, 1999 and grossed $15.2 million and finish No. 1 at the box office.
A Civil Action would gross $56.7 million in its theatrical run.
Roger Ebert gave A Civil Action three and a half out of four stars in his review, saying the film “is like John Grisham for grownups.”
Legacy
The legacy of A Civil Action is its uncompromising commitment to realism, often cited by legal professionals as one of the most accurate depictions of civil litigation ever put to film.
Duvall’s performance as Jerome Facher is particularly revered, earning him an Academy Award nomination for a portrayal that captured the dry, tactical nature of high-stakes law.
The film is remembered for deconstructing the “heroic lawyer” archetype, showing Travolta’s character not as a saint, but as a flawed man who discovers his conscience only after losing everything else.
Unlike many Hollywood dramas that provide easy catharsis, this film is celebrated for its moral complexity and its focus on the grueling, unglamorous nature of environmental law. It serves as a stark reminder of the power imbalance between citizens and corporations, maintaining its relevance decades later as a cautionary tale about the price of integrity.
Today, it remains a staple of film schools and law school curricula alike, praised for its sharp screenplay and its haunting, atmospheric cinematography that perfectly captures the chilly reality of a long-fought battle for the truth.
