A Civil Action (film)

This article is about the film. For the book, see A Civil Action.

A Civil Action
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Steven Zaillian
Written by	Steven Zaillian
Based on	A Civil Action by Jonathan Harr
Produced by	Scott Rudin Robert Redford Rachel Pfeffer
Starring	John Travolta Robert Duvall James Gandolfini Dan Hedaya John Lithgow William H. Macy Kathleen Quinlan Tony Shalhoub
Cinematography	Conrad L. Hall
Edited by	Wayne Wahrman
Music by	Danny Elfman
Production companies	Touchstone Pictures Paramount Pictures Wildwood Enterprises, Inc
Distributed by	Buena Vista Pictures Distribution (United States and Canada) United International Pictures (International)
Release date	December 25, 1998 (1998-12-25)
Running time	115 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$75 million
Box office	$56 million

A Civil Action is a 1998 American legal drama film written and directed by Steven Zaillian, based on the 1995 nonfiction book of the same name by Jonathan Harr. The film stars John Travolta as personal injury attorney Jan Schlichtmann, with supporting performances from Robert Duvall, James Gandolfini, Dan Hedaya, John Lithgow, William H. Macy, Kathleen Quinlan, and Tony Shalhoub. The narrative dramatizes the true story of a landmark environmental lawsuit in Woburn, Massachusetts, during the 1980s, in which residents alleged that industrial contamination of the local water supply—specifically with the chemical trichloroethylene—had thought to have led to multiple cases of leukemia and other serious health issues. The case, formally titled Anne Anderson, et al. v. Cryovac, Inc., et al., became one of the most high-profile toxic tort lawsuits of its time.

The film was released theatrically in the United States on December 25, 1998, by Buena Vista Pictures Distribution under the Touchstone Pictures label and internationally by Paramount Pictures (through United International Pictures). It received generally favorable reviews from critics but performed modestly at the box office, grossing approximately $56.7 million worldwide against a production budget of $75 million.

At the 71st Academy Awards, A Civil Action earned two nominations: Best Supporting Actor (Duvall) and Best Cinematography (for Conrad Hall). Duvall's performance also earned him the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role, in addition to a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture.

Plot

In Woburn, Massachusetts, a series of childhood leukemia cases is traced to contaminated groundwater linked to industrial pollution. Anne Anderson, a local resident who lost her son, approaches personal injury attorney Jan Schlichtmann, a self-assured Boston lawyer known for lucrative settlements. Initially dismissive due to the case's perceived lack of profitability, Jan reconsiders after uncovering evidence of widespread trichloroethylene contamination and potential corporate negligence by two local tannery operators—Beatrice Foods and W. R. Grace and Company.

Jan files a class action lawsuit in federal court on behalf of eight families, seeking not just compensation but accountability and cleanup of the polluted land. As the case progresses, it becomes increasingly complex and financially burdensome. The defense, led by seasoned attorneys such as Jerome Facher, proves formidable, and the presiding judge issues rulings that hinder the plaintiffs' strategy. Schlichtmann's refusal to settle—believing the case to be morally and financially significant—leads his firm into severe debt, straining both personal and professional relationships.

The trial ends with the jury ruling in favor of Beatrice. W. R. Grace agrees to a settlement that barely offsets litigation costs, effectively bankrupting Jan's firm. His partners dissolve the practice, and Jan is left disillusioned and financially ruined. Though he later discovers a critical witness, he lacks the resources to appeal. He archives the case and files for bankruptcy.

A closing epilogue reveals that the Environmental Protection Agency, using evidence uncovered during the trial, pursued its own enforcement actions against both corporations, resulting in multimillion-dollar cleanup settlements. Jan eventually pays off his debts and resumes legal practice, specializing in environmental law in New Jersey.

Cast

• John Travolta as Jan Schlichtmann
• Robert Duvall as Jerry Facher
• William H. Macy as James Gordon
• Tony Shalhoub as Kevin Conway
• Kathleen Quinlan as Anne Anderson
• Željko Ivanek as Bill Crowley
• Bruce Norris as William Cheeseman
• Peter Jacobson as Neil Jacobs
• John Lithgow as Judge Walter J. Skinner
• Dan Hedaya as John Riley
• James Gandolfini as Al Love
• Stephen Fry as Dr. George F. Pinder
• Sydney Pollack as Al Eustis
• David Thornton as Richard Aufiero
• Jay Patterson as Geologist
• Daniel von Bargen as Mr. Granger
• Paul Ben-Victor as Bobby Pasqueriella
• Ned Eisenberg as Uncle Pete
• Mary Mara as Kathy Boyer
• Denise Dowse as Judge Constance Mullen

Kathy Bates appears in an uncredited cameo in the final scene as the judge overseeing Jan's bankruptcy hearing.

Production

A Civil Action was filmed primarily on location in Massachusetts. Shooting locations included Boston, Dedham, Jamaica Plain, Waltham, Northbridge, and Palmer, with notable scenes filmed at Fenway Park, the Boston Public Garden, and the Beacon Hill neighborhood. To enhance authenticity, the production hired numerous local factory workers to appear as extras in scenes set within industrial and courtroom environments.

Release

Box office

Despite showing early promise during its initial limited release, A Civil Action underperformed commercially upon expanding to a wide release. The film grossed approximately $56 million in the United States against a production budget of $75 million, classifying it as a box office disappointment. Its release coincided with several high-profile holiday season films, including Shakespeare in Love, The Prince of Egypt, Star Trek: Insurrection, You've Got Mail, Stepmom, and Patch Adams, all of which significantly outperformed A Civil Action, earning between $120 million and $290 million domestically.

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, A Civil Action holds an approval rating of 64% based on 72 reviews, with an average rating of 6.3/10. The site's critics consensus reads: "Intelligent and unconventional." On Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score, the film has a score of 68 out of 100 based on 26 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale.

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film three and a half out of four stars, describing it as "like John Grisham for grownups." He praised the film's avoidance of standard courtroom clichés and singled out Robert Duvall's performance for its subtlety and restraint. Janet Maslin of The New York Times observed that the film "errs on the side of angels" and noted its moral focus and depiction of the toll that long legal battles can take on individuals. She found the film thoughtful and sober in its treatment of the legal system.

James Berardinelli of ReelViews called the film "well-crafted," commending its low-key tone and narrative structure. He noted that it "tones down the inherent melodrama of courtroom scenes" and instead focuses on the systemic challenges of the legal process. Movieguide also responded positively, describing the film as a modern-day morality play that explores themes of justice and conscience "in a provocative way," comparing its structure to that of a Greek tragedy. The review praised the film's restraint in language and content.

Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly gave a moderately positive review, commenting that John Travolta "has a gift for playing flamboyantly self-satisfied smooth-talk hustlers" and that his portrayal in the film was engaging, though the narrative lacked emotional intensity. In The Guardian, the film was described as "a cut above the usual Hollywood court drama and cleverly put together," but the reviewer questioned the film's tonal decisions and UK rating, implying the film was well-made but somewhat uneven.

Ross Johnson of Variety noted that while the film benefited from a strong cast and meticulous attention to procedural detail, it occasionally struggled with pacing and a lack of dramatic momentum, stating that the film "chooses sobriety over melodrama, sometimes to a fault." New York Magazine offered a tempered view, suggesting that while the film was intelligent and morally driven, it occasionally felt "too procedural," and lacked the visceral impact typical of courtroom thrillers.

Accolades

Award	Date of the ceremony	Category	Recipients	Result	Ref.
Boston Society of Film Critics	13 December 1998	Best Supporting Actor	William H. Macy (also for Pleasantville and Psycho)	won
Florida Film Critics Circle	12 January 1999	Best Supporting Actor	Robert Duvall	won
Satellite Awards	17 January 1999	Best Actor in a Supporting Role		nom
Golden Globe Awards	24 January 1999	Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture		nom
Writers Guild of America Awards	19 February 1999	Best Adapted Screenplay	Steven Zaillian	nom
Chicago Film Critics Association	1 March 1999	Best Supporting Actor	Robert Duvall	nom
Screen Actors Guild Awards	7 March 1999	Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role		won
Academy Awards	21 March 1999	Best Supporting Actor		nom
		Best Cinematography	Conrad Hall	nom

See also

• Dark Waters - a 2019 film about lawyer Robert Bilott perusing a striking similar case, except involving perfluorooctanoic acid.

External links

• A Civil Action at IMDb
• A Civil Action at the TCM Movie Database
• A Civil Action at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
• 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