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DVD REVIEW FOR
"A CIVIL ACTION"

(1998) (John Travolta, Robert Duvall)

Length Screen Format(s) Languages Subtitles Sound Sides
115 minutes Letterbox (1.85:1) English
French
English Dolby Digital 5.1 1

PLOT & PARENTAL REVIEW

VIDEO:
(A) With some scenes looking so incredibly sharp and crystal clear that you'll be tempted to pause the picture and admire the unbelievable clarity, some pixelation problems mar the otherwise great picture. They're most notable in solid colors such as blue sky shots, on some walls and in one scene on Travolta's dimly lit white shirt. Beyond that, the colors are decent, but the film's palette is intentionally somewhat drab looking.
AUDIO:
(A) Predominantly dialogue driven, which shouldn't be surprising since it's a legal drama, the disc does feature a few songs and some decent sounding sound effects -- water gurgling, trucks rumbling by, a t-storm, etc... -- to earn it a high rating.
EXTRAS:
  • Scene selection/Jump to any scene.
  • Theatrical trailer.
  • Production featurette: 3+ minutes with interviews and clips from the film.
  • COMMENTS:
    Based on the true story of a lawyer's steadfast dedication to a case that drove him, his partners, and their firm to financial ruin, "A Civil Action" is a compelling courtroom drama with outstanding performances from its stellar cast.

    Although the amount of artistic license regarding the historical events is unclear (unless one is intimately familiar with the case or the voluminous bestseller by Jonathan Harr based on those events), the apparent fact that the story sticks close to the truth eventually causes the film to lose a great deal of its early, enjoyable momentum. Nonetheless, it's still a solid dramatic piece and should please fans of the legal genre.

    That said, this isn't your typical courtroom thriller. Where the film excels, but ultimately may disappoint mainstream moviegoers, is in writer/director Steve Zaillian and actor John Travolta's depiction of the latter's character.

    Although Jan Schlichtmann is a crackerjack whiz at personal injury lawsuits (as demonstrated in a fun opening sequence), the case he tackles in this film proves that he's in over his head and way out of his league. For those expecting the typical Hollywood film where the underdog lawyer finally figures out how to best his rivals and win the case, this film may just come off as something of a disappointment.

    That isn't to indicate how the final court case is resolved -- in fact, it perfectly plays out like a real life case where the outcome is always uncertain. That's not only because this is based on a true story, but also by the way that Zaillian continuously reveals decidedly unconventional, and un-Hollywood like elements that suggest things may not go well for the protagonist and his goal.

    Nonetheless, it's not hard to see what drew Zaillian and the cast to this film. The near decade long story that unfolded in the 80's has all of the dramatic underpinnings and conflict of a strong courtroom drama that would play out well on the big screen.

    There are several negligence-based deaths, two large corporations with the gall and resources to cover up and then defend their misdeeds, and an ambulance chaser of a lawyer who suddenly gets a conscience and moral dedication that slowly ruins his and others' careers. It's the classic David vs. Goliath set-up that's been portrayed in many other films such as the relatively recent "Class Action" (Gene Hackman, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio), and has proven to be a timeless audience favorite.

    What really makes the film work, however, is the top drawer talent in front of, and behind, the camera. Steve Zaillian, who delivered the solidly constructed "Searching for Bobby Fischer" and won an Oscar for his screenplay of "Schindler's List," keeps otherwise mundane meetings and other dramatic episodes interesting by inter-cutting related events, thus increasing their intensity by simultaneously showing their "cause" and "effect" elements.

    Of course the film, much like the real life events from which it's based, is character driven. While Zaillian has done a wonderful job of fleshing out his characters and equipping them with some nicely drawn traits and perfect dialogue, he couldn't have dreamed of a better cast to play those parts.

    John Travolta, who's made a lucrative living playing a combination of both good and bad characters ("Phenomenon," "Pulp Fiction," and the ultimate combination of both, "Face/Off"), is extremely good as the determined, but embattled protagonist. Basically a high-living opportunist at first, Travolta nicely allows his character to develop a conscience and is always believable in the part.

    The best performance, which should come as no surprise, however, is delivered by the great Robert Duvall. While it doesn't hurt that he's been handed the best-written character in the film, Duvall simply becomes the low-key, unassuming character who just so happens to be a highly experienced and extremely savvy defense lawyer. The subtle nuances that Duvall brings to his character are brilliant, and as such this role earned him his sixth Oscar nomination.

    Supporting performances are solid across the board. From William H. Macy ("Pleasantville") as the increasingly nerve-wracked accountant, to the always dependable Tony Shalhoub ("The Siege"), and from Kathleen Quinlan ("Breakdown") as the grieving, but determined mother to John Lithgow (TV's "3rd Rock From the Sun") as the seemingly not so neutral judge, the cast is to die for and all deliver superb performances.

    Now, for the small complaints. While it's a welcomed change to see a non-Hollywood legal drama -- where things continually go bad for the lawyer who doesn't have the magical legal maneuver that will save the day -- the film does (purposefully) lose its early and highly energetic momentum as the story progresses. Although that's not a horrible sin, the gradual slowing may disappoint many moviegoers as much as the subsequent growing despair that permeates the proceedings.

    A smaller objection, but one that pertains to character motivation, involves the catalyst that spurs Jan into action regarding the case. While it's nice enough to see the flashy, money consumed lawyer slowly change his ways and become a man who fights for what he believes in, the push to get him there is rather weak as presented in the film. With time equaling money, it's highly unlikely that Jan would drive to the small town simply to turn down their request for representation (instead he'd get one of his lackeys to do the deed).

    Similarly, it feels a bit forced that he would stop on the way out of town to snoop around the factories. While that's obviously needed for him to discover that some large corporations are behind the mess (a good dramatic moment), some simple script changes (artistic license or not) would have made all of that a bit easier to swallow.

    In addition, although he (and we) briefly see the still shell-shocked parents, there simply isn't enough devastated community grief to really make the film deliver the full impact that it wishes to (as say, compared to the somewhat similar "The Sweet Hereafter").

    Even so, Zaillian smartly avoids the Hollywood cliche where the protagonist, needing the catalyst to provoke him into action, looks to his own kids and thinks that this horrible injustice could have happened to them. While a minor character does feel that way, it's nice not to have that old standard motivate our "hero," and instead has his long-repressed conscience do that for him.

    Of course those are just some minor nitpicking objections, and they don't really come close to derailing what is otherwise an engrossing and solidly constructed dramatic piece. While it's not the courtroom thriller that many may have been led to believe, it's still quite good and features outstanding performances from its great cast.

    Regarding the qualities of the DVD, both the audio and video are good, although the otherwise brilliant picture is somewhat marred by some compression-related pixelation problems. The supplemental material -- only consisting of the theatrical trailer and a short production featurette -- aren't particularly noteworthy (and could have included info regarding the real-life case upon which the film was based).

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