Through the huge bustling corridors of what appears to be a government building, a lawyer is pushing a wheelchair. On the wheelchair is seated a young white man. As they enter what appears to be a courtroom, a voice-over comments:
This is how begins A Civil Action. These simple words - words that are ironic, yet sound truthful - words narrated by the lawyer himself - the lawyer who is the hero - or rather an anti-hero in the film - these words gripped me and sucked me into this wonderful movie...
For the past few months, I have been afflicted with a severe case of the Blogger's Block. Its not that I did not see any movies during that time. I saw quite a few of them. Some of them were quite good. Even worth writing about. But this is the movie that finally snapped me out of my block and compelled me to write again.
A Civil Action. Starring John Travolta, Robert Duval and an assembly of other really good actors.
Its based on a book, which is based on a true story. Weird how some such movies based on real-life stories appeal to me some how (refer October Sky). Real life can be so boring and mundane and, well... realistic. Yup, the story is realistic. And yet it manages to make a very entertaining yarn. The script is really well-crafted, to entertain without losing the touch of reality. The dialogs are sometimes so razor-sharp, they cut through your heart, while at other times manage to tickle and make you laugh.
The direction is pretty good. The visuals complement the story very nicely, conveying the drama, the tragedy and the irony thats the part of this real-life story. And they are complemented pretty nicely by great acting from all the actors big and small.
The movie starts with the voice-over (mentioned above) of a Lawyer - Jan Schlichtmann. And what the voice-over has to say, is so eyeopening and has such a ring of truth to it, that I was hooked. The movie is peppered with such voice-overs by the character of Jan Schlichtmann (played by John Travolta), that reflect on the nature of the court, the trial, the law and the lawyers from the insider's point of view of a lawyer himself. They are a real treat - like coming across an occasional piece of frosted caramel in the butter-scotch ice-cream.
This is the story of the residents of the small town of Woburn, who have lost quite a few of their loved ones to Leukemia. And they suspect its the water they drink. Water that's being contaminated by the nearby companies dumping their waste into it. So they contact the firm of the lawyer Jan Schlichtmann. Jan is at first reluctant to take the case. But something, that has less to do with his empathy for the townfolk and more to do with his won greed, compels him to take on the case. And so begins a courtroom drama where a four partners small-time law firm is pitted against mega-corporations and big bullying law firms.
As mentioned earlier, the story avoids taking any flights of fancy. Expect no happy endings. Actually, the story does end happily in a very unexpected way. But not for everyone. It portrays the ugly side of the law and the lawyers, The shenanigans of the big corporates who don't give a damn about the environment or people dying due to their negligence, the tragedies of the people who have lost their dear ones, and the downfall of a lawyer when he stops being a lawyer and starts getting emotionally affected by the plight of his clients.
Overall, I enjoyed watching this film a lot, and would certainly not mind watching it again...
"It's like this. A dead plaintiff is rarely worth as much as a living, severely maimed plaintiff.However, if it's a long, agonizing death, as opposed to a quick drowning or car wreck, the value can rise considerably.A dead adult in his 20s is generally worth less than one who is middle-aged, a dead woman less than a dead man, a single adult less than one who's married, black less than white, poor less than rich.But the perfect victim is a white male professional, 40 years old, at the height of his earning power, struck down in his prime.And the most imperfect?Well, in the calculus of personal injury law, a dead child is worth the least of all."
This is how begins A Civil Action. These simple words - words that are ironic, yet sound truthful - words narrated by the lawyer himself - the lawyer who is the hero - or rather an anti-hero in the film - these words gripped me and sucked me into this wonderful movie...
For the past few months, I have been afflicted with a severe case of the Blogger's Block. Its not that I did not see any movies during that time. I saw quite a few of them. Some of them were quite good. Even worth writing about. But this is the movie that finally snapped me out of my block and compelled me to write again.
A Civil Action. Starring John Travolta, Robert Duval and an assembly of other really good actors.
Its based on a book, which is based on a true story. Weird how some such movies based on real-life stories appeal to me some how (refer October Sky). Real life can be so boring and mundane and, well... realistic. Yup, the story is realistic. And yet it manages to make a very entertaining yarn. The script is really well-crafted, to entertain without losing the touch of reality. The dialogs are sometimes so razor-sharp, they cut through your heart, while at other times manage to tickle and make you laugh.
The direction is pretty good. The visuals complement the story very nicely, conveying the drama, the tragedy and the irony thats the part of this real-life story. And they are complemented pretty nicely by great acting from all the actors big and small.
The movie starts with the voice-over (mentioned above) of a Lawyer - Jan Schlichtmann. And what the voice-over has to say, is so eyeopening and has such a ring of truth to it, that I was hooked. The movie is peppered with such voice-overs by the character of Jan Schlichtmann (played by John Travolta), that reflect on the nature of the court, the trial, the law and the lawyers from the insider's point of view of a lawyer himself. They are a real treat - like coming across an occasional piece of frosted caramel in the butter-scotch ice-cream.
This is the story of the residents of the small town of Woburn, who have lost quite a few of their loved ones to Leukemia. And they suspect its the water they drink. Water that's being contaminated by the nearby companies dumping their waste into it. So they contact the firm of the lawyer Jan Schlichtmann. Jan is at first reluctant to take the case. But something, that has less to do with his empathy for the townfolk and more to do with his won greed, compels him to take on the case. And so begins a courtroom drama where a four partners small-time law firm is pitted against mega-corporations and big bullying law firms.
As mentioned earlier, the story avoids taking any flights of fancy. Expect no happy endings. Actually, the story does end happily in a very unexpected way. But not for everyone. It portrays the ugly side of the law and the lawyers, The shenanigans of the big corporates who don't give a damn about the environment or people dying due to their negligence, the tragedies of the people who have lost their dear ones, and the downfall of a lawyer when he stops being a lawyer and starts getting emotionally affected by the plight of his clients.
Overall, I enjoyed watching this film a lot, and would certainly not mind watching it again...
My Ratings: 3.5
