On C List of Movie Reviews
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A Civil Action (1998)
Rate:
8
Viewed:
9/10, 5/19
9/10:
John Travolta selected many great roles during the 90's, and playing a lawyer in A Civil Action is one of them.
He's at his vintage best. Robert Duvall is great, too. That's why they're respected Hollywood veterans. The
story is interesting but typical as compared to The Rainmaker. But I'm still a sucker for courtroom movies
because they're always compelling to watch.
The film doesn't focus too much on the merits of an environmental pollution lawsuit but rather
how lawyers operate and work on their cases. There's no clear explanation to why Jan Schlictmann decided to change who he was
after he had a Siddhartha-like moment by following the river to the tannery factory that caused the death of many children.
I read once in a magazine when Bruce Willis wished that he had a moment of silence during a scene. Well,
John Travolta did it, transforming his character into a hero.
All in all, John Travolta is the reason to watch A Civil Action.
5/19:
John Travolta scores a winner in A Civil Action by going from a man who's motivated by money and finer things to a
lawyer who only wants to serve people.
It's a remarkable performance and the right kind for John Travolta to dig deep and thus change his personality over time. On
the other hand, the 1980 environmental pollution case, which happened in Woburn, Massachusetts, is interesting to follow and can
happen anywhere. Somewhere along the way is a lesson of ethics about what matters more: money or justice. Although having
Robert Duvall on board is nice, his character's antics are stupid, taking a lot away from the film. Hence, there's no reason
for him to get an Oscar nomination.
All in all, A Civil Action shows how lawyers operate.