CIV ACTSH

A CIVIL ACTION. AN IN YOUR FACE, NAIL BITTING, EDGE OF YOUR SEAT DRAMA THAT WILL KEEP YOU GUESSING. If I was a movie critic, that’s what I would probably say. Even though I am not, I still think that A Civil Action was a movie that was extremely engaging and interesting. The film was a story about a big shot personal injury lawyer named Jan Schlichtmann (played by John Travolta). He is approached by a gang of angered parents with a problem. They feel that a local tannery is dumping chemicals into their water, which in turn made numerous children sick, and eventually killed them. He is unappeased by this case until he witnesses the dumpage first hand. After millions of dollars of spending and strenuous courtroom battles, Jan become emotional attached to the case. It was a very effective movie, and showed that people can have changes of heart and start actually caring.
I feel that the creators as a whole made terrific choices on actors. The three I will discuss are John Travolta, William H. Macy, and John Lithgow. Mr. Travolta was a SLAM DUNK in this film. He was chosen because of his wit and intelligence. His characters displayed a range of emotions from cocky, to concerned. William H. Macy’s character was the team’s manager of funds. He was at times uptight and frustrated. From other films, I know that Macy can always play such a role. Finally, John Lithgow was the case’s judge. He was large, and in charge. He is an actor who can take a scene with his superiority and personality. I believe that he was an excellent choice.
The cinematic aspects were above par in my opinion. One thing I liked was that throughout debates and arguments, there was a medium or eye level shot. This made it possible to imagine yourself right next to Jan himself. The film also contained lots of short and choppy shots. If there was a dispute, the camera would alternate from speakers. This gave me a sense that I could see the opinions of both sides. The editing was stupendous. I feel that if music was appropriate, it set a mood and added to the story. My last observation was the wardrobe and props. With things like suits, briefcases, and snazzy law offices, the movie sucked me into thinking that I was watching a documentary.
This film was similar to the play write All My Sons. Both had questions that had not been answered, and a problem that was haunting everyone around it. In both stories, a negative outcome was unsolved and grieved upon by society. In A.C.A. children were dead and all fingers were pointed towards the tannery. In A.M.S. twenty-some pilots were dead, and people were seeking the root of the problem. Both are similar that in the end, no true justice was served. The tannery was eventually shut down but the parents never really got what they wanted. Joe Keller finally confessed, but took the cowards way out instead of facing the law.
I did enjoy this film. I would probably not go out and rent it, let alone right a paper about it, but it was a great way to spend a couple class periods. The story was well constructed, and the actors gave the movie that extra boost. I would recommend this movie to fans of the courtroom scene. The people who go home and watch re-runs of Law and Order on TNT. Myself, not so much, but I did have fun watching and dissecting A Civil Action.