A movie review by Alyssa Jacobs Copyright © 1999 Alyssa Jacobs

A great cast, good story, great script, lousy direction. There's your quick synopsis of A Civil Action, which is a bit of a disappointment, mainly because of its direction, which means the film lacks a structure and proper conclusion. The story involves how a big city lawyer (John Travolta) gets involved in a small town's fight against two big business companies who have been illegally dumping waste and poisoning the town's water supply. Travolta lets the case consume him and his law firm and the case ends up being a personal quest for him.

There is nothing wrong with the story, but the way it pans out (even if it is based on a true story) is disappointing. This film feels like the last twenty minutes were lost on the way to the projection room, and as a result the film suffers. The acting is top notch however, with the possible exception of Travolta. Don't get me wrong, I'm a big Travolta fan, but he really isn't right for this role. You never really believe him as a lawyer and his transformation from cold hearted to kindhearted is unbelievable in the extreme. What the film does have is two great performances from Robert Duvall and William H. Macy. Duvall is brilliant as a wily old lawyer opposing Travolta and Macy is superb as Travolta's accountant. Once again proving himself one of the best supporting actors in films today Macy adds to his list of impressive performances with his funny and realistic portrayal. However, when it's all said and done, this is only mildly entertaining, and certainly not up there with recent courtroom classics like Presumed Innocent or Primal Fear.

Related A Civil Action Links:

• Official Site
• Movieweb: A Civil Action
• The IMDB: A Civil Action (1998)

Justice has its price.