Big courtroom thrillers have always captivated America. O.J. Simpson, Tom Capano, The Menendez Brothers. All these names are synonymous to Americans and courtrooms. And, of course, courtroom dramas are not a new topic to Hollywood. Whether it be John Grisham's thrilling novels or television's famous dramas, the courtroom has always provided big bucks. So when I rented A Civil Action, I was expecting the film to be like The Rainmaker, a brilliant law film that kept viewers on the edge of their seat. However, what I saw in A Civil Action was far different from what I expected, a major surprise, but fortunately, a pleasant one.
John Travolta always seems to come up big when you least expect it. No one expected him to light up the screen in Grease, nor in Saturday Night Fever. But, whenever he gets knocked down, he always seems to come back fighting. A Civil Action is not John's best performance, but a strong one that could rival any performance in 1998. Travolta proves that a normal and believable performance can vault a film into Oscar nominations. His performance is not flashy, nor memorable, just solid. If he delivered the only solid performance, this film would still be average. Luckily, he has a strong supporting cast.
William H. Macy is probably one of the most underrated actors in Hollywood. He continues to deliver great performances one after the other, but he is still regarded as a secondary actor. In A Civil Action, he delivers yet another great performance as Travolta's paranoid and greedy accountant. He is not a lovable character, but a character who stands out in your mind whenever you think of the film. He is not one of the big time lawyers, just a measly accountant. But, he delivers one of the best supporting roles of 1998, but there is actually someone better in A Civil Action.
Robert Duvall is also an underrated actor. He gets many leading roles, but is never heard when you hear of big box office draws like Tom Hanks, Brad Pitt and Jim Carrey. Duvall has a supporting role in this as a lawyer of the co-defendant. Duvall is magical in this role. He is the wise teacher, who not only battles it out in the courtroom, but also manages to teach every major player a lesson, in his own twisted way.
In many non-comedic films, directors are always trying to find a way to implement a touch of comedy, to keep the audience on their toes. Unfortunately, they usually just key in on one character whose main objective is to be funny (Jar-Jar Binks, anyone?). However, this usually backfires because the character is never fully developed. This is not the case in A Civil Action. They have comedy coming from all sides. Whether it be Duvall's inane questions or Macy's sharp anger, the laughs come in a steady pace. Granted, it's not roll in the aisle funny, but it provides a nice addition to the film.
The plot is terrific- somewhat. The setup is nice with the film actually starting with a victory in the courtroom. Then the case that will make or break Jan (Travolta)'s career rears its ugly head. They find out the goldmine involved with the case and wind up taking it. However, budgets soon flounder and Jan finds himself in deep debt. I will not spoil the rest, although I must speak of the one downside to the film. The courtroom debates are great, but the actual problem they are fighting for is never fully explored. It left me somewhat confused, although the rest of the film is terrific.
All in all, John Travolta is back yet again in this great film. His supporting cast, consisting of Macy and Duvall, turn in tremendous performances, which ease the load on Travolta. The film is smart, witty and thought provoking. Not only does it gauge in-court battles, but also the various tolls it can take on the major players. A Civil Action provides everything a drama lover craves.
Rating: 3 ½ Stars Out of 4 Stars.
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