A Civil Action 1998

Janet Maslin, New York Times: The story presents both Schlichtmann and the civil court system as stubbornly complicated. And it tells a finely nuanced tale of right, wrong and the gray area in between. Read more

Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: As proficient a job as writer-director Steve Zaillian and his team do, A Civil Action has unmistakably unraveled by its close. Read more

Paul Tatara, CNN.com: Schlichtmann may have gone through this conversion in real life, but I just didn't buy it the way Zaillian presents it. Read more

Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: Read more

Entertainment Weekly: Read more

Peter Rainer, New York Magazine/Vulture: I'm all for films that don't flow from the usual Hollywood test tubes, but A Civil Action is basically the standard formula with a dash of downbeat. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: Zaillian managed to surprise me by crafting a courtroom drama which is sufficiently different and thought-provoking that I can recommend it with a clear conscience. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: Like John Grisham for grownups. Read more

Charles Taylor, Salon.com: Millions of people read Harr's gripping bestseller, but Steven Zaillian may be the only one who didn't understand it. Read more

Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: Travolta captures the complexity of a man whose motives for doing good have as much to do with vanity as anything else. Read more

Time Out: Delivering the verdict two thirds into the movie is anti-climactic, while Schlichtmann's belated atonement feels beside the point. Read more

Emanuel Levy, Variety: Based on a true story, this is an intelligent legal thriller, very much in the mode of 1970s issue-oriented films, that may be too subtle and complex for the damands of today's market. Read more

J. Hoberman, Village Voice: A slick, shameless job that takes way too long to make its point (namely, we need the EPA). Read more