During
the 90's, Steven Zallian has emerged as one of my favorite screenwriters, with
such scripts as Awakenings and Schindler's List to his credit. In 1993, he made
a stunning directorial debut with the wonderfully touching Searching for Bobby
Fischer. Unfortunately, his sophomore effort is not as effective.
John
Travolta plays a lawyer who takes on a case dealing with tainted water. Before
too long, he finds himself emotionally involved with families he's hired to represent.
The film opens amid a powerful courtroom scene with biting dialogue, but as it
progresses, it loses this momentum and becomes bogged down by tedium.
Surprisingly,
it's the case itself that drags the film down. What propels it beyond you're run-of-the-mill
clich-ridden John Grisham flick, is the compelling indictment of the law itself.
Travolta
is competent, but far from breathtaking. In fact, it's the supporting performances
of Robert Duvall, William H. Macy and James Gandolfini that drive the film. Zallian
does his best with the material, but in the end, it's not as memorable as it should
be. Sidney Lumet's Night Falls on Manhattan left a more lasting impression. At
times, A Civil Action is an unblinking examination of how the justice system works--something
I haven't seen before.
