A Civil Action (film)

A Civil Action is a 1998 American legal drama film written and directed by Steven Zaillian, based on the 1995 nonfiction book of the same name by Jonathan Harr. The film stars John Travolta as personal injury attorney Jan Schlichtmann, with supporting performances from Robert Duvall, James Gandolfini, Dan Hedaya, John Lithgow, William H. Macy, Kathleen Quinlan, and Tony Shalhoub. The narrative dramatizes the true story of a landmark environmental lawsuit in Woburn, Massachusetts, during the 1980s, in which residents alleged that industrial contamination of the local water supply—specifically with the chemical trichloroethylene—had thought to have led to multiple cases of leukemia and other serious health issues. The case, formally titled Anne Anderson, et al. v. Cryovac, Inc., et al., became one of the most high-profile toxic tort lawsuits of its time.

The film was released theatrically in the United States on December 25, 1998, by Buena Vista Pictures Distribution under the Touchstone Pictures label and internationally by Paramount Pictures (through United International Pictures). It received generally favorable reviews from critics but performed modestly at the box office, grossing approximately $56.7 million worldwide against a production budget of $75 million.

At the 71st Academy Awards, A Civil Action earned two nominations: Best Supporting Actor (Duvall) and Best Cinematography (for Conrad Hall). Duvall's performance also earned him the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role, in addition to a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture.