In the movie “The Civil Action” Jan is a lawyer at a law firm which uses Ethical Relativism in most of the movie because they think that the more money they get for their clients, the happier they will become or just because they get a large settlement, it’s going to solve their clients problems.
Full Answer
What is the movie a civil action about?
A Civil Action. Travolta plays Jan Schlichtmann, the head of a small firm of personal injury attorneys who take on cases they believe they can win. Often their clients are too poor to pay legal fees, but Schlichtmann's firm eats the legal costs itself, hoping for a rich slice of an eventual settlement.
What is the a civil action case?
A Civil Action is a 1995 non-fiction book by Jonathan Harr about a water contamination case in Woburn, Massachusetts, in the 1980s. The book became a best-seller. It won the National Book Critics Circle Award for nonfiction. The case is Anderson v. Cryovac.
Is there any spoilers in the movie a civil action?
This synopsis contains no spoilers, in the same way that real life stories reported widely in the news contain no spoilers, only smoking guns. The plot of "A Civil Action" is based on a true story of the successful personal injury "ambulance chaser" [Characters' words] lawyer, otherwise unfulfilled, secretly hoping for that one big case.
Is'a civil action'based on a true story?
Beatrice and Grace are real companies, and "A Civil Action" is based on Jonathan Harr's nonfiction best seller, which won the National Book Award. But the movie takes fictional liberties, which have been much discussed in the financial press.
See more
What was the result of the case in A Civil Action movie?
After a lengthy trial, the case is dismissed in favor of Beatrice, after Jan turned down an offer of $20 million from Beatrice attorney Jerry Facher during jury deliberations.
Where is Jan Schlichtmann now?
Jan Schlichtmann Joins ClassAction.com as Of Counsel Attorney.
What court case is the movie civil action based on?
the Woburn caseBased on Jonathan Harr's painstakingly researched book about the Woburn case, "A Civil Action" introduces us to Schlichtmann (John Travolta) as a slick Boston attorney who is very good at one thing and one thing only: forcing companies with deep pockets to settle for big bucks by dangling a plaintiff in a wheelchair – ...
Is A Civil Action accurate?
For many viewers I have spoken to, A Civil Action represents an honest, accurate description of a civil lawsuit.
How long did the Woburn case last?
In complicated lawsuits, it is not uncommon for the legal process to span several years from submission of the original complaint to completion of the trial. The lawsuit filed by the eight families in Woburn extended from 1979, past the trial held in 1986, through appeals that lasted into 1990.
What was Mr Schlichtmann forced to file?
11. What was Mr. Schlichtmann forced to file? He was forced to file bankruptcy.
Who was the imperfect victim in A Civil Action?
Who was the "imperfect victim?" A dead child. What was the attorney's name who wheeled the young man into the courtroom? When Jan Schlictmann initially meets with the people in the church, he said that the defendant must have "deep (blank)" in order to prosecute them.
Who were the whistleblowers in the movie A Civil Action?
4. The whistle blowers in this film were workers from the factories causimg al, the waters to become polluted, what led them to tell the truth was watching their kids and seeing how easyly they coild come down with this sickness as well.
What was the chemical found in Woburn and where did it come from?
Leukemia Cluster in Woburn, US, Linked to Chemical Leakage and Tainted Water. In Woburn, Massachusetts, it was discovered in May 1979 that barrels with industrial fluid containing trichloroethylene (TCE) and perchloroethylene (PCE) had been leaking into the Aberjona River.
Who were the plaintiffs in A Civil Action?
A civil action is a noncriminal lawsuit that begins with a complaint and usually involves private parties. The plaintiff is the party filing the complaint, and the defendant is the party defending against the complaint's allegations.
What role did Beatrice Foods play in the potential lawsuit?
In 1982, Anne Anderson and several other townspeople sued the W.R. Grace Company, Beatrice Foods, and the Unifirst Company, claiming that these corporations were responsible for contaminating wells that supplied water to the town.
Is A Civil Action based on a true story?
'A Civil Action' is based on a true story of a court case about environmental pollution that took place in Woburn, Massachusetts in the 1970s. It was a tragic time, for the people who lost their loved ones.
What is the movie A Civil Action about?
In this legal thriller based on a true story, John Travolta stars as Jan Schlichtmann, a tenacious personal-injury attorney whose fierce determination entangles him in a case that threatens to destroy him. The case -- which appears straight forward -- instead evolves into a labyrinthine lawsuit of vast dimensions, in the intelligent, fast-paced drama, "A Civil Action."A Civil Action / Film synopsis
Who were the plaintiffs in A Civil Action?
A civil action is a noncriminal lawsuit that begins with a complaint and usually involves private parties. The plaintiff is the party filing the complaint, and the defendant is the party defending against the complaint's allegations.
Is the civil action movie like the book?
A Civil Action is a captivating film that explores the meaning of justice and civil law. The film, directed by Steven Zaillian, came out in 1998 and is based off of the book, A Civil Action, written by Jonathan Harr in 1996. [1] It features famous actors such as John Travolta, Robert Duvall, and Kathleen Quinlan.
Storyline
Jan Schlichtmann, a tenacious lawyer, is addressed by a group of families. When investigating the seemingly non-profiting case, he finds it to be a major environmental issue that has a lot of impact potential. A leather production company could be responsible for several deadly cases of leukemia, but also is the main employer for the area.
Did you know
The real Jerome Facher was thrilled at the way he was portrayed by Robert Duvall.
Contribute to this page
By what name was A Civil Action (1998) officially released in India in English?
How much did Schlictmann's case cost?
He laid out for the directors his plan for preparing the case, and he estimated that it would cost at least three hundred thousand dollars, maybe as much as half a million if it went to trial.
What was Schlictmann's trial strategy?
Schlictmann’s trial strategy involved an expensive moonshot: Funding original cancer research to prove a causal link between pollutants dumped by the chemical companies and leukemia in neighborhood children. The likelihood of conclusive legal proof was deemed nil by medical experts. Still, Schlictmann pressed on, totally committed to finding a way to make it work, all the while wondering if it was even possible.
Who was the attorney who sued Schlichtmann?
At the head of the table sat Ted Warshafsky, a Milwaukee lawyer who’d made his name suing drug companies. He was an excitable man in his late fifties, given to occasional explosive and profane outbursts. On the theory that a pet would have a calming effect, he had acquired a large boxer. The dog accompanied him everywhere. It took an instant dislike to Schlictmann. When Warshafsky heard half a million dollars, he flew into an apoplectic rage, his face crimson as he shouted at Schlictmann. Immediately the boxer’s ears went up. It leaped to its feet and put its paws on the table, a menacing eye on Schlictmann, who half rose from his chair, prepared to bolt from the room.
What does "putting the client first" mean?
In personal injury law, putting the client first means advising as to the most likely outcomes of each path--and being realistic about those potential outcomes. The goal must always be to do what’s best FOR THE CLIENT, not for the attorney, his firm, or anyone’s ego.
Why didn't Schlichtmann take the case?
Schlichtmann originally decides not to take the case due to both the lack of evidence and a clear defendant. Later picking up the case, Schlichtmann finds evidence suggesting trichloroethylene (TCE) contamination of the town's water supply by Riley Tannery, a subsidiary of Beatrice Foods; a chemical company, W. R. Grace; and another company named Unifirst .
How much did Schlichtmann settle for his family?
Schlichtmann disperses the settlement to the families, excluding expenses and attorney's fees (which resulted in approx. $375,000 per family). When some families think Schlichtmann had overbilled expenses, he acquiesces and surrenders more of his fee. Schlichtmann later files for bankruptcy after losing his condo and car; he lived in his office for a time. Schlichtmann eventually practices environmental, civil, and personal injury law.
Why is the case against Grace so strong?
The plaintiffs' case against Grace is far stronger for two reasons: (1) Schlichtmann has personal testimony of a former employee of Grace who had witnessed dumping, and (2) a river between Beatrice's tannery and the contaminated wells makes Beatrice's contribution to the contamination less likely.
What was the first decision in the Cryovac case?
Cryovac. The first reported decision in the case is at 96 F.R.D. 431 (denial of defendants' motion to dismiss). A 1998 film of the same name, starring John Travolta as plaintiff's lawyer Jan Schlichtmann and Robert Duvall as Beatrice Foods attorney Jerome Facher, was based on the book.
How much did Unifirst settle for?
Though Unifirst settles for a little over $1 million, the money immediately is invested in the case against Grace and Beatrice.
What is the name of the lawyer in Anne Anderson's book?
Eventually she gathers other families and seeks a lawyer, Jan Schlichtmann, to consider their options.
Does Schlichtmann practice civil law?
Schlichtmann eventually practices environmental, civil, and personal injury law. A report from the Environmental Protection Agency (which later filed its own lawsuits against the companies based on new evidence) concludes from sludge removed from the site that both companies had contaminated the wells.
What is civil action?
Watching it, we realize that Grisham's lawyers are romanticized hotshots living in a cowboy universe with John Wayne values. The real world of the law, this movie argues, has less to do with justice than with strategy and doesn't necessarily arrive at truth.
What is Travolta's argument?
At issue are the deaths by leukemia of 12 children. Travolta's argument is that the deaths were the result of pollution by two large corporation, W.R. Grace and Beatrice. Duvall, working for Beatrice, argues that neither the pollution nor its results can be proven.
Who plays Jan Schlichtmann?
Travolta plays Jan Schlichtmann, the head of a small firm of personal injury attorneys who take on cases they believe they can win. Often their clients are too poor to pay legal fees, but Schlichtmann's firm eats the legal costs itself, hoping for a rich slice of an eventual settlement. Essentially, he's gambling with the firm's money every time he accepts a case. That's why he turns down the delegation of parents who tell about the deaths of their children: He doesn't see enough money in it to justify the risk. (The movie has a hard-boiled discussion of how much various victims are "worth." A white male professional struck down in his prime gives the biggest payoff; a dead child is worth the least of all.) From the point of view of his financial well-being, Schlichtmann makes two mistakes. First, he decides the parents have a moral case. Second, he begins to care too much about justice for them and loses his strategic bearings. (Of course all follows from his discovery that the polluters, who he thought were small, shabby local firms, are actually owned by rich corporations.) The movie, written and directed by Steven Zaillian, doesn't simplify the issues and make Schlichtmann into a romantic hero. He's more the kind of guy you refer to affectionately as "that poor sap." We hear what he hears: the emotion in the voice of one of the mothers ( Kathleen Quinlan) who asks him to take the case because "all we want is somebody to apologize to us." And the heartrending story of how one of the boys died, told by his father ( David Thornton) in details so sad that Schlichtmann is very deeply moved--which is, perhaps, not the best thing for his clients.
Who plays Jerome Facher in the movie?
What you want is a superb technician. Duvall plays Jerome Facher, brilliant and experienced, who hides his knowledge behind a facade of eccentricity. He knows more or less what is going to happen at every stage of the case. He reads the facts, the witnesses, the court and his opposition.
Does Zaillian's movie end with a courtroom scene?
This is not a film in which a hero attorney beats up the bad guys in a climactic courtroom scene. The movie doesn't even end with its courtroom scene , but has a wry aftermath.
