A Civil Action

Those who've read the book upon which this true tale of an arrogant attorney's downfall is based tend to complain that Hollywood has distorted it beyond recognition. If you come to it cold, however, as I did, and you can overlook the emphasis on legal maneuvering at the expense of the families of the dead children who are ostensibly the story's emotional fulcrum, chances are you'll have a fine time. It'll help if you, like me, are a sucker for writer/director Steven Zaillian's distinctive narrative ebb'n'flow, a storytelling confidence so unmistakable and gratifying that I'm tempted to risk heresy and label it "the Zaillian Touch." (He'd previously won an Oscar for his screenplay for Schindler's List; his first film as director was the quietly inspiring Searching for Bobby Fischer.) The first two reels, which chart the growth of lawyer Jan Schlichtmann's (John Travolta) conscience, had me completely enthralled, and while I became somewhat irritated as the picture gradually turned sanctimonious, I was never for one moment even the tiniest bit bored. Recommended. (M. D'Angelo)