A Civil Action

A Civil Action

Justice has its price.

PG-13 1998 · 115 min · ★ 6.5 · Drama

Jan Schlickmann is a cynical lawyer who goes out to 'get rid of' a case, only to find out it is potentially worth millions. The case becomes his obsession, to the extent that he is willing to give up everything—including his career and his clients' goals—in order to continue the case against all odds.

Directed by Steven Zaillian · Written by Steven Zaillian

Your Rating

Where to Watch

Rent or Buy

Amazon VideoApple TV StoreGoogle Play MoviesYouTubeFandango At Home

Cast

Make it a double feature

5h 10m together

A Civil Action

Schindler's List

Both from Steven Zaillian.

More from Steven ZaillianSee all →

Schindler's ListSchindler's List · 1993
Schindler's List
★ 8.61993
MovieDramaHistory
The true story of how businessman Oskar Schindler saved over a thousand Jewish lives from the Nazis while they worked as slaves in his factory during World War II.
The Night OfThe Night Of · 2016
The Night Of
★ 8.02016
SeriesCrimeDrama
After a night of partying with a female stranger, a man wakes up to find her stabbed to death and is charged with her murder.
The CoveThe Cove · 2009
The Cove
★ 8.02009
MovieDocumentary
The Cove tells the amazing true story of how an elite team of individuals, films makers and free divers embarked on a covert mission to penetrate the hidden cove in Japan, shining light on a dark and deadly secret. The shocking discoveries were only the tip of the iceberg.
RIPLEYRIPLEY · 2024
RIPLEY
★ 7.92024
SeriesDrama
A grifter in 1960s New York is hired to convince a wealthy man's son to return home from Italy and begins a life of deceit, fraud and murder.
AwakeningsAwakenings · 1990
Awakenings
★ 7.81990
MovieDrama
Dr. Malcolm Sayer, a shy research physician, uses an experimental drug to "awaken" the catatonic victims of a rare disease. Leonard is the first patient to receive the controversial treatment. His awakening, filled with awe and enthusiasm, proves a rebirth for Sayer too, as the exuberant patient reveals life's simple but unutterably sweet pleasures to the introverted doctor.
Anvil! The Story of AnvilAnvil! The Story of Anvil · 2008
Anvil! The Story of Anvil
★ 7.62008
MovieDocumentaryMusic
At 14, best friends Robb Reiner and Lips made a pact to rock together forever. Their band, Anvil, hailed as the "demi-gods of Canadian metal" influenced a musical generation that includes Metallica, Slayer, and Anthrax. Following a calamitous European tour, Lips and Robb, now in their fifties, set off to record their 13th album in one last attempt to fulfill their boyhood dreams.
American GangsterAmerican Gangster · 2007
American Gangster
★ 7.62007
MovieDramaCrime
Loosely based on the criminal career of Frank Lucas, a gangster from La Grange, North Carolina, who smuggled heroin into the United States on American service planes returning from the Vietnam War, before being detained by a task force led by Newark Detective Richie Roberts.
The IrishmanThe Irishman · 2019
The Irishman
★ 7.62019
MovieCrimeDrama
Pennsylvania, 1956. Frank Sheeran, a war veteran of Irish origin who works as a truck driver, accidentally meets mobster Russell Bufalino. Once Frank becomes his trusted man, Bufalino sends him to Chicago with the task of helping Jimmy Hoffa, a powerful union leader related to organized crime, with whom Frank will maintain a close friendship for nearly twenty years.
The Girl with the Dragon TattooThe Girl with the Dragon Tattoo · 2011
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
★ 7.42011
MovieThrillerCrime
Disgraced journalist Mikael Blomkvist investigates the disappearance of a weary patriarch's niece from 40 years ago. He is aided by the pierced, tattooed, punk computer hacker named Lisbeth Salander. As they work together in the investigation, Blomkvist and Salander uncover immense corruption beyond anything they have ever imagined.
Gangs of New YorkGangs of New York · 2002
Gangs of New York
★ 7.32002
MovieDramaHistory
In early 1860s New York, Irish immigrant Amsterdam Vallon is released from prison and returns to the Five Points, seeking revenge against his father's killer, William Cutting, a powerful anti-immigrant gang leader. He knows that revenge can only be attained by infiltrating Cutting's inner circle. Vallon's journey becomes a fight for personal survival and to find a place for the Irish people.
MoneyballMoneyball · 2011
Moneyball
★ 7.32011
MovieDrama
The story of Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane's successful attempt to put together a baseball team on a budget, by employing computer-generated analysis to draft his players.
Searching for Bobby FischerSearching for Bobby Fischer · 1993
Searching for Bobby Fischer
★ 7.11993
MovieDrama
A seven-year-old chess prodigy refuses to harden himself in order to become a champion like the famous but unlikable Bobby Fischer.
Mission: ImpossibleMission: Impossible · 1996
Mission: Impossible
★ 7.01996
MovieAdventureAction
When Ethan Hunt, the leader of a crack espionage team whose perilous operation has gone awry with no explanation, discovers that a mole has penetrated the CIA, he's surprised to learn that he's the prime suspect. To clear his name, Hunt now must ferret out the real double agent and, in the process, even the score.
The Current WarThe Current War · 2018
The Current War
★ 6.72018
MovieDramaHistory
Electricity titans Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse compete to create a sustainable system and market it to the American people.
Clear and Present DangerClear and Present Danger · 1994
Clear and Present Danger
★ 6.61994
MovieActionDrama
Agent Jack Ryan becomes acting Deputy Director of Intelligence for the CIA when Admiral Greer is diagnosed with cancer. When an American businessman, and friend of the president, is murdered on his yacht, Ryan starts discovering links between the man and drug dealers. As former CIA agent John Clark is sent to Colombia to kill drug cartel kingpins in retaliation, Ryan must fight through multiple cover-ups to figure out what happened and who's responsible.
Welcome to the RileysWelcome to the Rileys · 2010
Welcome to the Rileys
★ 6.62010
MovieDrama
Years after their teenage daughter’s death, Lois and Doug Riley, an upstanding Indiana couple, are frozen by estranging grief. Doug escapes to New Orleans on a business trip. Compelled by urgencies he doesn’t understand, he insinuates himself into the life of an underage hooker, becoming her platonic guardian.

More Like This

Lemon TreeLemon Tree · 2008
Lemon Tree
★ 7.02008
MovieDrama
Salma Zidane, a widow, lives simply from her grove of lemon trees in the West Bank's occupied territory. The Israeli defence minister and his wife move next door, forcing the Secret Service to order the trees' removal for security. The stoic Salma seeks assistance from the Palestinian Authority, Israeli army, and a young attorney, Ziad Daud, who takes the case. In this allegory, does David stand a chance against Goliath?
Murder in the FirstMurder in the First · 1995
Murder in the First
★ 7.11995
MovieCrimeDrama
A young, inexperienced public defender is assigned to defend an inmate accused of committing murder while behind bars.
The MauritanianThe Mauritanian · 2021
The Mauritanian
★ 7.42021
MovieDramaThriller
The true story of the Mauritanian Mohamedou Ould Slahi, who was held at the U.S military's Guantanamo Bay detention center without charges for over a decade and sought help from a defense attorney for his release.
Marvin's RoomMarvin's Room · 1996
Marvin's Room
★ 6.71996
MovieDrama
A leukemia patient attempts to end a 20-year feud with her sister to get her bone marrow.
The Strategy of the SnailThe Strategy of the Snail · 1993
The Strategy of the Snail
★ 7.61993
MovieComedyDrama
A group of tenants facing eviction due to a city renovation unite to fight back, but as they clash with the landlord and his ruthless attorney, they each transform into the opposite of who they once were.
PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia · 1993
Philadelphia
★ 7.71993
MovieDrama
Two competing lawyers join forces to sue a prestigious law firm for AIDS discrimination. As their unlikely friendship develops, their courage overcomes the prejudice and corruption of their powerful adversaries.
The Skeleton KeyThe Skeleton Key · 2005
The Skeleton Key
★ 6.62005
MovieDramaHorror
A hospice nurse working at a spooky New Orleans plantation home finds herself entangled in a mystery involving the house's dark past.
AntitrustAntitrust · 2001
Antitrust
★ 6.02001
MovieActionCrime
A computer programmer's dream job at a hot Portland-based firm turns nightmarish when he discovers his boss has a secret and ruthless means of dispatching anti-trust problems.
New York StoriesNew York Stories · 1989
New York Stories
★ 6.21989
MovieComedyDrama
Three tales of love, ambition, and neurosis unfold in the city that never sleeps. In "Life Lessons" (Martin Scorsese), a tormented painter channels heartbreak into his art. In "Life Without Zoë" (Francis Ford Coppola), a precocious 12-year-old navigates privilege and loneliness in a Manhattan hotel. And in "Oedipus Wrecks" (Woody Allen), a man’s domineering mother literally becomes a looming presence over New York.
Cadillac ManCadillac Man · 1990
Cadillac Man
★ 5.81990
MovieComedyDrama
Joe's a car salesman with a problem—he has two days to sell 12 cars or he loses his job. This would be a difficult task at the best of times but Joe has to contend with his girlfriends (he's two-timing), a missing teenage daughter and an ex-wife.
The Sweet HereafterThe Sweet Hereafter · 1997
The Sweet Hereafter
★ 6.91997
MovieDrama
A small mountain community in Canada is devastated when a school bus accident leaves more than a dozen of its children dead. A big-city lawyer arrives to help the survivors' and victims' families prepare a class-action suit, but his efforts only seem to push the townspeople further apart. At the same time, one teenage survivor of the accident has to reckon with the loss of innocence brought about by a different kind of damage.
Talk RadioTalk Radio · 1988
Talk Radio
★ 7.11988
MovieDrama
A rude, contemptuous talk show host becomes overwhelmed by the hatred that surrounds his program just before it goes national.
Why Does Herr R. Run Amok?Why Does Herr R. Run Amok? · 1970
Why Does Herr R. Run Amok?
★ 7.31970
MovieDrama
Technical draftsman Herr R. is a dependable guy. He gets along with his colleagues although his boss wants him to go beyond technical cleanliness to problem solving. He's a dutiful husband; his wife's a social climber and pressures him to seek a promotion, but they also share sweet moments. He's a caring father, helping his son with homework. His parents visit; his mother criticizes his wife. Old schoolmates drop by, as do neighbours. Some comment on his wife's expensive tastes. His promotion may be a long shot, especially after he gives a dull and tipsy toast at an office dinner. But why would Herr R. run amok?
The Bitter Tears of Petra von KantThe Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant · 1972
The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant
★ 7.41972
MovieDramaRomance
Petra von Kant is a successful fashion designer -- arrogant, caustic, and self-satisfied. She mistreats Marlene (her secretary, maid, and co-designer). Enter Karin, a 23-year-old beauty who wants to be a model. Petra falls in love with Karin and invites her to move in.
I'm Not ThereI'm Not There · 2007
I'm Not There
★ 6.52007
MovieDramaMusic
Six actors portray six personas of music legend Bob Dylan in scenes depicting various stages of his life, chronicling his rise from unknown folksinger to international icon and revealing how Dylan constantly reinvented himself.

Rate this film

Your ratings make Midnight smarter