A Civil Action
Buena Vista Pictures | Release Date: December 25, 1998 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
68
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 26 Critic Reviews
Positive:
16
Mixed:
10
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
Film.comNorman Green
The convergence of storytelling mastery, acting virtuosity and star power makes A Civil Action one of the greatest films of the year. Read full review
90
NewsweekDavid Ansen
Zaillian's meaty movie, at once bleak and hopeful, speaks volumes about the maddening distance between justice and the justice system. Read full review
90
New Times (L.A.)Bill Gallo
Not just another lawyer movie, but rather one of the most striking dramas of the year. Read full review
90
The New York TimesJanet Maslin
It tells a finely nuanced tale of right, wrong and the gray area in between. Read full review
88
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
Civil Action is like John Grisham for grownups. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesKenneth Turan
Comes close, achingly close, to greatness. Read full review
80
TimeRichard Schickel
A smart, tough, yet curiously moving film. Read full review
80
SlateDavid Edelstein
A sturdy piece of work, an old-fashioned conversion narrative with some high-tech zip. Read full review
75
ReelViewsJames Berardinelli
A courtroom drama which is sufficiently different and thought-provoking that I can recommend it with a clear conscience. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalle
In place of the tension, climax and easy resolution of the old "Perry Mason'' show, A Civil Action offers murkiness, bitter successes and frustration. Read full review
75
Chicago TribuneMichael Wilmington
This is Hollywood expertise and Hollywood civic idealism at high levels. Read full review
70
VarietyEmanuel Levy
A solid and intelligent legal thriller that may be too complex in its issues, and too low-key and unexciting in its style, for today's market demands. Read full review
70
L.A. WeeklyErnest Hardy
A well-chewed gumbo of every lawyer flick you’ve ever seen. Read full review
70
New York Magazine (Vulture)Peter Rainer
I'm all for films that don't flow from the usual Hollywood test tubes, but A Civil Action is basically the standard formula with a dash of downbeat. Read full review
70
Washington PostRita Kempley
A complex, compelling examination of personal-injury law as well as a portrait of personal redemption, the movie quickly sets its tone with a heartless summation of an individual's relative worth. Read full review
67
Austin ChronicleRussell Smith
The underlying problem is the mainstream film format's length constraints, which seem to have forced a rude bowdlerization of the story. Read full review
60
Film.comJohn Hartl
All the ingredients are here for both a smashing courtroom drama and a legitimate tearjerker, but the film ultimately doesn't have the technique or the heart to deliver either. Read full review
60
Washington PostMichael O'Sullivan
A jaundiced view of litigation, however authentic, is not necessarily the stuff of great drama, even of the legal-thriller variety, which by definition is confined to a claustrophobic courtroom. Read full review
60
Film.comPeter Brunette
As a primer on the arcana surrounding the profession of personal injury lawyer (more familiarly known as ambulance chaser), A Civil Action is deeply, and even passionately, informative. As a drama and character study, though, it mostly misses the mark. Read full review
60
SalonCharles Taylor
Millions of people read Harr's gripping bestseller, but Steven Zaillian may be the only one who didn't understand it. Read full review
60
Film ThreatAnthony Miele
Takes an unexpected turn towards originality where every other "David vs. Goliath-courtroom drama" only strives. Read full review
60
The New YorkerDavid Denby
That the story is true (and based on an expertly written book by Jonathan Harr) doesn't make A Civil Action any more satisfying dramatically -- there's a streak of obviousness in the moral melodrama that dampens one's interest. Read full review
58
Entertainment WeeklyOwen Gleiberman
Starts out well, but it turns into an almost perversely undramatic legal thriller. Read full review
50
Village VoiceJ. Hoberman
A slick, shameless job that takes way too long to make its point. Read full review
50
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
Courtroom dramas that favor the courtroom over the drama are always in danger of eye-glazing dullness. Read full review
50
Chicago ReaderJonathan Rosenbaum
A multifaceted misfire from writer-director Steven Zaillian. Read full review
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