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A Civil Action poster
Corporate Negligence

A Civil Action (1998)

Steven Zaillian • 115 min

W.R. Grace — the same company behind Libby, Montana.

Our Rating 7/10
IMDB 6.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes 65%
Metacritic 68

Where to Watch

Amazon Prime Apple TV YouTube (rental)

Synopsis

Based on the true story of attorney Jan Schlichtmann's lawsuit against W.R. Grace and Beatrice Foods for contaminating the drinking water of Woburn, Massachusetts with trichloroethylene, causing a cluster of childhood leukemia cases. The same W.R. Grace that operated the vermiculite mine in Libby, Montana that killed hundreds with asbestos.

Our Review

Directly relevant to mesothelioma patients because one of the defendants — W.R. Grace — is the same corporation responsible for the Libby, Montana asbestos disaster. This film shows the human cost of taking on a corporation with unlimited legal resources.

Who Should Watch

Anyone filing a mesothelioma lawsuit. This film shows both the importance and the difficulty of holding corporations accountable.

Key Topics Covered

W.R. Grace Trichloroethylene Childhood leukemia Environmental litigation Legal system challenges

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What Critics Say

“A Civil Action is like John Grisham for grownups.”

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

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