A Civil Action
Justice has its price.
Directed by Steven Zaillian
Produced by Touchstone Pictures, Paramount Pictures
A cerebral legal drama about ambition and obsession that explores the moral cost of pursuing justice, where a lawyer's personal drive threatens to undermine the very cause he claims to champion.
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.
Clusters
Genres
Where to watch
Questions people ask
Is A Civil Action scary? Barely. Less frightening than 76% of films.
Is A Civil Action violent? Barely. Less violent than 76% of films.
Is A Civil Action sad? Somewhat. More sad than 70% of films.
Does A Civil Action end with hope? Not especially. Less hopeful than 64% of films.
Is A Civil Action easy watching? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.
These describe how the film comes across, measured across the whole film and compared with other well-known films. They are not a content list — nothing here was counted or checked scene by scene, so for age-suitability or specific content use a classification board or a dedicated content-warning service.
Cinnamon Score
How much this film gives you that nothing else will, and whether it delivers.
Familiar shape, done well.
How unlike any other film this one feels
How much more it delivers than it promises
How much audiences actually like it
Ensemble
Everything like A Civil Action, and what each one shares →
Like A Civil Action
Nearest across the full emotional profile.
Same Mood as A Civil Action
Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.
Like A Civil Action, But Darker
Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.
Like A Civil Action, But Lighter
Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.
Like A Civil Action, But Less Popular
Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.
