Search - Class Action on DVD


Class Action
Class Action
Actors: Gene Hackman, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Colin Friels, Joanna Merlin, Laurence Fishburne
Director: Michael Apted
Genres: Drama, Mystery & Suspense
R     2005     1hr 50min

Taut and emotionally powerful, Michael Apted's compelling showdown courtroom drama is driven by characters as intriguing as its predicament. The only thing Jedediah Tucker Ward and his daughter have in common is law. Equ...  more »

     

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Movie Details

Actors: Gene Hackman, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Colin Friels, Joanna Merlin, Laurence Fishburne
Director: Michael Apted
Creators: Carolyn Shelby, Christopher Ames, Kim Kurumada, Robert W. Cort, Samantha Shad
Genres: Drama, Mystery & Suspense
Sub-Genres: Family Life, Mystery & Suspense
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Format: DVD - Color - Closed-captioned
DVD Release Date: 02/01/2005
Original Release Date: 03/15/1991
Theatrical Release Date: 03/15/1991
Release Year: 2005
Run Time: 1hr 50min
Screens: Color
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaDVD Credits: 1
Total Copies: 0
Members Wishing: 3
MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Languages: English

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Member Movie Reviews

Sharon F. (Shar) from AVON PARK, FL
Reviewed on 1/13/2022...
EXCELLENT performances from both Gene Hackman and Mary Eliz. Mastrantonio in this top-notch lawyer film. It may be old, but still revenant...maybe more so in this sue-happy society. Put this on your "To Watch" list.
Shirley R. (sdrred)
Reviewed on 6/17/2008...
This is a wonderful father/daughter team with a twisting plot that keeps you watching. Thoroughly enjoyable over and over again!

Movie Reviews

Very Moving
Hugo Dart | Rio de Janeiro, RJ Brazil | 11/04/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is an extraordinary drama in which father and daughter (both lawyers) with big emotional issues have a face-off in the courtroom.
Aside from a very well-constructed plot and competent direction by Michael Apted, the performances delivered by the actors are quite impressive. The supporting cast is very good, especially Jan Rubes (Alexander Pavel).
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio shows great maturity in a challenging role - and the fact that she is stunningly beautiful does not hurt.
And what about that Gene Hackman? What a brilliant actor. Watching him feels like a real privilege. Don't you miss the chance of doing it."
A Family Drama Set in a Courtroom
William D. Shingleton | United States | 04/02/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)

"There are really two kinds of lawyer films out there; the kind that is about the trial and the kind that is about the lawyers; this film is about the lawyers and the family drama of a father and daughter pitted against each other in a class action lawsuit. The film is well constructed and acted, though there is the occasional corny dialoge in the father-daughter scenes that could have been written much stronger.

The father (played by Gene Hackman) is a crusading support-the-little-guy type, but he is not without his warts and particularly not without the consequences of his giant ego. Hackman is perfect in this role and gives his character the depth it deserves. Mary Elizabeth Masterantonio plays the daughter and is really the center of the film since it is her evolution more than Hackman's that drives the plot. She more than holds her own against a much more experienced actor and gives the film credibility.

There are a few witty remarks in the film but I can't say that the dialogue crackles; since this is not an action film, the dialogue is how the film moves along, so that's a shame. But the plot is enthralling and takes a few unexpected twists at the end; combined with the solid cast (this was shot so long ago that Fred Dalton Thompson was not yet a senator and Lawrence Fishbourne is listed as Larry) it makes the film engaging and certainly worth the low price of this DVD.

The DVD itself is disappointing and carries no special features to speak of (trailers for this film and other movies DO NOT count as special features, at least in my opinion). The only reason to get the DVD versus the tape is that it's easier to find and will hold up better over time.

The bottom line is that this is a solid, well acted film whose David versus Goliath, Inc theme rings even more true in the post-Enron universe than it did when the film first came out."
Thrilling Courtroom Drama
Bill Windsor | California | 12/12/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)

"Best courtroom drama movie I have ever seen. Performances of Gene Hackman and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio are superb as father and daughter attorneys on opposite sides of an automobile accident case. The story pits big-corporation corporate attorney (Mastrantonio) against small-time scrappy class-action attorney (Hackman). But the highlight is the intra-family dynamics between father, mother, and daughter, which are superbly developed as the tension of the lawsuit case unfolds. The screenwriting is excellent, handling characters from attorneys to family to scientists, plus powerful revelations in the final courtroom scene. You will say, "Wow" at the end."