User reviews

I still find it kind of a coincidence that this was aired here on the cable the day before Fathers' Day here. Father Jedediah Ward (Gene Hackman) and daughter Maggie (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) are both lawyers and coincidentally, they are on the opposing ends of a major court case.

From the start, one can see that Maggie is very driven to be successful in the lawyers' circles given she told her boss she wanted to take on the case because she is very aware of the company the law firm she works for represents. And her colleagues then told her that her father is the plaintiff for the case. Now this drove the daughter to outwin her father in the courtroom even more.

All the estrangement actually went back to the time when Maggie realised her father is not faithful to her mother. So whenever they passed by each other, Maggie often never gave her father one look. After Mrs Ward's passing, father and daughter reunite each other for a while...but! The old issues all came back.

And when along the way in researching for the case, an obstacle appeared and it almost led Maggie into trouble. Jedediah thought his daughter is almost in trouble and they managed to clear out some things between each other. It even led to surprising events which happened on the day of the big court case.

For me who has always been interested how lawyers always go about their work, this is a nice introduction. Father-daughter relationship is also being explored here. That is why I said about the movie on cable the day before it's Fathers' Day today here.

Gene Hackman and Mary Elizabeth Mastroantonio are involved in a "Class Action" in this 1991 film that also stars Laurence Fishburne, Donald Moffatt, Joanna Merlin and Fred Thompson. Hackman and MEM, father and daughter, are both attorneys. "I raised you," Jed (Hackman) yells at Maggie (MEM) during one scene. "Mom raised me," she screams back. "You had a date." Maggie's resentment over her father's infidelity erupts after the death of her mother (Merlin) in a powerful scene. Although Maggie has tried to reconcile with him, she finds there is too much in the way. Maggie is in an ethical quandary when the law firm she works for wants to suppress evidence about an automobile manufacturer's malfeasance; complicating things is that her father heads the team the other side of the case.

This is a very good movie that emotionally rings true, thanks to a good script and fine performances by Hackman and Mary Elizabeth. I had the pleasure of working with Mary Elizabeth when she was a Broadway actress - a lovely woman with a great talent, shown here to excellent advantage. Grieving for her mother and unable to accept her father's love, she is blindsided by her boyfriend/boss' ethics violation and has nowhere to turn. The viewer can really feel her pain. Hackman is wonderful as a shark attorney who loved his wife deeply but made some unfortunate choices and alienated his only child. He finds himself now vulnerable and confused; Hackman expresses these emotions beautifully. There is able support from the top-notch cast.

Compelling and at times powerful.

Though I shan't name specifics, back in the '90s, when Class Action was made, vehicle component malfunction affected and scared more everyday folk than the usual cases for U.S Courtroom dramas i.e Medical and Corporate cases.

So, when a lighting circuit component fails in a popular car model and causes vehicle fires, naturally a case is lodged against the manufacturers. Taking the case is a crusty, liberal lawyer, Jed, (Gene Hackman). But, to his shock and fortunately for us, in defence is Jed's estranged daughter Maggie (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio), who's ambitious and ruthless. This creates a tension, in the courtroom and privately as reasons and causes for their differences are aired.

Unlike some more well known courtroom dramas, there's little shouting or violence. No one gets murdered. The case is reasonably involving and both leads are good. The outcome wasn't as full-blooded as I'd have liked and so I give six and bit stars. Quietly recommended, though, especially for lovers of the genre.

Jed Ward (Gene Hackman) is a hard-nosed lawyer taking down corporations. He gets a class action lawsuit against an automaker after some cars explode. On the opposite side is his estranged daughter Maggie Ward (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio). She is ambitious eager to push for partnership in her firm. They don't get along since she discovered his cheating. She also claims that he abandons his clients after winning his cases. He had maintained his marriage. His wife Estelle tries to bridge the gap between father and daughter but she dies suddenly. Nick Holbrook (Larry Fishburne) is Jed's longtime assistant.

These are two top class actors. Director Michael Apted asks them for family dysfunction and they deliver. The movie lays out the situation but it doesn't have much movement after the mother's death. The court case is basic and has limited drama. The personal drama also doesn't make much movement. This is a movie with a world of potential but does little more than expected.

An American legal drama; A story about a liberal activist lawyer Jedediah who alienated his daughter years ago. Now a conservative corporate lawyer, she agrees to go up against her father in court in a trial that turns increasingly personal and nasty. Although the screenplay is quite dense in law lingo, it feels authentic, and involves a lawsuit with a powerful ethical slant. The subtext is about forgiveness and change, and that the rule of law must win the day. It's not a nail-biter but it is surprisingly effective, with two lead actors giving good performances.

Reviewing a movie 20 years following its release is a curious task, as it entails a reflection on its content not merely as film, but as a comment woven of how the movie compares against similar films, and also films of the era from which it originates. "Class Action" serves two masters - those of courtroom drama, and those of family drama. It serves neither especially well.

Courtroom drama is often used as a metaphor for a broader morality play, weighing different varieties of good and evil, or merely right versus wrong. Done well, courtroom drama is capable of producing authentic conflict that forms the basis of outstanding films, such as "A Few Good Men" and "Presumed Innocent," where the core conflict reflected a measure of unease about the kind of justice the films offered, and asking the viewer to consider whether their results were right. "Class Action," however, aspires to no such heights, tossing up a legal softball in the form of a thinly-veiled fictionalization of the famed 1970's Ford "exploding Pinto" design.

With the legal drama paper thin, the characters that tell the story rapidly become strawmen caricatures, and hollow becomes the family conflict between Gene Hackman's Jedediah Tucker Ward and his daughter Maggie, played by Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio. Where Hackman's character is a clichéd 60's counterculture throwback, Mastrantonio's is the equally clichéd corporate attorney. The story allows for no subtleties, and the conflict is decided before the first frame is filmed.

The film's middle third delves into too many tightly-shot, overwrought emotional introspections, and Mastrantonio looks at times exceedingly uncomfortable in the role of an attorney. One can't help but wonder if the cast overcompensates for what it knows is a contrived story, trying to manufacture interesting conflict where the film's end-game can, minus the details, reasonably be predicted.

On its face, the drama between Mastrantonio and Hackman is marginally compelling, but so heavily directed by Michael Apted it makes one wish the characters hadn't been drawn in such a starkly one-dimensional manner so as to allow the viewer the chance to contemplate who holds the moral high ground in their personal life, and, more broadly, in their opposite-ends perspectives in the legal system. As it is, a few scenes of anger and rage, militated by the superfluous introduction of the death of Maggie's mother along the way, merely serve to insist the viewer agree with the film's predetermined conclusions. The result leaves the conflict empty, and the viewer only marginally interested.

The courtroom conclusion provides for its own interesting trapdoor resolution, which won't be revealed here, and that alone does provide "Class Action" the kind of end-game pop it desperately needs. The "pop," however, isn't enough to overcome the hard characterizations that force the dramatic point, rather than allow it to form in the heart and mind of the viewer.

Gene Hackman and Elizabeth Mastantonio are good actors and the story itself is credible.A worthy piece of entertainment.

Some deep soul searching will aid in facing your personal demons. But you still have a job to do. This movie is entertaining, but predictable. The excellent acting redeems the whole thing. Father(Gene Hackman) and daughter(Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) lawyers become adversaries in a lawsuit against an auto manufacturer that has knowingly produced cars that explode when rammed from behind. Both stars exhibit their skills to the hilt. Laurence Fishburne and Joanna Merlin provide notable support. This father and daughter relationship provides some heated moments and animated reactions. Their banter gets a little tiresome, but it is needed to make the movie work. You be the judge and jury.

Thanks to the recent legal decision against Toyota and memories of the ill-fated Ford Pinto, it's difficult not to think of "Class Action". Many reviewers like to think that court room dramas can always be better, but if you've ever witnessed real court proceedings then you'll discover they can be immensely boring and why film makers avoid it. What makes "Class Action" so refreshing is the context of the case, which is a bona fide problem considering numerous cars with dangerous design problems, the devious corporate view of profit over loss (including life), which gives the film an underplay of David vs. Goliath, the spicy exchanges in court, the conflict between father and daughter, which is essentially a clash of Right vs. Wrong, and of course first rate performances by the actors. There are a few predictable story lines, but that's to be expected. "Class Action" is altogether a very entertaining and insightful film.

Another court room drama - well, in a manner of speaking yes. "Class Action" is more of a family drama that makes use of the court room as an arena where attorney Jedediah Tucker Ward and his daughter Maggie Ward clash.

The movie shows flashes of riveting brilliance, but it is mostly inconsistent and ultimately the story is predictable. Direction from veteran Michael Apted is pedestrian, Colin Friels in a supporting role is uninspired and Gene Hackman is well below par. The rest of the cast, which included Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio and Laurence Fishburne, are there for the ride.

Friday, April 26, 1991 - Hoyts Midcity Melbourne

The idea, great. the actors, terrific. The plot, solid. the outcome, OK at best. Class Action has its moments, but spends way too much time developing the father-daughter relationship. Just as you get into the dirty dealings of the law firm, the director and editors give us more forced relationship. This is worth a look, but only if on TV.

Two things suckered me into watching this movie: the promise of courtroom drama, and an R rating. The courtroom drama is absolutely minimal (although very entertaining when it does come around) and the R rating is beyond me. What about this film could possibly get an R rating? It would be a PG-13 today I'm certain of it.

It's just a really bland film. There is nothing interesting about the story. Nothing where we need to know what will happen next. It just trots along with mundane scene after mundane scene.

Two things save this from being a complete disaster however. The first one is the acting of Gene Hackman Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, who really do give their all to some very mediocre dialogue. The second one is the courtroom scenes at the finale of the movie which were very well done. If the film had put more of an emphasis into that side of things it could have been a lot better.

Sadly though I still can't recommend this one. It was about as forgettable as films come. 5/10.

As a solicitor I normally like lawyer movies, but as a new father I loved this movie.

Most lawyer movies just have hypothetical issues which just raise my interest or remind me of my past.

This one awakened my imagination to the future.

My daughter is less than 12 months old and Hackman's character hit the exact note of feeling and pleasure, I feel when holding my daughter in my arms and watching her grow.

I can say that the scene at the end moved me to tears as I think about holding my daughter in my arms.

Hackman is by far on of the greatest actors I have ever seen. The others I can say did a fantastic job as well. You hate the villains and love the heroes.

Everything starts nice: the subtleties of the story line are introduced in an admirable low key fashion. And the 'expert' critics say this is a great new twist on a worn out theme, and maybe at the time this movie was released it was - but that was then and this is now and frankly the idea wears thin. There seem to be three writers attached to this project and one will of course conjecture what they were up to, for sections of this loose tale seem rather poorly written - and even poorly directed, and the director Michael Apted, who three years earlier made the excellent Gorillas in the Mist, will have to forgive.

The flaw seems to be thinking that the marriage of these two 'sub-plots' can work. And for a courtroom drama there is precious little courtroom time, and what is there jumps about a bit too much.

The cast are great; the acting is generally top drawer - except for a mother daughter scene near the beginning which simply unequivocally does not work and undermines the viewer's confidence in the movie - and I never before realised how beautiful MEM could be - but maybe anyone dressed in threads like that would look as good.

You'll enjoy it, you'll regard it as adequate entertainment, but if you're looking for excitement or a better overall premise, you'll be disappointed.

I love lawyer movies and I can't think of a lawyer movie I didn't like... that is until now. And maybe it's because this movie was barely a lawyer movie. It was a family drama with a big case standing in between them.

The main character, Maggie (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio), had serious daddy issues. Her father, Jedediah Ward (Gene Hackman), was a big time lawyer who fought for the little man and was never around for his daughter growing up. Couple that with the fact he cheated on her mother, Estelle (Joanna Merlin), and that made him the most hated object in her life. She had a lifetime subscription to the loathing and self-pity magazine. Just to add more drama, they were opposing each other as attorneys in a big class-action lawsuit against a car manufacturer named Arlo. Maggie was with a big soulless firm representing Arlo while Jed and his tiny law firm represented a man who was burned really badly when his Arlo exploded in an accident.

And as if there wasn't enough drama between daughter and dad, the mother died. The one mediator between them--the last strand of a frayed rope binding them together broke.

Eventually, the movie would get around to lawyering and that's when the movie was good. Once it got into the investigative aspect and building a case I was interested. Unfortunately, it was too little lawyering too late. They'd effectively buried themselves under the rubble of family drama such to the degree that the lawyering aspect of the movie couldn't emerge from underneath it all.

What does it all amount to? I found a lawyer movie I don't like.

Sometimes I'm left with the impression that viewers think all films should be award winning material, as though the goal and worth of a film can be judged by the amount of award nominations it generates and brings home. I disagree, a good film should entertain, and that is what this film does very well. Nice on location sets give the film an authentic and attractive feel. The acting is top notch. The two main overlapping stories, the father & daughter relationship and the legal battle, tie in very nicely. This is a solid film that draws the viewer in and keeps his/her attention until final scene. There are many ways to waste two hours, this film is not one of them.

Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio's character depicts a psychologically damaged individual who fails to elicit any sympathy from this viewer. I do not know her performances in other movies, so it would be unfair to cast blame on the actress herself, but I have never seen a more conflicted, damaged, weak, unsympathetic characterization.

And then there are the closeups. Unlike other user reviewers, I fail to find Mastrantonio's features intriguing.

But the worst of it is the portrayal of an accomplished woman who could not possibly function with her frank psychological disabiities - every single nuance of infantilism is broadcast in close-ups, as though the viewer would not "get it" that the character is not ok. (Would a male actor be similarly portrayed? I don't think so. There would be a conveyance of strength). All this destroys the movie for me. But I will watch anything with the brilliant Gene Hackman.

There are three great actors in this film, Hackman, Mastrantonio and Laurence Fishburne, and they alone make it worth watching. There just isn't enough excitement in the plot, about a father and daughter squaring of as lawyers on opposing sides of a class action lawsuit, and its as if the writer mailed in his contribution along with Michael Apted, the director. Neither of them seemed to be excited to do the work and consequently it's hard to get very excited viewing it. I wouldn't recommend it because there is so much else out there that has more to offer in the way of stakes and excitement. The truth is I can hardly find the motivation to write about it. Not even a rental.

One of the worst films about law, or, for that matter, anything else. terrible performances, directing, photography, and most of all, script. Not one trace of realism. the person who wrote and/or directed this disaster has never been in a courtroom. Only And Justice for All is a poorer legal drama. Embarrassingly bad. Anybody who likes this film should have his/her head examined.to make this review comport with the guidelines, this movie stinks, stinks, and stinks. Hollywood formulas gone haywire, and Gene Hackman should be put out to pasture. also, as a lawyer, I am offended by this portrayal of the legal system: actually, its worst than this, but a realistic touch would have nice.

Gene Hackman and Mary Elizabeth Mastrontonio provide a perfect chemistry as a father and daughter, both of whom being attorneys in this excellent 1991 film.

The plot is twofold. Not only are the two on opposite sides of a case involving a faulty automobile but they must cope with the death of the mother, a lovely lady who chose to remain with a wandering Hackman.

Hackman argues the case for the defense. It is horrifying that a cover-up existed because it would be cheaper to deal with the lawsuits than to make the necessary improvements.

A very engrossing film dealing with the human spirit, ethics and indifference. Highly recommended.

Oh, yeah, that's just a start, and the dopey, clichéd, mind- numbingness of Class Action just gets worse. Ten minutes into this Michael Apted thing and I was debating doing what I very rarely do--to give up on a movie.

But, I stuck it out. Through the emoting and the legal chicanerying and the feeling that this awful, awful movie would--minus some gratuitous f-bombs (How would we take a legal drama seriously otherwise?)--best be shown on the Hallmark Movie Channel, sandwiched between two episodes of Murder, She Wrote, I just sat there amazed at how bad women look in those business suits with the giant shoulder pads.

1991.

The painful part of the movie is the movie, but the searing pain comes from watching something I almost didn't think possible, Gene Hackman giving a bad performance. He just phones it in here.

The other star, a woman who was having a jump in her career at the time, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, is so inconsequential that I was thinking of the old criticism of an actress in a 1960s sex comedy or something. The writer said that this actress exuded the sex appeal of a bran muffin. One of the funniest lines I've ever read.

Jump to Class Action, and MEM (I don't want to try to write her whole name again because there are only so many keystrokes in a laptop) exudes the acting talent of somebody whose legal drama belongs on the Hallmark Movie Channel. She's utterly bland. In fact, everyone involved has his or her big brick Motorola out and is reading the lines until the battery gives out.

Except the guy who plays the judge; I can't remember his name, but you'd recognize him if you saw him. He was one of the card sharps in The Outlaw Josey Wales.

I don't know if anyone shows this movie on TV, but, if you desire big hair, big shoulder pads, and big, I mean really big emoting and cliché- ing, keep checking Zap2it.

Otherwise, take my advice, legal or not.

This subdued courtroom drama starts out like an extended episode of L.A. LAW but quickly reveals itself as the unheralded gem it is. Gene Hackman is as solid as ever as a fervent lawyer battling an auto giant accused of manufacturing a faulty model. The twist is that his rival attorney just happens to be his self-reliant daughter, played by Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio.

CLASS ACTION is not a flashy, fill-up-the-screen-every-minute kind of film. But it is a quite compelling effort. The courtroom storyline is captivating, with director Michael Apted expertly showing the case and its various twists and turns from both sides. Anyone who was glued to the set anytime L.A. LAW came on be in heaven.

Then there's the family dynamic. Hackman and Mastrantonio are convincing as the father and daughter. He seems to know everything and she wants to prove that he does not. They begin the film miles apart in their relationship and it seems a tense court case will further drive in the wedge between them. It's a plot line that works well and helps elevate the film.