Rossmoor residents are cordially invited to attend the August film program sponsored by the Democratic Club on Monday August 10th, 2026, in Peacock Hall from 1:00-3:30pm. The featured film is A Civil Action (1998), a thought-provoking drama that tells the true story of lawyer Jan Schlichtman (Travolta) and 3 colleagues who discover a major environmental issue in Woburn, Massachusetts. The case becomes Jan’s obsession – one he pursues against all odds.
Written and directed by Steven Zaillian and adapted from Jonathan Harris’s book, A Civil Action is based on a true story and stars John Travolta, Tony Shalhoub, William H. Macy, and earned 2 Oscar nominations for Best Supporting Actor (Robert Duvall) and Best Cinematography (Conrad Hall).
The film chronicles a leukemia cluster in a small Massachusetts town in the 1960’s and 1970’s, when kids are getting sick and dying. The film follows eight families who believe their children’s leukemia cases are caused by trichloroethylene — an industrial solvent — that’s being dumped into water resources by two local corporations. Eventually, the families hire a lawyer (Schlichtman) to represent them against these two giant corporations who “turn a town’s drinking water into a carcinogenic punch bowl!” (Mick LaSalle).
Film critic Roger Ebert suggests that “A Civil Action takes a close look at how a legal system deals with an environmental issue, while combining good performances with an engaging and intelligent script.” Additionally, Robert Duval provides the audience with plenty of entertaining moments while ironically combining the sinister veteran and the absentminded clown into one eccentric character!
A Civil Action runs 1hour and 55 minutes, and provides subtitles. Film enthusiast Lynne Thorner will facilitate a post-viewing discussion about the themes dramatized in the film. Please direct your questions or concerns to Lynne at [email protected].