Normally I am not a big fan of courtroom drama. Somehow, law & order, crime & punishment make me very uneasy. While visiting my mom, however, Class Action was coming on TV (a Fox station, so I assume it may have been uncut). Since it co-starred Gene Hackman, I decided to watch. I was well-rewarded.
Hackman is one of my favorites and never lets me down. He and co-star Mary Elizabeth Mastratonia both turn in riveting performances as a father-daughter attorneys. The film is emotionally-charged throughout, but never boils over into the sappy range. Without any spoilers, the ending is no huge surprise, but is satisfying as is the movie as a whole.
Hackman plays Jedediah Tucker Ward, an aging lawyer who has made a national reputation as a David vs. Goliath foe of major corporations. His semi-estranged daughter, Maggie (Mastratonia) has followed his footsteps-at least into the law profession. There the similarity stops, as she is bucking for a partnership in a prestigious firm that handles some of the nation's largest corporations. Both actors turn in tremendous performances.
When the hostile father & daughter find themselves on opposite ends of a huge class action law suit over a car exploding a few years earlier, the already strained relationship is pushed to its limits. Jed's wife (Maggie's mother, of course), Estelle (Joann Merlin) tries to keep them from digging an impenetrable schism between themselves.
Some fine courtroom drama and domestic drama ensues and the winner is clearly the audience. The two leads are tremendous-even bearing some facial resemblance-and the rest of the veteran cast is very strong. I had never even heard of this film before today, but it is a definite winner.
Hackman is one of my favorites and never lets me down. He and co-star Mary Elizabeth Mastratonia both turn in riveting performances as a father-daughter attorneys. The film is emotionally-charged throughout, but never boils over into the sappy range. Without any spoilers, the ending is no huge surprise, but is satisfying as is the movie as a whole.
Hackman plays Jedediah Tucker Ward, an aging lawyer who has made a national reputation as a David vs. Goliath foe of major corporations. His semi-estranged daughter, Maggie (Mastratonia) has followed his footsteps-at least into the law profession. There the similarity stops, as she is bucking for a partnership in a prestigious firm that handles some of the nation's largest corporations. Both actors turn in tremendous performances.
When the hostile father & daughter find themselves on opposite ends of a huge class action law suit over a car exploding a few years earlier, the already strained relationship is pushed to its limits. Jed's wife (Maggie's mother, of course), Estelle (Joann Merlin) tries to keep them from digging an impenetrable schism between themselves.
Some fine courtroom drama and domestic drama ensues and the winner is clearly the audience. The two leads are tremendous-even bearing some facial resemblance-and the rest of the veteran cast is very strong. I had never even heard of this film before today, but it is a definite winner.