Class Action

R

Released Mar 15, 1991

1 hr. 49 min.

Drama

List

77%

26 Reviews

Tomatometer

51%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Liberal activist lawyer Jedediah (Gene Hackman) alienated daughter Maggie (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) years ago when she discovered his many affairs. Now a conservative corporate lawyer, Maggie agrees to go up against her father in court. To gain promotion, she must defend an auto manufacturer against charges that their explosion-prone station wagons are unsafe. As her mother begs for peace, Maggie takes on her dad in a trial that turns increasingly personal and nasty.

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Audience Member

Director Michael Apted makes a family-court drama. How often does a father fight his own daughter by legal matters? Gene Hackman, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Laurence Fishburne Jedidiah ends up fighting Maggie for years after he was unfaithful to her mother. Now they end up in the biggest case of their lives; defending an auto manufacturer against charges that their explosion-prone station wagons are unsafe. As her mother begs for peace, Maggie takes on her dad in a trial that turns increasingly personal and nasty. There is a lot of courtroom scenes going on but the father-daughter dynamic is very nicely handled. The case forces them to look more at themselves.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/16/24

Full Review

Jelisije J

Two lawyers that are father and daughter have to go against each other in court and the family drama is so organic and so realistic that its ends up being a great little underrated drama.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/05/24

Full Review

Michael W

This courtroom movie was really good. Gene Hackman, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Lawrence Fishburne, Colin Friels, Donald Moffat, and the rest of the cast did a fantastic job in this movie. The plot of the movie was dramatic, thrilling, and shocking. It's about working against your own family in a court case only to realize that the people you work with are involved. If you haven't seen this movie yet, check it out sometime. It's a must see. Don't listen to the bad reviews this movie has gotten. Those people have terrible tastes in movies.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/08/24

Full Review

Audience Member

Director Michael Apted makes a family-court drama. How often does a father fight his own daughter by legal matters? Gene Hackman, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Laurence Fishburne Jedidiah ends up fighting Maggie for years after he was unfaithful to her mother. Now they end up in the biggest case of their lives; defending an auto manufacturer against charges that their explosion-prone station wagons are unsafe. As her mother begs for peace, Maggie takes on her dad in a trial that turns increasingly personal and nasty. There is a lot of courtroom scenes going on but the father-daughter dynamic is very nicely handled. The case forces them to look more at themselves.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/22/23

Full Review

antonis k

The perfomances are pretty good but the story drags and the pacing is painfully slow. (5/10)

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

steve d

Not much new but the actors work well together.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

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Michael Apted

Director

Gene Hackman

Jedediah Tucker Ward

Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio

Maggie Ward

Colin Friels

Michael Grazier, Partner Quinn, Califant & Lunt

Joanna Merlin

Estelle Ward

Laurence Fishburne

Nick Holbrook

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Owen Gleiberman

Entertainment Weekly

Rated: B+

Sep 7, 2011

Full Review

Nell Minow

Movie Mom

Rated: 2/5

Nov 24, 2002

Full Review

Marc Savlov

Austin Chronicle

Managed to take one of the most contrived plots I've ever seen and make it seem, if not original, then at least way above average.

Rated: 3/5

Jan 1, 2000

Full Review

Rene Jordan

El Nuevo Herald (Miami)

History shows that a lot of action isn't needed when you have class. [Full review in Spanish]

Jan 25, 2023

Full Review

David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

...a deliberately-paced and surprisingly uneventful drama that nevertheless benefits from its uniformly compelling performances...

Rated: 2.5/4

Dec 27, 2020

Full Review

Jason McKiernan

Filmcritic.com

less a battle of people and corporations than a battle between a fiery daughter and smug father

Rated: 3.5/5

May 19, 2009

Full Review

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Synopsis

Liberal activist lawyer Jedediah (Gene Hackman) alienated daughter Maggie (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) years ago when she discovered his many affairs. Now a conservative corporate lawyer, Maggie agrees to go up against her father in court. To gain promotion, she must defend an auto manufacturer against charges that their explosion-prone station wagons are unsafe. As her mother begs for peace, Maggie takes on her dad in a trial that turns increasingly personal and nasty.

Director: Michael Apted
Screenwriter: Carolyn Shelby, Christopher Ames, Samantha Shad
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Production Co: Interscope Communications, 20th Century Fox
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 15, 1991, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 1, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $23.9M
Sound Mix: Dolby, Surround