A Civil Action
Theatrical Release Date: 12/25/1998
Overall Rating: 2.5 out of 4 stars
Language: English
Genre: Drama
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Director: Steven Zaillian
Actors: John Travolta, Robert Duvall, Tony Shalhoub, William H. Macy, John Lithgow, Kathleen Quinlan
Plot: Jan Schlichtmann is a successful lawyer who likes to make lots of money. He was named one of the top bachelors in Boston. He has a nice expensive car, a nice house, and a good paying job. Jan is also the founder of a law firm that he runs with his partners, all in a case's settlement. Jan is considered an “ambulance chaser” or someone who goes after people who were in accidents. In the opening scene he settled for a lot of money for his client. Jan is more interested in making money over helping his client. However, when a women calls to see weather or not he got her case he would never know it would change his life. The woman lives in a suburb outside of Boston. There, some families are concerned and upset after some of their children died to what they believe was due to the drinking water. Immediately Jan does not think they have a case, after they say they just want an apology from whoever caused the death of their children. Driving back to his office Jan finds a major factory for major companies including Beatrice and Grace. Together they make over 634 million dollars, and Jan finds that this case would make him richer, especially after he sees them dumping into a stream. Both Grace and Beatrice deny the fact that they were dumping chemicals into the stream. However Beatrice said that money would never compensate for the deaths and also blamed Grace for the dumping and therefore was let go. Grace offered 8 million dollars and Jan settled. Each of the families received 375 thousand dollars, but they were still upset because no one apologized, which is what they wanted. Having no more money after spending it all on the case for research Jan could no longer pay to appeal the case. Also there is too much off a risk when only 5 out of 50 cases will win in appeals court. Jan sends all the information that he was able to gather and forwarded the case to the EPA. Then in 1990 the two companies were back in court but this time they lost without settlement and were forced to clean up the area were they did the dumping which ran them a bill of over 69 million dollars. The large sum that had to be paid forced them to shut down the plants.
Down in the Delta
Theatrical Release Date: 12/25/1998
Overall Rating: 2.5 out of 4 stars
Language: English
Genre: Drama
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Director: Maya Angelou
Actors: Alfre Woodard, Wesley Snipes, Loretta Devine, Al Freeman Jr., Esther Rolle, Mary Alice
The Faculty
Theatrical Release Date: 12/25/1998
Overall Rating: 2.4 out of 4 stars
Language: English
Genre: Horror/Sci-Fi
MPAA Rating: R
Director: Robert Rodriguez
Actors: Jordana Brewster, Clea DuVall, Josh Hartnett, Elijah Wood, Salma Hayek, Famke Janssen
Plot: A typical high school full of typical cliques and characters - until the teachers and students start acting different - and a handful of students discover an alien parasite. Now all they have to do is find a way to stop it.
Hurlyburly
Theatrical Release Date: 12/25/1998
Overall Rating: 2.2 out of 4 stars
Language: English
Genre: Drama
MPAA Rating: R
Director: Anthony Drazan
Actors: Sean Penn, Kevin Spacey, Robin Wright Penn, Chazz Palminteri, Garry Shandling, Anna Paquin
Mighty Joe Young
Theatrical Release Date: 12/25/1998
Overall Rating: 2.1 out of 4 stars
Language: English
Genre: Action/Adventure
MPAA Rating: PG
Director: Ron Underwood
Actors: Bill Paxton, Charlize Theron, Rade Serbedzija, Regina King
Plot: This remake adventure follows Gregg O'Hara's quest to capture a two-ton African gorilla and transport him to a California reserve far from poachers.
Patch Adams
Theatrical Release Date: 12/25/1998
Overall Rating: 2.4 out of 4 stars
Language: English
Genre: Comedy/Drama
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Director: Tom Shadyac
Actors: Robin Williams, Daniel London, Monica Potter, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bob Gunton, Peter Coyote
Plot: Based on a true story, a doctor tries to help his patients by making them laugh.
Stepmom
Theatrical Release Date: 12/25/1998
Overall Rating: 2.6 out of 4 stars
Language: English
Genre: Drama/Comedy
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Director: Chris Columbus
Actors: Julia Roberts, Susan Sarandon, Ed Harris, Jena Malone, Liam Aiken, Lynn Whitfield
Plot: A mother, who is terminally ill, has to accept her ex-husband's new wife
as her children's new step-mother.
Swindle, The ( Rien ne va plus )
Theatrical Release Date: 12/25/1998
Overall Rating: 2.6 out of 4 stars
Language: French
Genre: Comedy/Crime
MPAA Rating: NR
Director: Claude Chabrol
Actors: Isabelle Huppert, Michel Serrault, François Cluzet, Jean-François Balmer, Jackie Berroyer, Jean Benguigui
Day of the Beast, The ( día de la bestia, El )
Theatrical Release Date: 12/23/1998
Overall Rating: 2.6 out of 4 stars
Language: Spanish
Genre: Comedy/Horror
MPAA Rating: R
Director: Álex de la Iglesia
Actors: Álex Angulo, Santiago Segura, Armando De Razza, Terele Pávez, Nathalie Seseña, Maria Grazia Cucinotta
Plot: All of a sudden, a priest decides to join the evil side on the night before Christmas, after he decodes the bible's hidden date about the apocalypse.
The Theory of Flight
Theatrical Release Date: 12/23/1998
Overall Rating: 2.4 out of 4 stars
Language: English
Genre: Comedy/Drama
MPAA Rating: R
Director: Paul Greengrass
Actors: Helena Bonham Carter, Kenneth Branagh, Gemma Jones, Holly Aird, Ray Stevenson, Sue Jones-Davies
The Thin Red Line
Theatrical Release Date: 12/23/1998
Overall Rating: 2.9 out of 4 stars
Language: English
Genre: War
MPAA Rating: R
Director: Terrence Malick
Actors: James Caviezel, John Cusack, Ben Chaplin, Adrien Brody, Nick Nolte, Sean Penn
Plot: In Japan, a group of soldiers are commanded to take several key places of the Japanese islands while also experiencing the down time of war - takes place during WWII.
The Secret of NIMH 2: Timmy to the Rescue
Theatrical Release Date: 12/22/1998
Overall Rating: 1.1 out of 4 stars
Language: English
Genre: Animation/Family
MPAA Rating: G
Director: Dick Sebast
Actors: Ralph Macchio, Dom DeLuise, Eric Idle, William H. Macy, Andrew Ducote, Doris Roberts
Plot: Timmy, The son of Mrs.Brisby is sent to Thorn Valley to train and fufill his destiny predicted by Nicodemus. Soon, A young girl mouse arrives at the Valley and tells of her parents trapped within NIMH. Timmy and the young girl named Helen must go to NIMH to save her parents and any other mice trapped within.
Hitman Hart: Wrestling with Shadows
Theatrical Release Date: 12/20/1998
Overall Rating: 3.0 out of 4 stars
Language: English
Genre: Documentary/Biography
MPAA Rating: R
Director: Paul Jay
Actors: Bret Hart, Owen Hart, Brian Pillman, Blade Hart, Julie Hart, Stu Hart
Plot: Documentary focusing on the career of pro wrestler Bret Hart & his controversial exit from the WWF.
