(narrating) It’s like this. A dead plaintiff is rarely worth as much as a living, severely-maimed plaintiff. However, if it’s a long slow agonizing death, as opposed to a quick drowning or car wreck, the value can rise considerably. A dead adult in his 20s is generally worth less than one who is middle aged. A dead woman less than a dead man. A single adult less than one who’s married. Black less than white. Poor less than rich. The perfect victim is a white male professional, 40 years old, at the height of his earning power, struck down in his prime. And the most imperfect? Well, in the calculus of personal injury law, a dead child is worth the least of all.
Jan Schlichtman (John Travolta) in the legal drama A Civil Action (1998). Based on a true story, it told of a small firm’s fight to sue two companies for dumping toxic waste and poisoning local children.
Alex Raphael 
I haven’t heard of this film before. Is it any good?
I’ve debated/argued this point with a few friends. I really do rate it, though I am very much in a minority. I saw it without knowing anything about it too, and the intro just grabbed me. It has a fantastic cast and a very moving story. One of the few 90s films set in a courtroom that doesn’t feature John Grisham anywhere either.