Michael Clayton

The film Michael Clayton is preceded by the statement "The truth can be adjusted," a concept that heralds the message of the movie: big business adjusts the truth for financial gain, even at the expense of lives (Samuels, 2007). Michael Clayton is a fixer-a corporate lawyer that helps large firms get out of legal messes. In this case, his firm, Kenner, Bach, & Ledeen, is representing agriculture giant UNorth, which is anxious to settle a class action suit concerning the toxicity associated with its methods. The team's most knowledgeable attorney and chief litigator, Arthur, has become a loose cannon, however. In his intensive research for the case, Arthur has discovered that UNorth's methods are indeed toxic and are costing innocent people their lives, and he is about to expose UNorth. In an attempt to silence him, the law firm has him treated as a psychiatric patient, but UNorth's litigation team, headed by the corrupt and diabolical Karen, decides that he is too dangerous to their case and has him terminated by hit men, who make the death look like a suicide.

Michael Clayton, as the law firm's fixer, is encumbered not only with the weight of the case but also with personal problems that include mounting debt, a gambling addiction, and parenting of his son who shuttles back and forth between Clayton and his ex-wife. When Arthur dies, however, the movie begins to take on a greater sense of urgency as Clayton starts to unravel the

Related Essays

Pet Food Industry Case .... The Anderson Clayton acquisition by Quaker Oats does not imnmediately threaten Ralston Purnia's industry leadership position. .... Porter, Michael E. (1980). .... (2087 8 )

The image of blacks in the American media .... groups is referred to as "Negro villains." Such "villains" include Adam Clayton Powell, both .... Schaller, Michael, Virginia Scharff, and Robert D. Schulzinger. .... (1664 7 )

British Films of the 1960s .... The character of Joe Lampton (Laurence Harvey) in Jack Clayton's Room at the Top .... of course, after all the cinematic fun it is Colin's (Michael Crawford) new bed .... (3208 13 )

The American Court System .... or tend to create a monopoly situation are prohibited by the Clayton Antitrust Act .... During the hearings, Michael Dell, who is recognized as a Microsoft ally and .... (1363 5 )

TQM & Rising Health Care Costs INTRODUCTION 1 AN OV .... 94. Counte, Michael et al. "Total .... 51-57. Sherman, V. Clayton. Creating the New American Hospital. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1993. (4344 17 )

Treat others only in ways that you're willing to be treated in the same exact situation." Gensler (n.d.) points out that the Golden Rule "is endorsed by all the great world religions" and cites Matthew 7:12 and Luke 6:31 as examples from the Bible. In the movie, neither UNorth nor the law firm is treating others as they would want to be treated. UNorth is knowingly killing people and murdering others to cover up their deeds, and the law firm is knowingly covering up UNorth's misdeeds even though they are supposed to be upholding the law for the benefit of the citizens. Arthur is in effect a whistleblower, and he is murdered to gain his silence. Critical thought makes evident the fact that if both sides of the case have abandoned the Golden Rule, no one is treating others as they would like to be treated, and in fact since no one wants to be killed, both are violating the Golden Rule to the extreme. Big business that operates in this fashion yet purports to provide benefits to the consumer is a sham, and the fact that legal entities work to defend such corruption is not only unethical but frightening. Concealed facts that could expose both UNorth and the law firm are like a ticking bomb in this movie. Arthur has

Category: People - M