Michael Clayton

Details

Release year: 2007

Storyline

A law firm brings in its "fixer" to remedy the situation after a lawyer has a breakdown while representing a chemical company that he knows is guilty in a multibillion-dollar class action suit.

Top credits

Awards

1 win & 6 nominations

Did you know

• In a November 2020 interview, George Clooney stated that the case in the film, while about a completely different industry, was based on the Ford Pinto case, where it wasn't that Ford had a car that was unsafe, but that an internal memo showed that they had calculated the cost of recall versus the individual suits from people being killed in the car, and determined it was cheaper to pay off claims and not do the recall.

• Denzel Washington turned down the title role, saying he was skeptical of working with a first-time director. George Clooney also originally turned it down for the same reason. Clooney later met Tony Gilroy, realized that they were both on the same page two hours into the meeting, and agreed to star. Washington said that he regretted his decision after seeing the movie.

• The Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedan that is blown up in this film was first used in filming The Devil Wears Prada (2006). It was cut in two for use in process shots featuring Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway. It was then welded back together and repainted to be blown up in this film. Shooting Cars (2006) featured the car's preparation.

Box Office

Gross (Domestic): $49,033,882

Opening Weekend (Domestic): $719,910 (2007-10-07)

User reviews

Technical specs

Sound mix

SDDS, Dolby Digital, DTS

Aspect ratio

2.39 : 1

Color

Color

FAQ

• Why did Michael throw his belongings into his car after it had blown up? It would help prove the car was his, but still there's no body as evidence.
• Is the plot of Michael Clayton based on any pre-existing publication such as book or other medium?
• What crime did Karen implicate herself in?