Hot Coffee
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Susan Saladoff
Nancy Tiano
Mike Gourley
Al Franken
Joanne Doroshow
Lisa Gourley
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
The infamous 1994 McDonald's hot coffee lawsuit has been routinely cited as an example of how citizens have taken advantage of America's legal system. The public outrage over this perceived legal frivolity resulted in legal reform to favor big business. This larger legislative agenda, sold to the public as a means of protecting honest citizens, had been underway since the 1980s, and its success has masked an effort to close off the one forum where average citizens have a fighting chance at holding corporations accountable to the law. Here, we learn what really happened to Stella Liebeck, the Albuquerque woman who spilled coffee on herself and sued McDonald's for over $2 million dollars. While exploring how and why the case garnered so much media attention, who funded the effort and to what end, it is revealed that many long-held beliefs about our civil justice system have been funded by the agenda of corporate America. Three more intriguing and misunderstood cases are explored.
Director
Susan Saladoff
Cast
Nancy Tiano
Mike Gourley
Al Franken
Joanne Doroshow
Lisa Gourley
Oliver Diaz
Stephanie Mencimer
Stella Liebeck
Colin Gourley
Jamie Leigh Jones
John Grisham
Joan Claybrook
Victor Schwartz
Wayne Slater
Crew
Sara Bernstein
William Britt
Bayard Carey
Tyler Cartner
Joan Claybrook
Erin Crumpacker
Oliver Diaz
Joanne Doroshow
Al Franken
John Paul Golaski
Colin Gourley
Lisa Gourley
Mike Gourley
John Grisham
Carly Hugo
Jamie Leigh Jones
Cindy Lee
Stella Liebeck
Wil Masisak
Stephanie Mencimer
Lorenzo Millan
Michael Mollura
Sheila Nevins
Alan Oxman
Martina Radwan
Martina Radwan
Betsy Rate
Rebecca Saladoff
Susan Saladoff
Victor Schwartz
Matt Sheldon
Winter Sichelschmidt
Wayne Slater
Nancy Tiano
Michael J. Walls
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Miscellaneous Notes
Original airing in United States July 27, 2011
Released in United States 2011 (Community Screenings)
Released in United States 2011
Originally in development as a feature.
Released in United States 2011 (Silver Spectrum)
Released in United States 2011 (U.S. Documentary Competition)
Released in United States 2011 (Documentaries/Out of Competition)
Original airing in United States July 27, 2011
Released in United States 2011 (Documentary Films)
