For many Americans, the famous McDonald’s coffee case has become emblematic of the frivolous lawsuits that clog our courts and stall our justice system. Or is that exactly what McDonald’s wants us to think? Enter intrepid filmmaker Susan Saladoff. Using the now-infamous legal battle over a spilled cup of coffee as a springboard into investigating our civil-justice system, Saladoff exposes the way corporations have spent millions distorting this case to promote tort reform. Big business has brewed an insidious concoction of manipulation and lies to protect its interests, and media lapdogs have stirred the cup.
Following four people whose lives have been devastated by their inability to access the courts, this searing documentary unearths the sad truth that most of our beliefs about the civil-justice system have been shaped or bought by corporate America. Informative, entertaining, and a stirring call to action, Hot Coffee will make your blood boil. —Sundance Film Festival
This is very much an advocacy documentary, not an attempt at objectivity. Think of it as an op-ed piece arguing against tort reform. As such, it is very effective. Even if you remain unpersuaded, the movie's arguments are still worth taking seriously. Despite all that, its greatest virtue is also its simplest, correcting the pervasive misunderstanding of the McDonald's coffee suit.
If you think the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is a governmental agency, you should: 1.) Never express a political opinion for the rest of your ignorant life and; 2.) See this film.
This movie completely changed my mind. Before seeing it, I thought that tort reform is a good idea because our legal system is clogged with frivolous lawsuits. Hot Coffe made me rethink this assumption. Very eye-opening and I learned tons. Before seeing this, I assumed US Chamber of Commerce was part of the government and I had no idea what mandatory arbitration is. Everyone should see this film.
North America's largest documentary film festival, Hot Docs, opens today in Toronto and screens nearly 200 films through May 8 — and
