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" She brought a small town to its feet . . . and a huge company to its knees." She's got that thing folks! The story of Erin Brockovich is an inspirational reminder of the power of the human spirit. Her passion, tenacity and steadfast desire to fight for the rights of the underdog defied the odds. Her victory made even more sweet by the fact that while helping others, she in turn helped herself. The film is based on a true story, centering on Erin Brockovich (Julia Roberts), an unemployed, single mother who, after losing a personal injury suit, guilt-trips her attorney Ed Masry (Albert Finney), into hiring her as a low-level secretary at a suburban Los Angeles law firm. While on the job, she stumbles on a case involving the poisoning of the water supply by Pacific Gas & Electric and ends up taking the case all the way through the judicial system. The affected locals are initially leery of becoming involved, but Erin is no "suit" looking for a big win. Erin is one of them, and her ability to connect with residents on their level invokes their confidence and trust. Helping her out is her next door neighbor, George (Aaron Eckhart), a Harley Davidson biker whose friendship and support allows her the time to pursue the case. Going door to door, she signs up over 600 plaintiffs, and Erin and Ed go on to receive the largest settlement ever paid in a direct-action lawsuit in U.S. history...$333 million. Erin triumphs over insurmountable odds; she is able to prove herself, reinvent her life, and let the world experience her genius. Susannah Grant's screenplay does include some broad stereotypes, such as a professional, dress-for-success female attorney that serves as the anti-thesis of the person Erin is. The character left me wondering what her story was (she was most likely a fictional character; only Erin, Ed, and George are based specifically on real people). Grant does provide plenty of "zinger" dialogue bits that keep the entertainment level high. Most of those exchanges are between Roberts and Finney, who as a couple (employee and boss) are really more of the center of the plot than her relationship with George (Eckhart). As a total package, Erin Brockovich is all entertainment and emotion, telling a true story that inspires. Is it basically a hybrid of "A Civil Action" and "Silkwood" (I'll spare you an analysis of the many similarities to those two films; other critics have already done that)? If so, does it work, and is it worth seeing? Let's see...can you say "Yeppers!" to all those questions! Just a side note: the real Ms. Erin Brockovich has a cameo as a waitress. Running Time: 130 Minutes |
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