Erin Brockovich is a modern-day David vs. Goliath story with a few notable exceptions. The villainous behemoth in this version is a faceless corporate conglomerate. The hero is a sassy, brassy, less-than-classy female with a prominently featured chassis. In the basic elements of the story line, this is a story we have heard before. The crusader vs. the corporation is a dominant theme in The China Syndrome, A Civil Action, and this year's Oscar nominee The Insider. The version where the "good guy" is a female working-class hero is the basic theme of Norma Rae and Silkwood. Like these latter films, Erin Brockovich is based on a real character and a real-life incident.Erin Brockovich is a twice-divorced mother with kids who finagles her way into a job working for the lawyer who lost her case in a civil trial. Erin is feisty, determined, independent, and mouthy. These very traits that get her into trouble with co-workers, friends, and family members are the traits that prove to be her greatest assets as a secretary turned paralegal. What makes the character sympathetic is her caring. She does not always show it well, but beneath the tough exterior is a woman with a heart of gold who cares deeply about her kids and is passionately committed to the families affected by corporate neglect.Julia Roberts is well-suited for the "brassy broad with a heart-of-gold" role. Consider her past performances in Pretty Woman (hooker with a heart of gold), Notting Hill (superstar with a heart of gold), and My Best Friend's Wedding (scheming, conniving, two-faced backstabber with a heart of gold). How could she miss?What distinguishes this film from films like Norma Rae or Silkwood however, is the witty script by screenwriter Susannah Grant. Grant was the screenwriter for Pocahantas, Ever After, and 28 Days. What these films have in common is strong-willed independent female characters. Here the synthesis of Brockovich's character, Grant's writing, and Julia Roberts' persona all work together like a charm. The best way to turn an old formula into a good film is through distinctive characters. The characters and their relationships are the real heart of this film.As a result, the film is much lighter in tone than Norma Rae or Silkwood. There are moments of high drama, but the film really shines in its humor and wit. Albert Finney is delightful as Ed Masry, Erin's boss. Julia Roberts turns in what may prove to be the best performance of her career as a working-class mom who refuses to stay down for the count. Director Steven Soderbergh (Out of Sight, The Limey) handles the material well and the pacing of the film is nearly perfect.Corporate neglect will become an increasingly important topic as evidenced by events in Seattle last year. By some estimates, there may be as many as 100,000 deaths per year (four times the homicide rate) as a result of "corporate crime." Erin Brockovich manages to raise the issue in a context that is neither preachy nor smug. But in the end this is not an issue film, but a character study, and what a character she is! Both thumbs up for Erin Brockovich.

Erin Brockovich Saves the DayErin Brockovich is a riveting film that will have you rooting for the underdog and hating large corporations that are out to get the little guys. This plot has been done many times before and in many instances, it has failed but not in this case. The film stars Julia Roberts as the protagonist of this film, Erin Brockovich. This film also stars Albert Finney as Ed Masry and Aaron Eckhart as George, who is Brockovich's love interest in this film. This film is based on a true story about a brave woman who goes against a huge corporation to pursue justice for others. Erin Brockovich is a single mother trying to raise her three kids. The opening scene of the film shows Brockovich desperately looking for a job so she can support her children and she ends up in a car accident. Jobless, she convinces her lawyer, Ed Masry into giving her a job at his firm. While working at the firm she begins to look into a real estate case involving Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E). She finds out PG&E is trying to secretly buy land that is contaminated by toxic hexavalent chromium, which they have disposed of incorrectly and has now affected the people living in Hinkley, California. The inhabitants of Hinkley are unaware that the land has been exposed to this dangerous chemical and think the company is solely trying to buy their homes. She decides to go to Hinkley and begins to question some of the people she read about in the files. As she talks to the residents, she digs deeper into what is actually occurring in the small town of Hinkley. She investigates further and soon Brockovich and Masry are involved in the biggest class action lawsuit case in American history against the powerful PG&E. Erin Brockovich is an inspirational film that will inspire you to do great things for the environment. She's a single mother of three, who without any formal education decides to go after a large multi-billion dollar corporation to help bring justice to those affected by the contamination of water in Hinkley. She was able to obtain the job in the law firm due to her tenacity as she convinced her lawyer to give it to her, which to me, says a lot about her character and how driven she is, which will help her as the film progresses. Despite her financial situation not being great, she still chose to help the people of Hinkley. This was a truly admirable act because she was fighting for a much greater cause. Even though she was not a lawyer, she was still an important asset in this case. I feel this helped the people of Hinkley trust her and bridge the gap between the lawyers and the clients. She was able to help the residents of Hinkley understand what was going on with the case in a way that they would understand. I think Julia Roberts did an exceptional job as Erin Brockovich. She was able to really connect with the character and it showed in her acting. This is a biographical film and I think it is vital that the writers don't stray too far from the truth and this film achieved just that. The costumes used in the film were great and helped bring a point across. The fact that she is working in a law firm brings a certain image to mind when it comes to the type of clothing you imagine employees wear and the clothes she wore were the exact opposite of that. Her clothes helped her stand out from the women in the law firm who wore pant suits and looked down on Brockovich because of her clothing choices. Even though the other workers were uncomfortable with the type of clothes she wore she did not succumb to their wills and she kept on dressing the way she wanted to. This action may seem insignificant but it really shows her refusal to conform to societal norms. The plot in the film is intriguing and kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end because I wanted to know what the outcome of the case was going to be. Throughout the movie, you can't help but root for her and want her to succeed. She's a single mother going against a huge corporation because they did the people of Hinkley wrong. This really helps play on the emotions of the viewer. While watching the film I found this to be an admirable quality of hers. While there is an underlying romance in the film, it is not the main focus. The directors do an excellent job at not taking away from the plot and the story that is being told. I would highly recommend this film. The acting is phenomenal and the plot keeps you wanting more. After watching the film, it got me questioning the trust we put in the people that provide us with water. I'm sure there are many cases around the world similar to this and I think it is a topic that should be discussed more. This film really highlighted Brockovich's many admirable qualities and it inspired me. She was just one person who happened to stumble upon this case but that did not stop her from further investigating the situation and doing the right thing. The fact that she did not go to law school and yet achieved something great serves as an inspiration to us all. I think we all have something to learn from Erin Brockovich and we should continue to fight for things we believe in.

It doesn't take long to realise that this is a great movie. Everything looks so real, and so it should seeing that it is a true(ish) story, but all the minor roles have great actors too. There are lots of instances where little mannerisms make it real. My guess is that Erin wrote most of the dialogue?Besides the real Brockavich, the real Ed Masry comes on the DVD bonus, and shows how good the casting of Albert Finney, and his acting, are and how much he contributed to the successful outcome of EB's efforts. Ed is so tolerant of Erin's apparent disregard for the norms of a legal practice, it is a bit hard to accept that he is for real! But he must have been. Also on the DVD is Erin (the real one) saying how surreal is the 30-second scene where she is the waitress, and then Julia saying that it is about "inhabiting the concept, not imitating". So true, and that is what makes really great actors, ie, JR.The story of corporate carelessness and a small-town lady who found out that the water was contaminated and decided to do something about it in spite of heavy lawyers who do whatever the client says, might give others the incentive to do their own action? 'hope so.Although this is a huge legal battle, there is very little of that shown - good idea, courtroom stuff can be so boring and irrelevant. We do see the judge deliver a judgement on a procedural matter, that is all that matters, and the no doubt long legal arguments are ignored all together. Good.

Based on a true story of tenacity and humble beginnings, this film follows Erin Brockovich (Julia Roberts) in her stiletto-clad stumble through the challenges of scraping by to pay bills, raising her children and catering to the whims of whiny boyfriends. It is clear from the beginning what a haphazard balancing act Brockovich's life is, opening on her painfully awkward attempts to make a good impression through an unsuccessful job interview, where we learn that she is an unemployed single mother of three. Wallowing in her defeat only long enough to smoke a single cigarette, she makes her way back to her old orange car, which has since acquired a parking ticket, and almost predictably is T-boned at an intersection minutes after leaving.The ways in which life is stacked against Brockovich are revealed gradually through her meeting with a lawyer in order to sue the driver that hit her, and later the disastrous cross examination in which her fiery temper and colorful diction cost her the jury's sympathy and her chances of winning any reparations for her pain and suffering. In her impatience at the defense lawyer's suggestion that she saw his wealthy client as an opportunity to capitalize on a lawsuit, it is clear that she is familiar with the ways in which power dynamics sway to favor the opposite of everything she embodies. Now confronted with the failure of her lawsuit, Brockovich is set back further than before, and forced to be even more driven and resourceful in her methods of obtaining her next paycheck. In this desperation, she turns back to her lawyer, Ed Masry (Albert Finney), demanding a job at the law firm in a grand show of shouting and refusal to leave, expressing that he owes her something for false promises and the failed lawsuit that left her in even more debt. When it becomes clear that Brockovich will not take no for an answer, Masry offers her a position as a file clerk. It is in the midst of this tedious paperwork that she discovers suspicious details of what was supposed to be a simple real estate case, which sends her on an investigation of a scheme bigger than she could have imagined.While the film was inspired by the story of how Brockovich investigates the ethics of the insidious corporation Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) and touches on the intricate workings of the legal system, its strength lies in how deeply it appeals to the viewer's emotion, strategically taking the time to zero in on the struggles Brockovich faces in her personal life in order to humanize her, when on the job her abrasive personality could otherwise be off-putting. In the face of poverty, motherhood and romantic entanglements, it is clear how she grew to project a tough exterior for the sake of survival.Brockovich's home life is one device used often to make her more accessible to the audience, revealing the tension with her young children over the long hours she must work, and her dilemma between helping the families she represents in her case or focusing on her own family. A defining moment illustrating the struggle she faces as a mother is in an argument with her boyfriend (Aaron Eckhart), who feels that he is being neglected for her work and taking too much responsibility in caring for her children. In a decision rarely made in fictional stories, Brockovich chooses to prioritize her work over her romantic relationship, a powerful choice challenging the familiar trope of a woman realizing that love is more important than her ambition. This is a powerful, pivotal moment in the film.This film is more impressive than most in its portrayal of womanhood, Brockovich embodying a conglomeration of qualities which fictional accounts rarely conflate. It should not be groundbreaking to present a strong and intelligent female character who also has children and on top of this wears short skirts and high heels, but few other films with this type of character come to mind. And perhaps it is solely for the sake of remaining faithful to the true story on which this is based that her character was created with such dimension. Unfortunately, the other female characters in this film are disappointingly pigeonholed into familiar roles, deliberately contrasting with Brockovich in myriad ways only as a means to further glorify her and set her apart. There are the other women at the law firm who are mostly frumpy and overweight, and seem to regard Brockovich negatively based only on her fashion sense or out of envy. This reproduces the familiar but apocryphal idea that women are in constant competition with one another rather than being allies. There are the victimized clients she helps: rural, married and ignorant mothers who play the sympathetic characters. Then there is the other female lawyer, who, in spite of being on her side of the case, is portrayed as uptight and snobbish, unsuccessful in her attempts to connect with the working class community that the firm represents.This is the story of an underdog, a representative of a stigmatized group in our society: a single mother, twice divorced, and poor. Above all of this, she is unapologetic in her femininity, refusing to be shamed for her opinions, clothing choices or pursuit of justice. Although it has its weaknesses in succumbing to an uncomfortable number of clichés, the film weaves a heartfelt tale of determination and navigating the gray areas between work and personal life as a woman. I am confident that anyone more emotional than me (read: anyone) would have minimal critique of this evocative combination of comedy and drama, which culminates to a tear-jerking resolution, even more impactful given the fact that it is based on true events. In spite of a few shortcomings and my own nitpicking critiques, I would rate this film highly and recommend it.