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464 reviews in total

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54 out of 71 people found the following review useful:
Truth IS Stranger Than Fiction, 11 February 2001
Author: styrrell

If I didn't know it was based on a "true" story I might have dismissed this movie as "unrealistic", particularly in the first half hour or so when it started off like another Julia Roberts comedy. At the beginning the film appears to focus primarily on her wardrobe, her foul language, and the developing romance with the "boy next door", whom she initially dislikes. As it turns out, the actual story, according to the bonus features on the DVD was even more melodramatic than the film's. The real Erin actually got sick to the point of hospitalization from the chromium in Hinkley. The director wisely decided to cut out this part of the story, to avoid making her too much of a martyr. Another aspect while not totally ignored (she does mention at least once that she's a "slow reader") but underplayed is Erin's dyslexia. This makes her accomplishments all the more amazing! Personally, I think this fact could have been emphasized more, as no doubt it was a big factor behind her "attitude" problems - her combativeness toward people with more education than herself, her struggles in finding a job, perhaps even in her efforts to accentuate her physical attractiveness through her outrageous clothing. All in all I found it an enjoyable and enlightening story - the triumph of a unique individual whose determination, empathy, and sense of moral duty ultimately outweigh her abrasiveness and lack of social graces. And largely why she triumphs is her partnership with an intelligent and decent lawyer in Ed Masry. What a refreshing departure from the usual Hollywood stereotype! On many occasions, he effectively counters Erin's prejudices with rational explanations how and why the legal system works the way it does, and why lawyers behave the way they do. With her passion and his reason, they make a great team. Now if only the movie hadn't fallen into the old Hollywood trap of giving its leading lady more outfits than is realistic for someone of her economic status. The point that Erin dressed provocatively and this caused problems with her co-workers could have easily been made with just 3 or 4 costumes. Other than that, it was a good movie - great performances and a wonderful story.

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33 out of 43 people found the following review useful:
Soderbergh's Visuals in the Service of Roberts., 30 October 2005

Author: nycritic

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Despite being somewhat manipulative, despite being based on true events, despite essentially being a Julia Roberts' vehicle to the extreme, Steven Sodebergh hits a home run with his David and Goliath story. ERIN BROCKOVICH tells the story of -- who else -- Erin Brockovich, a single woman who has somehow lost her way and been under hard times. Urgently needing work to pay her bills as she is close to bankrupt she hustles her way into Masry's office and gets a job as a file clerk (much to his and the entire office's resistance due to her over-the-top personality) where she uncovers some papers from Pacific Gas and Electric mixed with other real estate papers which don't add up. Taking matters to her own hands she decides to investigate further and finds that PG and E had been buying people out of their homes and paying for their medical bills because they were covering up the contamination from hexavalent chromium in the community water to which she enlists Masry to bring forth one of the biggest lawsuits in California history.

Where most legal thrillers, in order to succeed, litter their stories with a slew of shady figures and double-crosses and plot twists, ERIN BROCKOVICH succeeds in sticking (like its heroine) to its "little train that could" story from start to finish. While this curbs some of the suspense, it heightens its social aspect because we identify with the little man. We want this woman who has had a hard life to get her case across, and we also want these innocent people who are victims of the "big corporation to get their compensation. It's like a much anticipated fight between Rocky and his adversary but without the sentimentalism: it's not so much will he win, but what will he do to win. This is the kind of film in which we already know at a gut level what will happen, but what we focus on is the battle itself.

ERIN BROCKOVICH also succeeds in its performances, and with that I don't only mean Julia Roberts who with this role has found her inner actress. There is a scene in which Brockovich reveals to Donna Jensen (played by CSI's Marg Helgenberger) that PG and E have not been on her side, going so far as to pay for her medical bills to cover the fact that they have contaminated the water -- water that her kids are playing in -- her quiet horror is registered on her face. Albert Finney also brings some of his quiet to Ed Masry and in turn is able to ground her when things get rough near the end -- he and Roberts light up the screen whenever they are together without having any sexual tension, leaving it all to their acting styles. Veanne Cox is funny in a buttoned-up way as the lawyer who confronts Erin Brockovich, not knowing who she is coming up against. If anything, Aaron Eckhart is the only actor whose role seems a little like filler, or maybe the story didn't know what to do with him once he had effectively seduced Brockovich, but he has some good scenes near the beginning.

Then there is Julia Roberts in a role that should have gone to a more experienced actress -- someone like Felicity Huffmann who actually resembles the real Brockovich but was not a box-office draw. Roberts fully embodies her character and is given line after sharp line to the point that almost every scene ends with a savage quip from her mouth complete with reaction shot. There are even times when her ferocious grip on her character threatens to go into scenery-chewing. However, Soderbergh brings out a complete acting range from Roberts as Brockovich the person as opposed to cartoon, and with this, Roberts can claim this as her breakthrough role which finally separates her from her trademark persona. This was the role in which she got the Oscar for Best Actress, beating out Ellen Burstyn for REQUIEM FOR A DREAM. Stephen Soderbergh would also win, but for a different film altogether: TRAFFIC, a film which would also grant acting nominations on its own.

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41 out of 64 people found the following review useful:
JULIA ROBERTS SHINES IN HER STRENGTHS AS ERIN BROCKOVICH, 2 April 2000

Author: tbabe29 from SF Bay Area, CA

Hallelujah for Julia Roberts. She was BORN to play this role! Erin Brockovich is one of the most entertaining movies I have seen in a long time! And I am VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT!

The element that made Julia Roberts a star in Pretty Woman is very much what carried this movie. Julia's strengths is her ability to play street-wise, honest, and passionate characters. Erin Brockovich is all those things.

The writing is dead on, making Roberts job easier, I am sure. And Roberts delivery of the lines was flawless. SHE WAS ERIN BROCKOVICH. Not that I have ever met the woman...

Only in some places did the movie feel a little slow, I think perhaps, because of what the movie was about. Contamination cases aren't exactly the most exciting of plots, but it doesn't stay in one place too long and keeps moving.

I would pay full price to see this movie again. There is just so much funny dialogue in it.

9 out of 10 I vote.

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24 out of 34 people found the following review useful:
Enjoyable, 21 February 2003
Author: bob the moo from Birmingham, UK

Out of work, out of hope, trashy, twice divorced single mother Erin fails to get another job due to her lack of experience. On her way home she is hit by another car. She goes to lawyer Ed Masry who spectacularly fails to win her any damages. Erin demands he gives her a job and he begrudgingly does. Doing some of his pro-bono work, Erin uncovers evidence that suggests that manufacturing firm PG&E had poisoned the local water supply and lie to residents about the content. As she looks deeper she finds a legacy of illness and a small bit of research turns into a mammoth case.

I don't know how much of this drama is factual and how much of it is changed to add to dramatic effect but regardless the story is involving, funny and moving. At the time there was a rash of 'environmental damage' legal films of which this is one of the more polished and classy. The film focuses as much on Erin as it does on the case and at times it risked failing as a legal drama/thriller. However it still grips as the facts pretty much speak for themselves – the film adds to this by creating a real sense of PG&E as a monster without scruples or concern for the residents. As a result the events feel more powerful and involving. It feels slow at times, but if you're into it then it feels patient rather than slow and deliberate rather than laboured.

The biggest reason that the focus on Erin works is because Roberts really does very well giving her Erin a down to earth, trashy feel that could have been hammy or unbelievable (she is a multimillion pound actress after all), but it wasn't. Instead it was realistic and quite warm – where she could have been annoying. The grumpy Finney is also good value and seems natural in the role. Eckhart is almost too good to be true but gives a likable performance and is a winning non-distraction.

The film benefits from the style that Soderbergh brings to it. It glides with the grace that he brought to Ocean's 11 and has the rich colouring that parts of Traffic had. His direction really adds to the film and makes the sum feel a little greater that the parts put together.

Overall this may not be the legal thriller that you hoped for and it may move a great deal slower that I thought a Hollywood film would, but it is worth it. The film is patient and worth baring with and Roberts is actually pretty good in the lead! Enjoyable.

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32 out of 50 people found the following review useful:
dazzling performance by Julia Roberts, 12 August 2000
Author: Roland E. Zwick (magneteach@aol.com) from United States

In its story, `Erin Brockovich' breaks little new ground. Essentially, it joins the ranks of earlier films such as `Silkwood,' `The Insider,' `A Civil Action,' `The Rainmaker,' among others, each of which tells the tale of a common `David' (be it in the form of a whistleblowing employee or compassionate, righteous lawyer) who, against all odds, mounts a seemingly quixotic crusade against a corporate Goliath. All the above five films expose the shoddy and often malevolent business practices of companies that have resulted in major health care crises for both their own employees as well as the residents who live near the companies' facilities. In the case of `Erin Brockovich,' the villain is the PG&E electrical plant located in the desert community of Hinckley, near Barstow, California. It seems that the residents of this small town have been experiencing a mind-bogglingly high number of serious illnesses and miscarriages that PG&E has assured them are not in any way related to the activities at their site. The company has even brought in medical professionals and toxicologists to assuage the residents' growing fears. Almost by chance, Erin Brockovich stumbles onto this information and takes up the challenge of fighting for the rights of these victims and exposing PG&E's gross malfeasance in the process.

Looking at its bare-boned plotting, one must concede that there really isn't much that is new here. However, thanks to a pair of utterly smashing performances by Julia Roberts and Albert Finney and a beautifully well-rounded portrait of a real-life heroine, this Steven Soderbergh film emerges as a true crowd-pleasing triumph. This may, in fact, be not only Roberts' best performance, but her finest role as well. Erin is not a conventional do-gooder heroine. First of all, she is often abrasive and off-putting in her demeanor. Dressed more like a fashion devotee of Roberts' `Pretty Woman' call girl character than a serious legal executive, Erin often launches into unrestrained, obscenity-laced tirades at her boss, her loving boyfriend, even the corporate lawyer bigwigs sent to help her when the case she is making comes close to completion. Yet, it is just this no-nonsense directness that earns her the confidence of the people she is trying so desperately to help. A twice-divorced mother of three, she is as passionate in the defense of her own children as she is in the defense of her case. Yet, she is a woman made up of any number of internal contradictions. Much as she loves her children, she has made a shambles of her life in recent years. Rootless and lacking the skills necessary to procure a well-paying job, she practically has to beg to get hired in the office of a lawyer who has failed to win her a settlement in a traffic accident case. Staunchly individualistic, she refuses to tone down her rhetoric or her temper – or to adopt the more `professional' attire of the business world – even if it might mean that she would be taken more seriously by those around her. She assumes that no man would be willing to consider having a serious relationship with her because of her children and marital track record, yet, when a man enters her life doing just that, her insecurities and her intense commitment to the cause for which she is fighting begin to drive him away – and her children as well. Most fascinatingly, perhaps, we are led to wonder whether it is really the suffering people who motivate her obsessive commitment or rather, as she herself admits, the personal recognition she receives now when she walks into a room and people clamor desperately to know what she thinks on an issue. All credit to Susannah Grant for writing a character so full of believable paradoxes. Obnoxious as Erin is at times, her innate vitality, wisdom and warm-hearted compassion consistently shine forth. Grant, by making her such a three-dimensional figure, mitigates much of the incredibility that lies at the root of this story, true though it may be.

And, given this juicy role, Roberts is nothing short of a revelation. She conveys each conflicting mood and character trait perfectly. Never before has this actress brought such a breezy assurance to her every action and statement. She literally holds this rich film together, forcing us to focus intently on the storm of emotions taking place deep inside this complex woman. This is definitely Oscar-caliber work. Equally brilliant is Albert Finney as Ed Masry, the lawyer for whom Erin works, a jovial, easygoing man who watches with a bemused appreciation as Erin hurls colorful invective at him, rages against the system and dresses down with withering sarcasm not only the legal representatives from PG&E but the seasoned lawyers Masry himself has hired to help bring home the case. One of Erin's most endearing traits is that she is an equal opportunity harridan – a fact that wins Masry over every bit as much as it does us.

If `Erin Brockovich' has a weakness, it comes in the form of Erin's romantic relationship with the unemployed motorcycle rider next door. He seems simply too good to be true, and, although we know that it is necessary to fill in this particular part of Erin's life to make her portrait a well-rounded and complete one, it is still the least interesting and believable part of the tale. We feel we are being too often distracted from the meaty center of the story.

Still, this is a minor quibble about a film that works so beautifully on so many levels. As Erin Brockovich, Julia Roberts has finally found the role uniquely suited to her enormous talents and she blazes forth more brightly than she has ever done before. I, for one, will be roundly rooting for her come Oscar night.

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22 out of 31 people found the following review useful:
a definite winner, uplift, social conscience, and knockout acting, 5 May 2002

Author: mikel weisser from west coast of AZ

Steven Soderbergh's Erin Brockovich is exactly the uplift picture you've always hoped for. strong acting, moving script, important issues, legitimate procedurals and best of all it is scrupulously faithful to its true story. Struggling outspoken single mom, Erin (the Oscar winning performance by Julie Roberts proving irrevocably that she is more than just tits and teeth), gets on with a law firm run by Ed Masry (Albert Finney in a justifiably nominated supporting role)just in time to break open the biggest direct action corporate lawsuit in american history. it is not a simple magic act either. Erin's got her character flaws (many of which are visited on supportive biker boyfriend George, played by Aaron Eckhart) and the lawsuit is immensely complicated, though Screenwriter Susannah Grant's nominated script keeps it all in focus and understandable. It's the kind of story we can all learn a lot from. Erin works her tail off, polishes her own too harsh rough edges and ultimately wins a richly deserved reward (just the film itself was so amply rewarded.)It's a story that inspires americans to believe in the system and fight against corporate injustice on their own personal level. It's the kind of thing that shows each and every person can make a big difference. everybody should be proud of soderbergh for realizing what a huge hero Erin Brockovich is and for bringing her struggles and triumphs to the screen.

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9 out of 12 people found the following review useful:
Everything she does is real, 6 February 2001

Author: Dennis Littrell (dalittrell@yahoo.com) from SoCal

(Note: Over 500 of my movie reviews are now available in my book "Cut to the Chaise Lounge or I Can't Believe I Swallowed the Remote!" Get it at Amazon.)

Julia Roberts stars as an unrelentingly tactless, thoroughly tasteless, charm-school dropout twice divorced, the mother of three who dresses like a Las Vegas whore. We love her. She is a woman who's been disappointed a time or two and generally expects the worst, and when she doesn't get it, she's surprised. She is her own worst enemy with a foul mouth and a skanky style and a chip on her shoulder. She is also very smart and incredibly strong and knows right from wrong (and that's the chip on her other shoulder). We love her.

Stir in Richard Gere or Tom Cruise (no, he's too short)... How about...no, no, NO. Give her someone near her equal. How about a real actor twice her age? How about Albert Finney (whom I first saw in the delightful Tom Jones (1963))? Together they play it like Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy without the romance. Not only does it work, it's a triumph. Finney really is brilliant. His timing is exquisite as is his ability to round his character. Did you catch the shot of him with the one eye comically magnified through his glasses? For love interest give her a bandana-wearing biker whom she turns into a house husband to take care of her kids while she takes on Pacific Gas and Electric (market cap = $28-billion). For the first time in her life she is doing something important. For the first time in her life people respect her. There's something wonderful about this because even without an education people can see, and she can know, that she's their equal and maybe a bit more.

Aaron Eckhart, lately seen as the sociopathic Chad in the startlingly original In the Company of Men (1997) plays the biker house husband with fidelity and a kind of sappy warmth. She neglects him and her kids for her obsession. Susannah Grant, who penned the very clever script must have gotten a good laugh with this unusual household, the poor, stay at home neglected husband, the always on the road wife. Incidentally, don't miss the scene where he first kisses her. It was so real all I could think was this guy is kissing Julia Roberts! She is so powerfully expressive that everything she does is real. That's her gift.

A significant part of the success of Erin Brockovich of course is in the compelling (and substantially true) story of David versus Goliath ("and all his relatives," as Finney quips), of good versus evil, of the "little guy" versus the corporate behemoth. I won't be giving away anything by telling you that there's a happy ending. But this is also a triumph for Director Steven Soderbergh who can now add a box office success to critical acclaim. I haven't seen any of his latest movies, (I'm looking forward to seeing Traffic), but I recall with pleasure the very interesting Sex, Lies, & Videotape from 1989. I am also looking forward to the Academy Awards presentations because I suspect the Academy is going to reward both Julia Roberts and Soderbergh by making Erin Brockovich the Best Picture of the year 2000.

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4 out of 4 people found the following review useful:
When feel-good becomes Oscar-worthy feel-good, 30 April 2008

Author: Movie_Muse_Reviews from IL, USA

The only thing bigger than Julia Roberts' chest in "Erin Brockovich" is the heart this film has. While it is a drama, it would be more apt to describe the plot as a struggle, because it's all about fighting for what you believe in and overcoming the odds and all opposing forces. Nothing bad actually happens in this movie, at all, but it's the complications, the setbacks the moral struggles along the way that make it shine.

"Erin Brockovich" stars Julia Roberts in the title role in a film based on the true story of a twice-married mother of three who is desperate to find a way to make a living and provide for her family. After a failed attempt at suing for damages after a car accident, Brockovich turns to her lawyer, Ed Masry (Albert Finney), for a job doing anything she can at his law firm. Reluctantly he accepts and soon Brockovich finds herself uncovering a potentially huge case.

Roberts had to have been a no-questions-asked best actress winner after this performance. As Brockovich she is incredible playing multiple roles as the loving mother, the driven working-woman, the troubled lover, everything. The mood swings are effortless for her. Perhaps the best element of her performance is that she comes across as glaringly flawed, even if she is quite likable. Her lines are killer and delivered with command. Though some of her rants are over the top, they're really clever nonetheless.

Finney's character is much the same way. He is really enjoyable to watch and gives a great performance even though his character never gets truly dramatic.

This is just a great screenplay by Susannah Grant. It's almost completely devoid of melodrama and yet it tackles so many real life issues. Brockovich's struggle to balance her work with her family brings up an issue that can connect with anyone, although the feminist tones of the film obviously won't connect as strongly with men. Director Steven Soderbergh feels very distant from the film. Every so often a shot or sequence will be artistic, but he allows the story to tell itself for the most part.

"Erin Brockovich" is better than the average feel-good story. When there's little melodrama and great acting, a feel-good story becomes a great movie. Sports films based on true stories are feel-good stories, but they don't get nominated for best picture. While it may all seem too good to be true and the positive seems to trump the negative more times than it ought to, the film still feels very real and one that no one should miss.

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4 out of 5 people found the following review useful:
Prepare The Oscars For Roberts, Finney, 10 September 2000

Author: jhclues from Salem, Oregon

A tenacious file clerk for a small law firm, curious about some information included in the file of a pro bono case, purses it and ultimately becomes a major player in a huge lawsuit involving hundreds of people in `Erin Brockovich,' a movie based on actual events, directed by Steven Soderbergh. When Erin (Julia Roberts) questions why medical records are included in the file of a simple real estate transaction between a public utilities company and some homeowners in the town of Hinckley, California, she uncovers information that PG&E may have been responsible for water pollution that may have caused widespread illness and even death among the citizens of Hinckley. But truth is one thing, and having the resources to fight a company worth billions of dollars is another. And that's the problem that falls into the lap of lawyer Ed Masry (Albert Finney), owner of the law firm that employs Brockovich. Millions of dollars, as well as justice for those who have been harmed is at stake, but it's a case of David versus Goliath, and Masry has reservations as to whether or not he is up to the task; the meager resources of his firm will only go so far, while the utility could tie them up in court for years and not feel a thing. Masry, however, has something else to consider: Erin Brockovich, who has latched on to this case harder than a pit bull on a mailman's trousers. Julia Roberts gives one of the best performances of her career in this film, as the sassy, brazen Brockovich, who tells it like it is and won't take `no' for an answer. She captures ever grain of realism in bringing Erin's story to life; this woman who was down on her luck, but refused to give in to circumstances that overwhelmingly stacked the odds against her. She perfectly conveys the sense of frustration felt by this single mother of three who, unemployed, and with no help or prospects in sight, simply would not quit on her own life or let her children down. It's a gritty, charismatic performance with a depth that aptly demonstrates what kind of person Brockovich really is; not a portrait of a superwoman or a story made up of overblown, feigned heroics, but of a self-assured, very real person with too much pride and integrity to turn away from the truth and people in need. Albert Finney is also outstanding as Masry, the honest, hard working lawyer who finds his horizons somewhat expanded by Erin's zeal. He's something of a decent, regular guy with a good marriage, small but successful practice and diabetes. And Finney brings him to life with a performance that should get him an Oscar nomination at the very least. It's tough taking the part of an average Joe and making him memorable, and it's a credit to Finney's ability as an actor that he succeeds so well in doing so. The solid supporting cast includes Aaron Eckhart, exemplary in his role of George, the man in Erin's life; Marg Helgenberger (Donna Jensen); Cherry Jones (Pamela Duncan); Peter Coyote (Kurt Potter); and Conchata Ferrell (Brenda). One of the best movies of the year, `Erin Brockovich' is a well made, absorbing and entertaining drama, well directed and superbly acted, especially by Roberts and Finney; it's theme of the underdog fighting for justice has a universal appeal that will get the adrenaline pumping and engage you emotionally. It's a great story, with Julia Roberts at her very best. This is one you do not want to miss. I rate this one 10/10.

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10 out of 17 people found the following review useful:
Soderbergh Punches the Clock, 3 May 2001
Author: tedg (tedg@FilmsFolded.com) from Virginia Beach

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Spoilers herein.

After creating the truly exciting `Limey,' Soderbergh puts in some time to make some money.

He panders, he sinks, he makes a movie that wins prizes and makes money. This film was created by Roberts because she found a character she can do. He dives into the world of bitches, smarmy personal injury and corporate lawyers, and irresponsible companies.

What depresses me is not Roberts. We already know her limitations. We've heard this story many times; there's nothing new here. Roberts is no Russell Crowe; `Erin' is no `Insider.' (Why moviegoers celebrate this is truly depressing.)

No, my problem is that Soderbergh is an artist -- the whole society loses when he works on tripe. The framing, the editing, the abstraction is so pedestrian it hurts. Maybe this will pay for something good on down the road.

But I did get something out of it. In my rating system, for every 9, I need to find a 2. Now I can see `In the Mood for Love.'

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