Erin Brockovich (2000)

An unemployed single mother becomes a legal assistant and almost single-handedly brings down a California power company accused of polluting a city's water supply.

Director:

Steven Soderbergh

Writer:

Susannah Grant

Stars:

Julia Roberts, Albert Finney, David Brisbin

Won 1 Oscar. Another 32 wins & 59 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Julia Roberts	...	Erin Brockovich
David Brisbin	...	Dr. Jaffe
Dawn Didawick	...	Rosalind
Albert Finney	...	Ed Masry
Valente Rodriguez	...	Donald
Conchata Ferrell	...	Brenda
George Rocky Sullivan	...	Los Angeles Judge
Pat Skipper	...	Defending Lawyer
Jack Gill	...	Defendant
Irene Olga López	...	Mrs. Morales
Emily Marks	...	Beth (8 months)
Julie Marks	...	Beth (8 months)
Scotty Leavenworth	...	Matthew
Gemmenne de la Peña	...	Katie (as Gemmenne De la Peña)
Erin Brockovich-Ellis	...	Waitress

Storyline

Erin Brockovich-Ellis is an unemployed single mother, desperate to find a job, but is having no luck. This losing streak even extends to a failed lawsuit against a doctor in a car accident she was in. With no alternative, she successfully browbeats her lawyer to give her a job in compensation for the loss. While no one takes her seriously, with her trashy clothes and earthy manners, that soon changes when she begins to investigate a suspicious real estate case involving the Pacific Gas & Electric Company. What she discovers is that the company is trying quietly to buy land that was contaminated by hexavalent chromium, a deadly toxic waste that the company is improperly and illegally dumping and, in turn, poisoning the residents in the area. As she digs deeper, Erin finds herself leading point in a series of events that would involve her law firm in one of the biggest class action lawsuits in American history against a multi-billion dollar corporation.

---

Plot Keywords:

environmental issue | contamination | working single mother | corporate crime | lawsuit | 

---

Taglines:

She brought a small town to its feet and a huge corporation to its knees.

---

Genres:

Biography | Drama

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language

Did You Know?

Trivia

For her performance in this film, Julia Roberts became the first actress to win Best Actress at the Academy Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards, BAFTA Awards and Critics' Choice Awards, as well as Best Actress - Drama at the Golden Globe Awards.

---

Goofs

Erin's duties that she took upon herself go way beyond the description of a legal clerk and is actually practicing law without a license or having passed the state Bar exam. In other words, although she has good intentions, her work is illegal, especially when it comes to questioning clients and victims of PG & E.

---

Quotes

Matthew Brockovich: This girl's about my age. Is she one of the people you're helping?
Erin Brockovich: Yeah, she's really sick so I'm going to get her some medicine to feel better.
Matthew Brockovich: Why doesn't her own mom get her medicine?
Erin Brockovich: Because her mom's really sick too.
Matthew Brockovich: Oh.

---

Crazy Credits

This movie was Re-Recorded in a Swelltone Theatre.

---

Alternate Versions

In the TV version aired on NBC, it mutes the several uses of the f-word [usually changing it from f*cking to freaking, or sometimes even cutting out the line[s] of dialogue]. It also, to supposedly make up for lost time during editing, adds a scene not shown on the theatrical or home video version of the film [although it was added as a deleted scene in the DVD]: Erin goes out to her car after storming into the office and shouting at Ed. She feels still feels very sick and then faints. It lands her in the hospital where George comes to visit [explaining why George would come and take care of Erin's kids while she went to get the signatures]. Ed also comes to visit and pleads her to not make stunts like she did again. Erin apologizes and says she's coming to the town meeting, sick or not.

---

Connections

Referenced in Visiting... with Huell Howser: Slash X Cafe (2005)

---

Soundtracks

Honey Bunch
Written by Paul Kerr & Andy Dewar
Courtesy of Opus 1

User Reviews

Great story, with great casting too. Great directing, acting, production.

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.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 March 2000 (USA)

Also Known As:

Erin Brockovich

Filming Locations:

Santa Ventura Studios - 5301 North Ventura Avenue, Ventura, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$52,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$28,138,465, 19 March 2000

Gross USA:

$125,595,205

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$256,271,286

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, Columbia Pictures, Jersey Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

131 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS (8 channels)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1