Rent Erin Brockovich on Amazon Video (paid link)
Written by: Susannah Grant
Directed by: Steven Soderbergh
Starring: Julia Roberts, Albert Finney, David Brisbin, Aaron Eckhart, Marg Helgenberger
Rated: R
Watch the trailer
Plot
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.
Verdict
This is the ultimate underdog story. How can you not root for families in the middle of nowhere to win a settlement they deserve against a big company that lied to them? This case is led by a single mom with no experience, but she cares about justice, sacrificing her family to achieve it. Julia Roberts makes any movie better, and she stands out here playing against type as a small town woman on a mission. It's an enjoyable movie that's never dull.
Watch It.
Review
Erin (Julia Roberts), a single mom desperate for a job is doing it all on her own. Leaving a job interview a doctor causes a car accident. She wants to recoup her medical bills and hires Edward (Albert Finney), but she doesn't have the odds. An ER doctor is going to win over a jobless single mom. Also, her bluntness doesn't win any fans.
Julia Roberts isn't playing her typical wholesome role, so this character stands out. She's always great, and you can't help but like her, especially when she's crusading for a cause. Erin doesn't take any crap and doesn't conform, but that's also why she gets hired by Edward. She's subsequently fired for investigating a real estate case. It's not her fault, but shes' the odd one out at the office. When Edward realizes what she's discovered he hires her back, that's after she negotiates a raise.
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| Julia Roberts, Albert Finney play Eric Brockovich, Edward Masry |
I do wonder about George (Aaron Eckhart). He conveniently shows up to take care of her kids so Erin can pursue the case. You also wonder why she would leave her kids with someone she barely knows. I get she's in a tough spot, but it seems odd.
Erin and Edward amass documents and research, but they're fighting a giant, a billion dollar company. Erin wants to fight, but Edward explains how this is no easy case and how many ways the power company could delay. They enter arbitration as a last ditch effort to speed up the case and get money for the families in need with rising medical bills. The judge sees merit in their case, disturbed that the power company lied about chemicals being safe.
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| Julia Roberts plays Erin Brockovich |
To try and further avoid any consequences the power company makes a low ball settlement offer. Erin rips into this, but the kicker is when one of the lawyers is about to take a sip of water and Erin states they brought that water in special from the affected town, Hinkely. The lawyer quickly lowers the glass.
This is an underdog story. Erin was not only an unlikely hire, but this was a case that easily could have been missed. Even then, most people wouldn't go to trial. The risks are too great, but Erin is determined to fight for justice. This is based on a true story, and she's the reason for one of the largest settlements ever awarded. She got justice, but it was at the expense of time with her kids. She sacrificed, and that's why there are so many reasons this settlement might never have happened. It required someone to fervently pursue the outcome.
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