Erin Brockovich

Rating:
Summary: "WHEW! I'm kinda tired, Ed."
Review: "Erin Brockovich" is a wonderful movie! Starring Julia Roberts, Albert Finney, and Aaron Eckhart, it's based on the real-life story of Erin Brockovich, a down-on-her-luck, twice divorced former beauty queen with three young children. Having no post-high school education and few job skills, she has great difficulty finding and holding down a job. Despite her adversities, she displays a fierce grit and determination as she constantly seeks ways to support her family.

Then a seemingly tragic twist of fate puts her on the road to a complete reversal of luck. After being seriously injured in a car crash, she sues the doctor who hit her. Her antagonistic personality and foul mouth cause her to lose her lawsuit. With bluff and bravado, she persuades her lawyer, Ed Masry, into giving her a job as a file clerk in his law firm.

Erin finds herself intrigued by one of the cases contained in the files she's putting away. Why are people's medical records included in a simple real estate transaction? She asks Ed if she can look into it. He agrees. What Erin finds horrifies her. A large electric utility near the small town of Hinkley has been dumping a highly toxic form of chromium into the water. Citizens in Hinkley are contracting various forms of cancer and other gravely debilitating diseases.

The film's main story line tells of Erin and Ed's efforts to persuade Hinkley's citizens to join in a class action lawsuit against the utility.

Julia Roberts, Albert Finney, and Aaron Echhart each illuminate the screen with their superb performances. In Roberts' case, it would be easy to focus on her good looks and skimpy wardrobe and slight her acting. The fact is, though, her acting in this movie is probably her strongest attribute! Throughout the film, Roberts' character comes off as completely natural, believable, and admirable - if not always likeable. Julia Roberts is certainly deserving of her 2001 Academy Award Best Actress award!

Albert Finney (nominated for Best Spporting Actor) plays the gruff, irascible, hard-working, and totally decent lawyer Ed Masry. Finney's Oscar-worthy performance is certainly the equal of Roberts. The chemistry between Roberts, the star of modern-day female movie stars, and Finney, the grizzled veteran of stage and screen, sparkles.

Aaron Eckhart' s portrayal of George, the biker-turned-boyfriend and live-in baby-sitter is a refreshing change from the typical - and expected - Harley-Davidson rider stereotype. As Eckhart depicts him, George is smart, tender-hearted, probably a bit lazy, possessed with a wanderlust he keeps under control, and a thoroughly decent fellow.

How director Steven Soderbergh managed to keep "Erin Brockovich" from becoming another tedious, cliché-ridden legal and family drama is intriguing, and is probably one of the key reasons for the movie's tremendous popularity. It would have been easy to turn "Erin Brockovich" into a film filled with stereotypical courtroom pyrotechnics; long, idealistic speeches about the "little guy" versus corporate America; and characters that are either too easy to hate or too easy to love.

That's pretty much what I expected when I began watching the movie. Instead, I witnessed a film filled with ordinary, decent people... people with faults, to be sure; but all living their lives as best they can. Instead of slick lawyers seeking victory at any cost, there are attorneys zealously representing their clients to the best of their abilities. Instead of hapless, pitiable victims of corporate greed, the townspeople of Hinkley are portrayed as caring, decent, law-abiding citizens whose only concern is the welfare of their families.

What Soderbergh has, in fact, done is present to his audiences a wonderful reflection of American life - the good as well as the bad. At the conclusion of this wonderful film, it's easy for viewers to walk away feeling pretty good... not only about the ultimate outcome of the movie, but also about the fact that we Americans are, for the most part, decent, caring, law-abiding citizens. And that makes "Erin Brockovich" a film well worth seeing!

Rating:
Summary: Brockovich is a Winner
Review: Erin Brockovich is based on the true story of a nearly destitute single mother of three who while working for a small lawyer, Ed Masry, has an almost forgotten a pro bono case the lawyer is working on for a family in Hinckley, CA thrown on her desk for her to file. The case involves possible chromium contamination in the water due to negligence on the part of utilities giant Pacific Gas & Electric. Erin becomes intrigued by it and through her tireless effort and Masry's support, they ultimately win the case and receive the largest class action settlement in history. Director Steven Soderbergh takes what could have been into a television movie of the week story and turns it into an intelligent, funny, dramatic and thought provoking film. Julia Roberts is absolutely magnificent in the title role. Her wardrobe in the film (pushup bras and tight clothing which are nice) garnered alot of attention, but they are merely a sideshow to the best acting job of her career. She makes us feel for the situation Erin is in and through her compassion for the people of Hinckley, we too become involved and concerned for them as well. Albert Finney contributes his usual first rate acting to the role of Ed Masry. He perfectly plays off Ms. Roberts, absorbing the rants and abuse she heaps on him and then returning the favor with a few zingers of his own. Aaron Eckert plays Erin's boyfriend George with the right amount caring and support that gets tested throughout the film. Marg Helgenberger is great as a Hinckley resident who family is being broken down due to the chromium poisoning. Ms. Roberts recently won the 2000 Best Actress Oscar and despite all the hype, it was a well deserved award.

Rating:
Summary: SODERBERGH TRIUMPHS
Review: Unfortunately for this film, the ads that came out to promote it told too much of the story and gave away a lot of its really outstanding humour. This film actually was great. Soderbergh's direction was excellent and perhaps unexpected. Julia Roberts turns in a powerhouse performance as Erin Brockovich who uses her quick wit, perseverance and aggression to fuel her drive not only to wheedle her way into a job for which she is not at once qualified but uses it even more convincingly when she investigates the case for which she is well known and around which this script is built. A compelling story of a regular person who uses what skills and assets she does have to discover a cover-up and to get compensation for those whose lives were adversely affected or altogether destroyed by the information covered up. The cast was great, and Roberts deserves accolades for this performance. It was great to see the chameleonic Aaron Eckhart here also as Brockovich's boyfriend.

Rating:
Summary: Worst movie I saw last year
Review: Awful. Go and see Dancer in the Dark if you have to choose among movies nomited for Oscars.

Rating:
Summary: Great effort from Steven and Julia.
Review: Erin Brockovich

Score: 85/100

Wow, what a surprise. We didn't really see this one coming. Mostly with names like Erin Brockovich or Joan of Arc, you'd expect there was going to be some kind of war hero who dies in the end and has never been noticed before. But, in Erin Brockovich, it focuses on a classy new kind of hero that brings a small town to it's feet and huge business to it's knees.

Erin Brockovich (Julia Roberts) is an unemployed single mother desperate 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 Co.. What she discovers is that the company is trying to 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 lawfirm in one of the biggest class action lawsuits in American history against a multi-billion dollar corporation

In Erin Brockovich, you can no longer expect the romantic-comedy type of Julia Roberts. Here, she shines in her role as Erin, a feisty and determined single mom with a plan. It's the first movie in which Roberts really deserves the 'career-best' nod, and it will be a movie that she will be remembered for in the future. She is well supported by Albert Finney who handles Ed Masry's anger and happiness perfectly. There is also Aaron Eckhart, who stars as Erin's love interest, to keep us occupied and he is cast nicely and has promise for future roles. Hats off to director Steven Soderbergh (nominated for Best Director twice this year!) and Susannah Grant, who put mindblowing effort into this great picture.

One more thing: look out for the real Erin Brockovich as a waitress, and don't miss this film!

Rating:
Summary: Erin of Arc
Review: Like many other reviewers,I have been oblivious to the star power of Julia Roberts. I've always found her bland, and her one attempt at off-beat casting "Mary Reilly" was disasterous. But in "Erin Brockovich" she has found a character who is not a grinny Girl Scout, but on the other hand seems to fit Ms Roberts' persona. Erin Brockovich is a loose cannon whose worst enemy is her own mouth, but underneath the bluster (not to mention the Frederick's of Fresno wardrobe) is an impulsive woman with a brain and a warm sympathy for others. Ms Roberts handles the role well, using her natural charm and vitality to complete the character. (And I'm sure it helped to have a strong director Steven Soderbergh controlling the character's in-your-face crusading spirit.) Her co-star is Albert Finney, who is remarkable as Erin's lawyer-boss -- an American, of course. Who would believe that Finney was born in England and attended RADA? (Incidently, that 18th Century stud muffin Tom Jones in unrecognizable here.) They get hefty support, especially from Aaron Eckhart as Erin's boyfriend, a down-to-Earth biker who isn't ashamed to play with kids or wear reading glasses. Marg Helgenberger is touching as a woman whose life is threatened by an irresponsible bureaucracy, and Conchata Farrell is always fun in any small role she plays. As another litigant in the lawsuit Erin is involved in, Cherry Jones has yet to display on screen that wattage that has electrified New York. Susannah Grant's screenplay manages to miss most (though not all) the clichés of let's-buck-the-system stories; and the musical score (thank God!) is laid back, avoiding any soaring feel-good excesses. "Erin Brockovich" is not a great movie, but it is absorbing and very enjoyable.

Rating:
Summary: Well worth the money
Review: Hello all- This movie is well worth the investment. By no means is it one of those movies you watch over and over again in a short period of time. It is however, a fun movie to watch when there is nothing else on tv. The middle part of the movie does get a little slow, but overall it is a good movie. Julia Roberts does a great job in this film and she has a strong attitude as well as passion from beginning to end.

Rating:
Summary: Do for others
Review: Usually I don't go for movies like this one. I usually like light hearted comedies but I'm glad I watched this. It has some strong language in it so if you are so set against that, don't watch it but if you want to see how one person can help others with no reservations and go to unlimited ways to expose illegal operations and cover-ups of big corporations then watch this movie. Julia Roberts is outstanding in portraying one of the most strong-willed and determined but caring and loving persons God has created. An oscar for Julia and a standing ovalation for Erin. And the next time you're feeling helpless and insignificant and maybe having a pity-party, think and act on your own potential. With God's help, you can do more than you think.

Rating:
Summary: FOR FAVORITE ACTRESS THE AWARD GOES TO JULIA ROBERTS
Review: I THOUGHT THIS MOVIE WAS REALLY THE BEST MOVIE OF THE YEAR. JULIA GAVE HER BEST DRAMATIC PREFORMENCE SINCE STEEL MAGNOLIAS , AND ALBERT FINNEY WAS SOOO GREAT AND HE WAS REALL FUNNY TOOO. AAARON ECKHART IS SOOOOOOOO SOOOOOOO CUTE . I ALSO THOUHGT THIS MOVIE TOLD THE REAL SIDE OF ERIN.ERIN IS REALLY PRETTY WOMAN.AND THE WINNER FOR FAV. ACTRESS IS JULIA ROBERTS .............AND THE BEST DIRECTOR IS STEVEN SODERBERGH FOR...................... ERIN BROCKOVICH.

Rating:
Summary: Should I follow the story or sight see?
Review: 4.5 Stars.

I'm very glad that the REAL Erin dressed the way she did. Julia Roberts is able to show off her "stuff" (trying to keep this review family-friendly); although it's a little distracting. That's the sort of distractions I like!

Erin Brockovich follows a story line of "small guy conquearing big guy". This true story is reminicent of other good movies we've seen: SILKWOOD, ALICE DOESN'T LIVE HERE ANYMORE, CHINATOWN...others? A factory (part of a billion dollar company) poisons the water of a small town and tries to use devious tactics to get out of paying for their mistake. It has moments that will make you want to cheer for the players on screen-especially Erin as she simply says what she feels. Roberts and Finney are an excellent NON-STEREOTYPICAL pair and both deserve Oscars. And here in my state (where Julia is from) we are proud of our pretty "Georgia Girl"!