Erin Brockovich

Rating:
Summary: Erin's Story...
Review: The year 2000 was a busy year for film director Steven Soderbergh. He not only completed two films that year, but he also had to buy a tux, because both TRAFFIC and ERIN BROCKOVICH were nominated for multiple Oscars as well. Based on the true life story of Erin Brockovich (Julia Roberts), the film traces one woman's fight for respect, and at the same time how she brought down a big company, that was basically killing a small town. Raising three children all by herself, she lands a job at a small law firm as a clerk, and somehow convinces her boss (Albert Finney) to take the case that nobody wants...She is determined to win the case...and her chance at a better life. Roberts deserved the Academy Award for her dynamic performance in the film. She carries the film with grace and style without relying on her status as a "pretty woman".It's not that I didn't think she could pull it off, but lets face it, Roberts was not known for her dramatic acting skills at that time. For his part, Soderbergh marked this film, as his first "crowd pleasing" effort. He handles the directing of this film with his usual skill and style but he also knew that this was a different kind of movie for him.

The DVD contains a "fluffy" featurette on the making of the movie. There's also a feature about the real life story and the woman behind it The deleted scenes have audio comments from Soderbergh, sadly though, the disc does not have a feature length commentary track from him. I have always enjoyed his commentaries on some of his other films. So, as you might imagine, that was rather disappointed about that (Oh well). The theatrical trailer, production notes, cast and crew information, and DVD-ROM content, round out the extras. Recommended for rental or purchase

Rating:
Summary: What can I say? I'm a "Julia" fan.
Review: We all know what happened to the real Erin Brockovich & we all know what happened to the actress that played the role. The real Erin landed a partnership position in the law firm & Julia, the actress, bagged the Oscar's. Now, that's what I call 'real girl power'! If you're looking for role models, there's no need to further look around, you've finally found them. The real & reel Erin Brockovich.

Rating:
Summary: A Movie WELL WORTH Buying on DVD
Review: First of all, the movie is great. With Albert Finney recieving an Oscar Nomination for Best Supporting Actor as well as Steven Soderbergh for direction, one can already sense that this is a great film. But to top it all off, "America's Sweetheart", and my personal favorite, Julia Roberts finally takes home an Oscar in a well-deserved performance. Obviously, the movie is well worth your time.

Nevertheless, what I would like to point out to all of you Julia fans out there, as well as anyone who thoughrougly enjoyed this film, is that the DVD is jam packed with bonus stuff that will keep you occupied for nearly as long as the movie will! The DVD contains an informative and entertaining "Making Of" featurette, as well as clips featuring the REAL Erin Brockovich and the REAL Ed Masry sharing their story through their own eyes.

THE BEST PART, however, is yet to come! The DELETED SCENES are worth whatever you pay for the DVD. Even if you don't own a DVD player, go visit a friend who has one and pop it in and play the deleted scenes!! There is almost an hour of footage that was cut from the first original draft of the film, including a dramatic sub-plot that actually happend to the REAL Erin Brockovich...
...THEN, watch the deleted scenes again with Soderbergh's comments playing in the background.

It's a wonderful experience and a wonderful movie well worth the money for the DVD.

Rating:
Summary: Julia Roberts is great!
Review: I wasn't expecting much from this film at first, having a bad opinion of Julia Roberts's acting abilities. However, I was pleasantly suprised to find that she infact does have talent. The film is based on the true story of a big company contaminating the water of a town with chromium 6 and telling the residents that it was good for them. Erin (Julia Roberts) finds out about it, and makes the company pay $334,000,000 to the residents that were affected by the contaminated water. Roberts definately deserved the Oscar for this one.

Rating:
Summary: What More Can You Say
Review: An absolutely brilliant movie. Julia is definitely the hottest star in Hollywood and this movie really shows all her acting skills.

Rating:
Summary: Okay .
Review: The most important contribution of this film is the reverse rolls between a man and a woman which took place within the relationship of Erin and George ; I'm talking about the realization of the idea of a man who wishes only to stay at home and take care of the kids (a.k.a housewife) , despite the fact that the concept fails along the way , due to objective reasons (the over-commitment of Erin to her crusade) .

Other than that , the performance of Roberts as Brockovich is reliable . Watching her , I couldn't avoid the reminiscence of her roll in "Pretty Woman" , which has many similarities to this roll , including the gorgeous look that , amazingly , almost hasn't changed in 12 years . In the beginning , one can have the impression that this is the same (1989) young hooker everybody knows from that primal roll with Gere, only now the good old dream is shattered - she is older , has 3 kids , has no money and no husband / supporter . Down the road , we see how she manages to reclaim her position in society by fighting a righteous battle .

The story itself is old news . We have all heard about the struggle of the weak and the poor against the mighty corporations in more than one film (for instance, "The Insider") . I consider the 'main' plot a frame for the real message of this film , that single parents can do just fine in this world if they have the nerves and the luck to stumble across a 'pro bono' file that looks promising . . .

In conclusion , it's not such a big loss if you haven't seen it already .

Rating:
Summary: Well crafted, energized crowd pleaser
Review: It is often hard for a movie about a landmark legal battle to capture the public's interest, especially if it is based on a true story. Examples include A Civil Action in 1998 and The Insider in 1999. Despite much critical praise, these movies were apparently perceived by audiences as being too dry. Such was not the fate of Erin Brockovich, which became the first smash hit of 2000. Perhaps having Julia Roberts as the title character fighting for justice helped make the difference. I know it didn't hurt.

The picture opens with Erin desperately looking for a job. She's twice divorced from no good husbands and has a child to support. After one interview, she is injured in a car wreck when another driver runs a red light. She decides to sue the other person, not because she is greedy, but because she needs to be compensated for her medical expenses. She turns to a lawyer named Ed Masry [Albert Finney], a very busy man who virtually assures her that she will win. Ed does not factor in Erin's flashy, almost trashy taste in clothing or her tendency to spew out four letter words when she is angered. Her appearance on the witness stand is a disaster, and they lose the case, which brings forth a tirade on the lawyer from Erin. Meanwhile, she meets a decent guy who winds up frightening her. She has had such rotten luck with men. In an ironic turn of events, she ends up working for Ed Masry. The other women in the office are pretty hostile, since Julia's style is hardly what we expect in a staid law office. Erin persists, and one day she discovers a case that has been on the office's back burner. It involves a group of people who live adjacent to one of Pacific Gas and Electric's plants. There is a probability that these people have been poisoned for years by chromium the company has allowed to seep into the local drinking water.

There are several things which make the movie work. Much of it concentrates on two very interesting characters, Erin and Ed, rather than on the workings of the legal system itself. It also plots the progress of a remarkable woman. Erin starts off as an intelligent woman with vitally no marketable skills. Also lacking any skills at dealing with other people, she seems destined to be someone who works a lifetime just to eke out a living. For some inner reason, this legal case mesmerizes her. It requires her to learn a whole lot very fast and to put her personal life aside for a cause worth fighting for. In the process, we watch as a whole new woman emerges. Her progress is at least as interesting as the legal battle's.

Julia Roberts and the great British actor, Albert Finney, are splendid as Erin and Ed. The way they play off of each other reminds me of Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. There is no sex involved, but this is decidedly a battle of the sexes. She's too brash and outspoken for him, and he's too stuffy and cautious for her. It is a case of opposites attracting. As for the movie itself, it's a case of a job well done.

Rating:
Summary: if not for julia r, would we watch this movie?
Review: so you have a female enpowerment film. ok, now problem. more power to you. but this woman uses her body to get things done. wait! a contradiction. what are we telling young girls--you can be a better man by being a bad woman?

sad

Rating:
Summary: Strong Woman!
Review: It's nice to see a movie about a strong woman. Erin Brockovich is based on a true story. It is a very entertaining film about a single mom willing to work hard to make a good life for her broken family. The directing is top-notch as well as the acting. The script is well-written and is executed superbly on screen. The pacing is slow at times but my interest in the movie never dwindled. I highly recommend this film!

Rating:
Summary: We need more people like Erin
Review: Erin Brockovich finds a solid cause in life when she discovers there are a lot of people getting sick in an area of California. It turns out a multibillion dollar company is polluting the water supply and residents in the area have been poisoned as a result. She teams with a lawyer to do the right thing. Erin's get to the point attitude and her unselfish dedication to the cause is refreshing. The movie was very enjoyable.