Ever heard of Erin Brockovich? Me neither. But you will, and very soon. Erin Brockovich is a twice-divorced mother of three who, with absolutely no legal training, helped win one of the largest settlements in a direct-action lawsuit in US history. Three hundred and thirty three million dollars, to be exact. Erin Brockovich is also the title of one of this year’s most enjoyable non-fiction films.
Julia Roberts stars as the fast-talking, sassy Erin Brockovich, a woman living the ultimate hard-knock life. She has no education, no money, no support, and no means of making it in the fast-paced world. That is, until she pushes her way into the life and business of Ed Masry (Albert Finney), a busy attorney making a go at it on small claims suits and drive-thru service accounts. I guess that’s the nature of the business, work on four or five accounts at the same time and get them through the system and settled as soon as possible. While looking over some papers, she starts to read more carefully and notices medical invoices mixed up in what was thought to be a simple real estate case. With eagerness and attitude, she begins an investigation on one of the state’s largest utilities companies and discovers they’ve been contaminating groundwater with hexavalent chromium, highly toxic and highly deadly. Ultimately, her perseverance and people skills help her land over six hundred plaintiffs and millions of dollars.
Roberts was meant for this role. Getting into the nitty-gritty and playing a character with such depth and dynamics is something she has needed to do for a long time. Too often we’ve seen her in the same old, same old; she’s always playing the lovestruck beauty in romantic comedies. This time it’s all about truth, no more fairytale romance and warm fuzzies, and no more Richard Gere. Erin Brockovich is the true feel-good, the kind that makes you laugh and feel, not because she’s Julia Roberts, but because she’s a real woman in a real world.
Yes, there is romance in Erin Brockovich’s life, but he’s not the cheesy prince charming you’d expect. Her romantic counterpart is a longhaired Aaron Eckhart as biker/neighbor George. Finally, a Romeo that’s not so stuffy and pretty. This one’s a real man, one who likes loud cars and tattoos. With compassion and understanding, the rough-edged George falls for Erin, providing a live-in babysitter and some emotional support that has been a long time coming. Like Roberts, Eckhart is no longer a character on the screen. He’s George. Now that’s the true test of an actor’s ability.
Strutting around in a streetwalker’s do and spouting off at the lip whenever remotely insulted, Erin Brockavich obviously couldn’t care less about what people think. Erratic, emotional, and tactless at times but admirable and gutsy all around, you can’t help but cheer for this hard-nosed heroine. Erin Brockovich also goes to show that real life, though stale at times, can also provide some damn good entertainment.
+ Ashley Adams
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