Erin Brockovich
4/4
Starring: Julia Roberts, Albert Finney, Aaron Eckhart, Scotty Leavenworth, Peter Coyote
Rated R for Language
"Erin Brockovich" is a legal drama, yes, but anyone who is expecting courtroom twists or grandstanding has walked into the wrong movie. There are no action scenes or people coming back from the dead. Rather, this is a character study about a woman who uses her personality, rather than her legal expertise, to inspire a community to fight back against a huge corporation that caused them to become gravely ill.
Erin Brockovich (Roberts) is a former beauty queen whose life has not turned out the way she planned it. She has three kids and two ex-husbands, $17 in her bank account and no job. When she's hit by a car, she is defended by Ed Masry (Finney), who thinks she has a case. That is until her foul mouth sinks her. All out of options, she goes back to ED and demands a job. Reluctantly, he hires her as a clerk. And that's when she uncovers some sleazy activities by Pacific Gas & Electric. With her persistence, she and Ed set out to make PG&E pay big bucks for the health problems they caused a whole town. The result is the biggest direct-action lawsuit in American history
Julia Roberts has defined the term "movie star" for the 20th century. With her beautiful smile and charismatic appeal, she's instantly likable. Those attractive qualities (plus her talent) make it possible for audiences to sympathize with her when she plays characters who aren't always that likable. That was true for "My Best Friend's Wedding," where she played a woman who tried to break up her best friend's wedding, and it's true here. Erin has got some rough edges to say the least. She has a foul mouth and speaks her mind when she probably shouldn't, and she dresses provocatively. However, she cares about the people she's trying to help, and that's what makes her endearing. Albert Finney, the great character actor that he is, makes Ed Masry into the perfect counterpart to Erin. While she's brash and charismatic, he's buttoned-down and cereberal. Brains and legal strategy are his strength. Aaron Eckhart, an actor who had made waves by playing characters for Neil LaBute, is also very good as George, her biker boyfriend. Like Erin, he's not an ideal character for this kind of role. He has long hair, a goatee, and wears leather. But like Erin, he has a good heart. He and Roberts have excellent chemistry, so that helps as well. Also strong, although not recognized is Scotty Leavenworth, who plays Erin's son, Matthew. He's a good kid, but he misses his mom. Much of the emotional component that comes from Erin's inability to be at home as much as she'd like comes from him.
Director Steven Sodebergh had a huge year in 2000. He directed two hit movies (this and "Traffic") and earned Best Director nods for both (for the record, he won for "Traffic"). In both movies, his talent for directing actors and weaving many plot threads and ideas into one complete motion picture is apparent. Sodebergh directs the scene with a true sense of place. Hinkley (the town in question) is a pretty run down town. Most of the inhabitants are poor and uneducated. Sodebergh desaturates the color and emphasizes yellows and browns to emphasize the out-of-the-way nature of the setting. It works, and we become more involved than we would had Sodebergh used a more conventional approach.
Although this story is at time poigniant and inspiring, it never resorts to cheap melodrama to make its point. Sodebergh trusts his characters and the performances to make his point. It is also, surprisingly, quite funny. Erin's "tell it like it is" approach to life and her ability to call out the elephant in the room lead to some humorous moments. Audiences will laugh as much as they cry in this movie. You don't often find movies that can do that.
Starring: Julia Roberts, Albert Finney, Aaron Eckhart, Scotty Leavenworth, Peter Coyote
Rated R for Language
"Erin Brockovich" is a legal drama, yes, but anyone who is expecting courtroom twists or grandstanding has walked into the wrong movie. There are no action scenes or people coming back from the dead. Rather, this is a character study about a woman who uses her personality, rather than her legal expertise, to inspire a community to fight back against a huge corporation that caused them to become gravely ill.
Erin Brockovich (Roberts) is a former beauty queen whose life has not turned out the way she planned it. She has three kids and two ex-husbands, $17 in her bank account and no job. When she's hit by a car, she is defended by Ed Masry (Finney), who thinks she has a case. That is until her foul mouth sinks her. All out of options, she goes back to ED and demands a job. Reluctantly, he hires her as a clerk. And that's when she uncovers some sleazy activities by Pacific Gas & Electric. With her persistence, she and Ed set out to make PG&E pay big bucks for the health problems they caused a whole town. The result is the biggest direct-action lawsuit in American history
Julia Roberts has defined the term "movie star" for the 20th century. With her beautiful smile and charismatic appeal, she's instantly likable. Those attractive qualities (plus her talent) make it possible for audiences to sympathize with her when she plays characters who aren't always that likable. That was true for "My Best Friend's Wedding," where she played a woman who tried to break up her best friend's wedding, and it's true here. Erin has got some rough edges to say the least. She has a foul mouth and speaks her mind when she probably shouldn't, and she dresses provocatively. However, she cares about the people she's trying to help, and that's what makes her endearing. Albert Finney, the great character actor that he is, makes Ed Masry into the perfect counterpart to Erin. While she's brash and charismatic, he's buttoned-down and cereberal. Brains and legal strategy are his strength. Aaron Eckhart, an actor who had made waves by playing characters for Neil LaBute, is also very good as George, her biker boyfriend. Like Erin, he's not an ideal character for this kind of role. He has long hair, a goatee, and wears leather. But like Erin, he has a good heart. He and Roberts have excellent chemistry, so that helps as well. Also strong, although not recognized is Scotty Leavenworth, who plays Erin's son, Matthew. He's a good kid, but he misses his mom. Much of the emotional component that comes from Erin's inability to be at home as much as she'd like comes from him.
Director Steven Sodebergh had a huge year in 2000. He directed two hit movies (this and "Traffic") and earned Best Director nods for both (for the record, he won for "Traffic"). In both movies, his talent for directing actors and weaving many plot threads and ideas into one complete motion picture is apparent. Sodebergh directs the scene with a true sense of place. Hinkley (the town in question) is a pretty run down town. Most of the inhabitants are poor and uneducated. Sodebergh desaturates the color and emphasizes yellows and browns to emphasize the out-of-the-way nature of the setting. It works, and we become more involved than we would had Sodebergh used a more conventional approach.
Although this story is at time poigniant and inspiring, it never resorts to cheap melodrama to make its point. Sodebergh trusts his characters and the performances to make his point. It is also, surprisingly, quite funny. Erin's "tell it like it is" approach to life and her ability to call out the elephant in the room lead to some humorous moments. Audiences will laugh as much as they cry in this movie. You don't often find movies that can do that.
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