|
Review by Susan Granger
3½ stars out of 4
It's too bad Erin Brockovich wasn't released last year
because Julia Roberts would be Oscar's top contender as the smart,
struggling, twice-divorced mother of three young children who, without
law expertise, defies the odds, takes on and defeats a major public
utilities company. Funny, flippant, and feisty, she's sensational as a
Norma Rae-type of heroine. Based on true events, the story revolves
around Erin's discovery of a cover-up involving contaminated water
which is causing devastating illnesses in a small California desert
community. Infuriated by the deception, she convinces her grumpy,
avuncular boss, brilliantly played by Albert Finney, to allow her not
only to investigate but to convince the leery local citizenry to join
in litigation against Pacific Gas & Electric Co.. "It's hexavalent
chromium, highly toxic, highly carcinogenic," she explains. "Gets into
your DNA, so you pass the trouble along to your kids." With over 600
plaintiffs, they win $333 million, the largest settlement ever paid in
a direct-action suit. Brassy and bold - with the cleavage created by
her uplift brassiere always showing - mini-skirted Erin also picks up
a boy-friend (Aaron Eckhart), the biker next door, who watches her
kids while she tackles the job that earns her respect - for the first
time in her life. Written by Susannah Grant and Richard LaGravenese
and directed by Steven Soderberg, yeah, it's sexist and a bit too
lengthy - but those are minor quibbles. And if the plot sounds similar
to A Civil Action, the difference can be summed up in two words: Julia
Roberts. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, Erin Brockovich is a
feel-good, nifty 9 - the first "must see" movie of the new
millennium. And let's hope voters don't forget when Academy Award
nominations come 'round in 2001.
Copyright © 2000 Susan Granger
|
