Erin Brockovich (2000) * *

Directed by:  Steven Soderbergh

Starring:  Julia Roberts, Albert Finney, Aaron Eckhart, Marg Helgenberger, Cherry Jones, Tracey Walter, Peter Coyote

The Plot:   Law firm file clerk Erin Brockovich investigates alleged water pollution in a small California town, leading to the biggest class-action settlement in U.S. history.

The biggest issue I have with Erin Brockovich (Roberts) is its abrasive title character who is frequently allowed to chastise others in long, demeaning speeches.     Her tactlessness is mistaken for assertiveness.    She lashes out in many cases at the slightest hint of disrespect, leading me to believe she has serious anger management issues, yet she is celebrated as a hero. 

Erin Brockovich is a real person (who has a cameo in the film as a waitress).    She is now a famed environmentalist crusader who started as a file clerk for the law firm that represented her unsuccessfully in a personal injury case.    It's no wonder her case failed.     The judge is one of the recipients of the aforementioned speeches.     Dressing in outfits a prostitute would wear proudly, she bullies her way into a job with the firm run by harried Ed Masry (Finney).    With boxes and files strewn everywhere, the Masry law firm could certainly use another file clerk, but not this one.    It's little wonder that nothing seems to get done around there; the clerks are all busy giving Erin dirty looks.

Erin stumbles across a land transfer file containing medical reports and test results on a homeowner, which Erin finds peculiar and travels to the small town of Hinkley to get the story.     The homeowner was offered a large sum of money by a powerful energy firm to sell her home to them, but she refuses.     Some more poking around reveals that the energy company may have used a toxic substance to line its pipes and thus contaminating the town's water supply.     Many more people report illnesses directly related to the contamination, which causes Erin to talk her already overworked boss into bringing lawsuits.     

Also in the mix is George (Eckhart), a neighbor biker who watches Erin's children and falls in love with her.    Her initial meeting with him is another of her self-righteous speeches, but they fall in love anyway in a very unconvincing relationship.     George is a very nice man and doesn't deserve to be treated with such disdain by Erin, who is clearly taking advantage of his near saintly demeanor.
Their relationship is a perfect example of two people falling in love because the script requires them to.     There is no juice at all.

Julia Roberts won an Academy Award for this film and I suppose I can't fault her performance.     She is following the role as written, which is as a loud, self-righteous blowhard.     I would have to think the real Erin Brockovich was slightly more composed and tactful.     I've seen her interviewed and it certainly appears that she is, although she still has a fondness for short skirts.  

The supporting characters in the movie are well-played, especially Finney who is the epitome of overworked and much more patient with Erin than he should be.    The movie works better when it studies the ever-challenging world of litigation and class action lawsuits.     However, much of that falls by the wayside when Erin begins her grandstanding.