Erin Brockovich (2000)

Director:

Steven Soderbergh

Writer (WGA):

Susannah Grant (written by)

Release Date:

17 March 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

She brought a small town to its feet and a huge corporation to its knees.

Plot:

An unemployed single mother becomes a legal assistant and almost single-handedly brings down a California power company accused of polluting a city's water supply.

Plot Keywords:

Lawsuit | Single Mother | Chromium | Toxic Waste | Car Accident

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 26 wins & 42 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Sun. Dec. 20

9:30 AM

USA

Cast

Julia Roberts	...	Erin Brockovich
David Brisbin	...	Dr. Jaffe
Dawn Didawick	...	Rosalind
Albert Finney	...	Ed Masry
Valente Rodriguez	...	Donald
Conchata Ferrell	...	Brenda
George Rocky Sullivan	...	Los Angeles Judge
Pat Skipper	...	Defending Lawyer
Jack Gill	...	Defendant
Irene Olga López	...	Mrs. Morales
Emily Marks	...	Beth Brockovich - 8 Months
Julie Marks	...	Beth Brockovich - 8 Months
Scotty Leavenworth	...	Matthew Brockovich
Gemmenne de la Peña	...	Katie Brockovich (as Gemmenne De la Peña)
Erin Brockovich-Ellis	...	Julia, the Waitress

Also Known As:

Erin Brockovich (Austria) (Germany) [de]
Erin Brockovich (Spain) [es]
Erin Brockovich (Canada: French title) [fr]
Erin Brockovich (Poland) [pl]
Erin Brockovich (Greece) [el]
Erin Brockovich (Portugal) [pt]
Erin Brockovich (Denmark) [da]
Erin Brockovich - Forte come la verità (Italy) [it]
Erin Brockovich - Uma Mulher de Talento (Brazil) [pt]
Erin Brockovich - Zürös természet (Hungary) [hu]
Erin Brockovich, seule contre tous (France) [fr]
Erin Brockovich, una mujer audaz (Argentina) [es]
Tatli bela (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Una mujer audaz (Venezuela) [es]

MPAA:

Rated R for language.

Runtime:

130 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS (8 channels)

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #37146) | Iceland:L | Brazil:Livre | Malaysia:U | Italy:T | South Korea:15 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Canada:14A | Chile:14 | Finland:S | France:U | Germany:6 | Hong Kong:IIB | Ireland:15 | Netherlands:AL | New Zealand:M | Norway:A | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Sweden:Btl | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | Philippines:G

Filming Locations:

Baker, California, USA

Company:

Jersey Films

Trivia:

As of 2003, Erin Brockovich-Ellis was still with Masry's law firm although she has a new title: "Director of Research".

Goofs:

Anachronisms: At the picnic there is a can of Diet Coke that has the 1997 style, rather than the 1986 design used in the early 1990s.

Quotes:

Erin Brockovich: Ya know why everyone thinks that all lawyers are back stabbing, blood sucking scum bags? cause they are! and I can not believe you expect me to go out, leave my kids with strangers and get people to trust you with THEIR lives while all the while your screwing me! You know, Ed, it's not about the number! It's about the way my work is valued in this firm...
[She looks at the two million dollar bonus check]
Ed Masry: Like I was saying, I thought that the number you proposed was inappropriate, so I increased it.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in Material Girls (2006)

Soundtrack:

Bluegrass Hoedown

Truth IS Stranger Than Fiction

If I didn't know it was based on a "true" story I might have dismissed this movie as "unrealistic", particularly in the first half hour or so when it started off like another Julia Roberts comedy. At the beginning the film appears to focus primarily on her wardrobe, her foul language, and the developing romance with the "boy next door", whom she initially dislikes. As it turns out, the actual story, according to the bonus features on the DVD was even more melodramatic than the film's. The real Erin actually got sick to the point of hospitalization from the chromium in Hinkley. The director wisely decided to cut out this part of the story, to avoid making her too much of a martyr. Another aspect while not totally ignored (she does mention at least once that she's a "slow reader") but underplayed is Erin's dyslexia. This makes her accomplishments all the more amazing! Personally, I think this fact could have been emphasized more, as no doubt it was a big factor behind her "attitude" problems - her combativeness toward people with more education than herself, her struggles in finding a job, perhaps even in her efforts to accentuate her physical attractiveness through her outrageous clothing. All in all I found it an enjoyable and enlightening story - the triumph of a unique individual whose determination, empathy, and sense of moral duty ultimately outweigh her abrasiveness and lack of social graces. And largely why she triumphs is her partnership with an intelligent and decent lawyer in Ed Masry. What a refreshing departure from the usual Hollywood stereotype! On many occasions, he effectively counters Erin's prejudices with rational explanations how and why the legal system works the way it does, and why lawyers behave the way they do. With her passion and his reason, they make a great team. Now if only the movie hadn't fallen into the old Hollywood trap of giving its leading lady more outfits than is realistic for someone of her economic status. The point that Erin dressed provocatively and this caused problems with her co-workers could have easily been made with just 3 or 4 costumes. Other than that, it was a good movie - great performances and a wonderful story.