From a Pretty Woman to a Working Woman, Roberts gives career best in "Brockovich"

3-27-00

The Oscar committee has already chosen its top leading ladies of the year, but they might as well engrave Julia Roberts' name on a statuette next year.  The likable actress proves she's more than just a 'pretty woman' in  "Erin Brockovich," a film in which she shows off her figure as well as her acting chops.

Roberts stars in this true story of Brockovich, a single parent who is out of luck.  She has watched two husbands come and go, has lost her  job, and has little money to support her three small children.  As if her life couldn't get any worse, her attorney Ed Masry (Albert Finney) fails to land her a settlement after she is injured in a car accident.   With no one else to turn to, Brokovich convinces the lawyer who let her down to hire her at his law firm. 

Once hired, Brockovich makes waves in the office with her skimpy tight clothes and foul-mouthed stubborness to her colleagues, but a case she stumbles upon begins to earn her respect. After finding medical records placed in real estate case files, Brockovich asks and convinces her boss to allow her to investigate the case.  Helping her out during the heavy work load is George (Aaron Eckhart), her Harley Davidson biker/next door neighbor who instantly falls in love with her children---not to mention---Brockovich. Researching for countless hours, including taking samples on-site, Brockovich discovers the power company PG&E knowingly contaminated water by a small community causing illnesses among its residents.   She discovers this first hand by interviewing local residents, who for the most part are won over by her charm and persistance. Together Brockovich and Masry, with some outside assistance, a small time firm takes on a big time company.

This is Julia Roberts' baby.  Her depiction as the scantily dressed, foul-mouthed, and down-to-earth Brockovich is the the performance of her career.  She shows Brockovich to be a no-nonsense woman who goes through life with a "I've got nothing to lose" personality.  She emphasizes this throughout the film, and particularly shines in the film's beginning when she struts into Masry's office soon expecting him to take a chance on her working in the firm, because he lost her car accident case.

Finney, as Masry, gives a rich performance and supplies some comic relief.  He is an excellent foil for Roberts, and portrays Masry to be a man who is so won over by Brockovich's spunk and determination that he is willing to put his whole entire firm on the line---not to mention a mortgage on his house----for one case he believes in.

Equally impressive, Eckhart's George is the film's heart.  He plays George to be a man who looks tough on the outside as a pony-tailed and bearded biker, but in reality he is a scruffy teddy bear who becomes the father of Brockovich's children while she works on the case.

Two other performances are infectious. Marg Helgenberger, so good in TV's "China Beach," heartbreakingly portrays Donna Jenson as woman who is clueless about PG & E's contamination until she is informed by Brockovich, and Broadway veteran Cherry Jones adds fine support as Pamela Duncan, a woman who is at first reluctant to follow Brockovich against the company.

Along with strong performances, indie director Steven Soderbergh (sex, lies, and videotape) will come up with his first commercial hit. Like he has shown in previous films, particularly the superb George Clooney/Jennifer Lopez starrer "Out of Sight," Soderbergh cuts between shots of his actors and B-roll in a skillful way.  He also can be credited with drawing Roberts' best perf to date, because he follows her character around with the lens as if the moviegoer were along for Brockovich's journey for justice.  In addition, Ed Lachman's cinematography ads to the small town feel.

Screenwriter Susannah Grant, who wrote the upcoming 28 Days stars Sandra Bullock and previously co-wrote two dismal films: Drew Barrymore's "Ever After" and Disney's "Pocahontas," supplies Roberts with witty lines, and her fresh and witty script complements the actors' performances.  Another credit to the film's script is while the film leads to a predictable conclusion, it is handled it a nice way without a recycled court decision.  The only draw back of the film is that it takes too long to reach a conclusion.

"Erin Brockovich," a satisfying "Norma Rae" of the 1990s, will likely be remembered at Oscar time next year. Being entertained by Julia Roberts and the film are contagious. 

Grade: A-