Aaron Eckhart, Albert Finney, Julia Roberts

Based on the true story about an unemployed single mother who becomes a legal assistant and almost single-handedly brings down a California power company accused of polluting a city's water supply.

Flixster Users

76% liked it

256,038 ratings

Critics

84% liked it

135 critics

R, 2 hrs. 10 min.

Directed by: Steven Soderbergh

Release Date: March 17, 2000

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DVD Release Date: August 15, 2000

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Stats: 11,879 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (11,879)


  • April 4, 2009
    "She brought a small town to its feet and a huge corporation to its knees."

    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.

    ...( read more)"Verdana">REVIEW
    Erin Brockovich essentially combines two movies. The first being about a single mother of three struggling to support her kids in a materialistic country. The second about said single mother transcending stereotypes by discovering and investigating a cover up by a large utility about the damage that their plant has caused local residents. The great achievement that director Steven Soderbergh makes is to combine these two elements seamlessly. Julia Roberts is in superb form in the titular role and her co-star, veteran Albert Finney, turns in an excellent performance. Good support comes from Aaron Eckhart as Erin's main squeeze, George and Marg Helgenberger as Donna Jensen, the woman whose Real Estate claim starts the whole thing off. The screenplay by Susannah Grant provides Roberts with lots of snappy one-liners, which I'm not quite sure the real Erin Brockovich said. But hey, it makes for more fun in the movie. I defy you to go see Erin Brockovich and leave without a smile on your face.
  • August 23, 2008
    Pretty good movie. Julia did a really good job portraying Erin Brockovich.
  • July 27, 2008
    Ed Masry: "What makes you think you can just walk in there and take whatever you want?
    Erin Brockovich: They're called boobs, Ed."


    Erin Brockovich is the true story of a single mother of three who through fate and timing turned herself into a toxic investigator supreme. Br...( read more)ockovich (Julia Roberts), along with her boss, attorney Ed Masry (Albert Finney), took on a huge corporation that was poisoning a small California town's drinking water and won. Unlike the single mothers in some recent movies who have trouble with men and lack focus, Erin is very different. She dresses on the borderline of what many will consider trashy on the high end and a prostitute on the low end. While this plays to what is real, Hollywood takes the edge off of this story to a degree by using sex, and Julia Robert's looks and charm to interject humor into a very serious story. Erin is quick witted and knows how to handle herself; you admire her mind, as she is clearly as smart as any of the lawyers. Directed by Steven Soderbergh, Erin Brockovich tells a familiar David vs Goliath story, but it's the characters and the performances that really make this movie stand out. Roberts, of course, essentially steals the spotlight from everyone else - she's in virtually ever scene - but she's very good here. She's taken her ingratiating persona and flipped it. She's still ingratiating, but now she's using it to her advantage. Albert Finney, her boss, is astonishingly good. The kind of stand-up-and-cheer movie Hollywood is supposed to have forgotten how to make.
  • February 3, 2008
    Pending Review...

    Photobucket
  • January 3, 2008
    I can't believe Julia Roberts beat Burstyn for the oscar
  • October 31, 2009
    !Comercial or Stupid! :|
  • October 19, 2009
    Julia was wonderful!
  • October 4, 2009
    This was a really great film. Erin had such a strong but awesome attitude. Julia Roberts was very good in this film and so was Albert Finney. In my opinion, he shouldve won an oscar for supporting role instead of Benicio Del Toro. This is truly one of the greatest films of all time.
  • September 28, 2009
    Breathtaking courtroom drama by Steven Soderbergh of what I believe is Julia Robert's finest. As I have always said, one of my favorite genres is courtroom dramas, especially if based on a real story, which is the case for Erin, a woman that decides to strike singlehandedly a Gol...( read more)iath enterprise called PG&E (Pacific Gas & Electric Company) for dumping an illegal substance that causes cancer and multiple diseases in the water of a small town. The whole act consists of three rich caracters, portrayed beautifully by Roberts as Erin (oscar winner), Finney as her boss and head of the bureau leading the case, and Ekhart as the lover, who takes care of her children when she's off to work. You'll be entertained by the way that woman eventually manages to pull it off, when you know she was gonna do it from the motto : "She brought a small town to its feet and a huge corporation to its knees." so it's not about predictability here, it's the way the movie was flawing. Very solid piece of work.
  • September 23, 2009
    Now this is acting at its best..... great movie

Critic Reviews


January 1, 2000
A.O. Scott, The New York Times

Not only is every plot development signaled far in advance, but nearly every scene in the film's long second section rings a variation of one of two themes: 1) Julia Roberts tells somebody off, or 2) ... full review

January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

The film lacks focus and energy, the character development is facile and thin, and what about those necklines? full review

January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, At the Movies

The film lacks focus and energy, the character development is facile and thin, and what about those necklines? full review

View more Erin Brockovich reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments


  • sahmadafifi
    June 8, 2009
    I love this movie. And Julia of course superb, excellent.
  • ilovetheeightiesforever
    April 12, 2009
    Okay, 1st of all Julia Roberts is totally awesome and I love her movies alot!!!!!!!!! Erin Brockovich was and is a super great movie and it is one of my most fav movies of all time too!!!!!!!! I live in California and everyone I know loves this movie alot too!!!!!!! GOD Bless you Erin for doing what you did!!!!!!! Oh I also love all of the others in this movie too and I love to watch this every chance I can!!!!!!!!!!!
  • zlon
    June 27, 2008
    very impressive and touching . Il led the last scene with the boss raising the bonus !
  • melshorty2004
    June 9, 2007
    I love this movie and can we say girl power!!! Never underestimate the power of women in little outfits!!! lol
  • camaybliss
    April 10, 2007
    this is one of my favourite movie i love julia so much. kisses for u girl
  • sugarandspice77
    September 21, 2006
    "They're called boobs Ed" i love this movie! its so funny and at the same time really moving!

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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Erin Brockovich Trivia


  • Which Actress Was: -Tess Ocean In Oceans Eleven -Erin Brockovich In Erin Brockovich -Anna Scott In Notting Hill -Julianne Potter In My Best Friends Wedding -Tinkerbell In Hook  Answer »
  • Julia Roberts, Aaron Eckhart and Albert Finney. Name the film.  Answer »
  • In what movie did Erin ask George which number he wanted?  Answer »
  • For which movie did Julia Roberts win her first oscar?  Answer »

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