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:

Single Mother | Lawsuit | Chromium | Hexavalent Chromium | Doctor

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 31 wins & 42 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Fri. May 25	8:00 PM	OXYGEN
Fri. May 25	10:30 PM	OXYGEN

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
Adilah Barnes	...	Anna
Irina V. Passmoore	...	Babysitter
Aaron Eckhart	...	George
Ron Altomare	...	Biker Friend
Charles John Bukey	...	Biker Friend
Marg Helgenberger	...	Donna Jensen
Randy Lowell	...	Brian Frankel
Jamie Harrold	...	Scott
Sarah Ashley	...	Ashley Jensen
Scarlett Pomers	...	Shanna Jensen
T.J. Thyne	...	David Foil
Joe Chrest	...	Tom Robinson
Meredith Zinner	...	Mandy Robinson
Michael Harney	...	Pete Jensen
William Lucking	...	Bob Linwood
Mimi Kennedy	...	Laura Ambrosino
Scott Sowers	...	Mike Ambrosino
Cherry Jones	...	Pamela Duncan
Kristina Malota	...	Annabelle Daniels
Wade Williams	...	Ted Daniels (as Wade Andrew Williams)
Cordelia Richards	...	Rita Daniels
Ashley Pimental	...	Beth Brockovich - 18 Months
Brittany Pimental	...	Beth Brockovich - 18 Months
Tracey Walter	...	Charles Embry
Larry Martinez	...	Nelson Perez
LeRoy A. Simmons	...	Himself (as Judge LeRoy A. Simmons)
Don Snell	...	PG&E Lawyer
Michael Shamberg	...	PG&E Lawyer
Gina Gallego	...	Ms. Sanchez, PG&E Representative
Peter Coyote	...	Kurt Potter
Ronald E. Hairston	...	Car Messenger
Veanne Cox	...	Theresa Dallavale
Scott Allen	...	Town Meeting Plaintiff
Sheila Shaw	...	Ruth Linwood
Matthew Kimbrough	...	Bartender
Jason Cervantes	...	Check Messenger
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Mike Malone	...	Baxter (scenes deleted)
Norma Maldonado	...	Woman #1 (uncredited)
Tom Tangen	...	Ned (uncredited)
Julie Wagner	...	E.R. Admitting Nurse (uncredited)

Directed by
Steven Soderbergh

Writing credits (WGA)
Susannah Grant		(written by)

Produced by
Danny DeVito	....	producer
John Hardy	....	executive producer
Gail Lyon	....	co-producer
Carla Santos Shamberg	....	executive producer
Michael Shamberg	....	producer
Stacey Sher	....	producer

Original Music by
Thomas Newman

Cinematography by
Edward Lachman		(as Ed Lachman)

Film Editing by
Anne V. Coates

Casting by
Margery Simkin

Production Design by
Philip Messina

Art Direction by
Christa Munro

Set Decoration by
Kristen Toscano Messina

Costume Design by
Jeffrey Kurland

Makeup Department
Susan A. Cabral	....	key makeup artist (as Susan Cabral-Ebert)
Bonnie Clevering	....	hair designer: Julia Roberts
Richard Dean	....	makeup artist: Julia Roberts
Ken Diaz	....	tattoo designer
Bernard Gough	....	hair stylist
Deborah Mills-Whitlock	....	hair department head
Norman Page	....	additional makeup artist
Michelle Weiss	....	hair stylist
Anthony Wilson	....	hair stylist
Gary Archer	....	dental prosthetics (uncredited)
Stacey K. Black	....	hair stylist (uncredited)

Production Management
Frederic W. Brost	....	unit production manager
Caitlin Maloney	....	post-production supervisor
James C. Taylor	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Tony Eng	....	dga trainee
David Hallinan	....	second assistant director (as Dave Hallinan)
Gregory Jacobs	....	first assistant director
Michael Risoli	....	second second assistant director
Nicholas Wolfert	....	additional second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Dale E. Anderson	....	set dresser
Peter Bankins	....	property master
Robert Bankins	....	property assistant
Bart Barbuscia	....	set dresser
Adam L. Barker	....	plaster foreman (as Adam Barker)
Jason Bedig	....	leadman
Brent A. Blom	....	set dresser (as Brent Blom)
Scott Bobbitt	....	leadman (as Scott A. Bobbitt)
Richard Boris	....	greensman
Gary A. Brewer	....	set dresser (as Gary Brewer)
John Bullard	....	propmaker foreman
Sarah Bullion	....	art department assistant
Glenn M. Carrere	....	set dresser
David B. Clark	....	paint foreman (as David Clark)
Michael A. Contreraz	....	laborer
Francis N. 'Lucky' Costello	....	stand-by painter (as Frank Lucky Costello)
Keith P. Cunningham	....	assistant art director
Bill Duffin	....	propmaker
Michael Jon Duffin	....	propmaker
Eduardo H. Esparza	....	laborer (as Eddie Esparza)
Louie Esparza	....	labor foreman
Louie Esparza	....	propmaker (as Louie Esparza Jr.)
Robert Fidalgo	....	labor foreman (as Bob Fidalgo)
Gerard Forrest	....	location foreman
Hank Giardina	....	paint supervisor
William Gideon	....	general foreman (as Wiliam W. Gideon)
Steve Gindorf	....	propmaker (as Stephen A. Gindorf)
Cheryl Gould	....	set dresser
Brian D. Gray	....	propmaker
Blair Huizingh	....	art department coordinator
Marisol Jiménez	....	construction auditor (as Mirasol Jimenez)
Steven Kerlagon	....	paint foreman (as Steven J. Kerlagon)
Patricia Klawonn	....	set designer
Andrew Knowland	....	greensman
Karen Kornbau	....	propmaker
Bud Kucia	....	welding foreman
Jennifer Lagura	....	set dresser (as Jennifer LaGura)
Devlin Lenew	....	propmaker (as Devlin Lerew)
Alberto Christiano Lombardo	....	assistant property master
Arthur G. Lopez	....	laborer
Mike Malone	....	on-set dresser
Masako Masuda	....	set designer
Ernest L. Menchaca Jr.	....	laborer (as Ernie L. Menchaca Jr.)
John Moore	....	propmaker foreman
Bob Nickloff	....	propmaker foreman (as Robert Nickloff)
Loren Nickloff	....	propmaker
Edmund A. Paniagua	....	laborer
Jim Paniagua	....	propmaker foreman (as James Paniagua)
Anthony J. Saenz	....	labor foreman (as Anthony J. Saenz Jr.)
Craig T. Shordon	....	paint foreman
Scott Shordon	....	painter gangboss
Bruce G. Smith	....	painter (as Bruce Smith)
Chris Snyder	....	construction coordinator
Dale Snyder	....	propmaker foreman
Tracy W. Stockwell	....	plaster foreman
George E. Vielma	....	laborer
Stacy Weddington	....	buyer
Steve Willis	....	propmaker
Curtis Yackel	....	propmaker (as Curtis A. Yakel)
Erin Boyd	....	swing gang (uncredited)
Shane Buckallew	....	plasterer gang boss (uncredited)
Steven Kissick	....	carpenter (uncredited)
Chad Simpson	....	paint gang boss (uncredited)
B.J. Smith	....	construction medic (uncredited)

Sound Department
David Betancourt	....	foley mixer
Larry Blake	....	sound re-recording mixer
Larry Blake	....	supervising sound editor
Joseph F. Brennan	....	boom operator (as Joe Brennan)
Thomas Causey	....	production sound mixer
Mike Chock	....	additional sound editor (as Michael Chock)
Ezra Dweck	....	foley editor
Julie Feiner	....	additional sound editor
Dawn Fintor	....	foley artist
Eric Flickinger	....	sound recordist
Aaron Glascock	....	dialogue editor
Baylis Glascock	....	additional assistant sound editor
Michael Keller	....	sound re-recording mixer
Richard Kite	....	utility sound
James Morioka	....	assistant sound editor
Eric Potter	....	sound effects recordist
Alicia Stevenson	....	foley artist (as Alicia Irwin)
Patrick Stoltz	....	engineering (as Pat Stoltz)
Jon Vogl	....	foley recordist
Marvin Walowitz	....	additional sound editor
David A. Whittaker	....	additional sound editor
Brian Basham	....	adr recordist (uncredited)
Ron Bedrosian	....	adr mixer (uncredited)
Mark Kenna	....	consultant: dolby film sound (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Werner Hahnlein	....	special effects assistant
Kevin Hannigan	....	special effects
William D. Harrison	....	special effects foreman (as William Harrison)
Kenneth Van Order	....	special effects foreman (as Kenneth J. Van Order)

Visual Effects by
Carole Cowley	....	visual effects producer: Cinesite Inc.
Mark Tait Lewis	....	digital compositor: Cinesite Inc.
Serena Rainbow Naramore	....	digital artist: Cinesite Inc. (as Serena Naramore)
Jason Piccioni	....	digital compositor: Cinesite Inc.
Corrine Pooler	....	paint supervisor: Cinesite Inc.
Thomas J. Smith	....	visual effects supervisor: Cinesite Inc. (as Tom Smith)
Tom Zils	....	digital compositor: Cinesite Inc.
Fred Jimenez	....	2D technical assistant: Cinesite Inc. (uncredited)
Vincent Lavares	....	digital asset manager (uncredited)
Louis Schwartzberg	....	additional cinematography: Cinesite Inc. (uncredited)

Stunts
Rick Avery	....	stunt driver
Roydon Clark	....	stunt double
Tabby Hanson	....	stunt double
John Robotham	....	stunt coordinator
Steve Kelso	....	stunt driver (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Randy Berrett	....	rigging grip
Bobby Brown	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera (as Bob Brown)
Charles John Bukey	....	key grip (as Charles Bukey)
Russell Caldwell	....	gaffer
Thomas A. Curran	....	grip
Stacy De La Motte	....	camera loader (as Stacy de la Motte)
John W. DeBlau	....	lighting consultant (as John W. De Blau)
Wayne L. Duncan	....	grip
Frank Endewardt	....	best boy electric
Isaac Friedman	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera
Keith Hartley	....	rigging electrician
Richard Hartley	....	rigging gaffer
Barry Idoine	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera
Gary M. Lang	....	electrician
Chris Lombardi	....	camera operator: "a" camera
Bob Marshak	....	still photographer
Daisuke Dice Miyake	....	grip (as Dice Miyake)
Darryl Murchison	....	electrician
John Owens	....	electrician
Tony Porto	....	rigging grip
Mark R. Shultz	....	rigging key grip
Paul E. Sutton	....	rigging grip
Paul Threlkeld	....	dolly grip
Dave Tutokey	....	best boy rigger
Rodney Veto	....	best boy grip
David Watson	....	electrician
Marta Weiss	....	second assistant camera: "a" camera (as Marta E. Weiss)
Paul David Williams	....	rigging grip (as Paul D. Williams)
James W. Apted	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Sean P. Fickert	....	rigging grip (uncredited)
Edward A. Gutentag	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Larry Markart	....	video/computer playback (uncredited)

Casting Department
Brumby Broussard	....	casting assistant (as Brumby J. Broussard)
Carmen Cuba	....	casting associate
Rich Epstein	....	casting assistant
Rich King	....	extras casting
Jay Krymis	....	extras casting
Gina Stainbrook	....	casting intern

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Corey Bronson	....	set costumer (as Corey C. Bronson)
Janis Mekaelian	....	key costumer
Rhona Meyers	....	key costumer
Elaine Ramires	....	costume supervisor (as Elena Del Rio)
Shoshana Rubin	....	set costumer
Tom Siegel	....	key costumer (as Tom Siegal)
Fran Vega-Buck	....	set costumer: Julia Roberts (as Francis Vega)
Emily Wyss	....	set costumer
Anthony T. Lukins	....	set costumer (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Julian Andraus	....	apprentice editor
Glenn Arcaro	....	editorial intern
John Axelrad	....	assistant editor: avid
Gary Burritt	....	negative cutter
Monica De Armond	....	post-production assistant
Bradford L. Dean	....	second assistant editor (as Brad Dean)
Dana Ross	....	color timer
Robb Sullivan	....	first assistant editor
Julia Wong	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Bill Bernstein	....	music editor
Julian Bratolyubov	....	music preparation
Jordan Corngold	....	assistant music editor
Buck Damon	....	music consultant
Tom Hardisty	....	music recordist
David Marquette	....	music recordist
Leslie Morris	....	music contractor
Thomas Pasatieri	....	orchestrator
Dennis S. Sands	....	music scoring mixer
Amanda Scheer-Demme	....	music supervisor
John Beasley	....	composer: additional score (uncredited)
Frankii Elliott	....	music consultant (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Rich Bennetti	....	transportation co-captain
Loren Bess	....	driver
Pat Carman	....	driver
Jack Carpenter	....	driver: camera car
Jon Carpenter	....	transportation coordinator
Byron Carter	....	driver: camera car
Gary Cheek	....	driver
Martin Coblenz	....	driver
Ronald B. Dinson Sr.	....	driver (as Ronald B. Dinson)
Louis Dinson	....	driver
Guy Duquette	....	driver
Charles Enzen	....	driver
Scott Fair	....	driver
J. Armin Garza II	....	driver: insert car
Bernard Glavin	....	driver
David Glavin	....	driver (as David L. Glavin)
Diane Glavin	....	driver
Leon Glavin	....	driver (as Leon L. Glavin)
Chris Gorden	....	driver
Billy Grace	....	driver
Shane Greedy	....	transportation captain
Donald S. Harback	....	driver
Mike Hutmacher	....	driver
David Jernigan	....	driver (as David T. Jernigan)
James E. Johnson	....	driver
Pops Johnson	....	driver
Thomas M. Krigbaum	....	driver
J.T. Lannen	....	driver
Hal Lary	....	driver
Ken Merritt	....	driver
Tom Neal	....	driver
Don Newton	....	driver (as Don R. Newton)
John Ornstein	....	driver (as John P. Ornstein)
Curtis Randoll	....	driver
Chance Robertson	....	driver
Albert C. Rusk	....	driver (as Albert C. Rusk Jr.)
Ted Schambers	....	driver
Clinton J. Taylor	....	driver (as Clinton Taylor)
Raymond Van Holtan	....	driver (as Raymond Van Holten)
Kelly Yon	....	driver

Other crew
Jimmy Badstibner	....	office production assistant (as James Badstibner)
Gavin J. Behrman	....	assistant accountant
Damon Bingham	....	assistant: Mr. Shamberg
Clelio Boccato	....	office production assistant
Keri Bruno	....	set production assistant
Richard Castro	....	assistant accountant (as Richard E. Castro)
Sam M. Cobb	....	construction medic (as Sam Cobb)
Natasha Cuba	....	assistant: Ms. Sher and Mr. Shamberg
Thomas S. Dickson	....	location projectionist (as Tommy Dickson)
Charles Drake	....	craft service
Caleb Duffy	....	assistant location manager (as P. Caleb Duffy)
Edward J. Ertel	....	location projectionist (as E.J. Butch Ertel)
John Falvey	....	assistant: Mr. Finney (as John O. Falvey)
Harold Fowler	....	set medic
Jennifer Fukasawa	....	assistant: Ms. Shamberg
Brad Furman	....	assistant: Ms. Roberts
Marc C. Geschwind	....	stand-in
Jane E. Graves	....	assistant location manager
Gordon Greer	....	set medic
Ronald E. Hairston	....	craft service
Cheri Hall	....	first assistant accountant
Quentin Halliday	....	assistant location manager
Leah Holmes	....	post-production accountant
Karen Jarnecke	....	assistant production coordinator
J. Larsen Jay	....	production secretary
Joseph Keideth	....	security: Ms. Roberts
Michael LaCorte	....	set production assistant (as Michael La Corte)
Ken Lavet	....	location manager
Robin Le Chanu	....	production coordinator (as Robin L. Le Chanu)
Denise N. Lewis	....	office production assistant
Sindy Lin	....	assistant: Ms. Sher
Keri Littledeer	....	set medic
Caitlin Maloney	....	assistant: Mr. Soderbergh and Mr. Hardy
Antoine Mascaro	....	chef (as Chef Antoine Mascaro)
Thomas John McGowan	....	studio teacher (as Thomas J. McGowan)
Carla Meyer	....	dialect coach: Mr. Finney
Taina Mirach	....	production intern
Grant A. Pasley	....	office production assistant
Amy Peltonen	....	assistant: Ms. Lyon
Luke Pollock	....	set production assistant
John Ramirez	....	set security
Laurie Record	....	assistant: Mr. DeVito
Nancy Reid	....	assistant production coordinator
Jim Schiro	....	accounting clerk
Ricki L. Stein	....	production accountant
Spooky Stevens	....	unit publicist
Bradley Steyn	....	security: Ms. Roberts
Lynn Struiksma	....	set production assistant
Cherie Supnet	....	office production assistant
Patrick Thornhill	....	office production assistant
Laura Tiz	....	assistant accountant
Julie Wagner	....	stand-in
Annie Welles	....	script supervisor
Gregory Alpert	....	additional location manager (uncredited)
Julian Del Valle	....	balloon lights (uncredited)
Don Gillespie	....	assistant accountant (uncredited)
Michelle Gold	....	on-set production assistant (uncredited)
Ronald Hairston Jr.	....	craft service (uncredited)
Jeff Jenofsky	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Todd A. Marks	....	computer/video coordinator (uncredited)
Niamh Murphy	....	textile artist (uncredited)
Jim Swidarski	....	payroll accountant: re-shoots (uncredited)
Lynnanne Zager	....	adr voice (uncredited)

Thanks
Pamela DuMond	....	special thanks
Thomas V. Girardi	....	special thanks (as Thomas V. Girardi Esq.)
Nikki Allyn Grosso	....	special thanks
Walter J. Lack	....	special thanks (as Walter J. Lack Esq.)
Chris Lord-Alge	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Jersey Films

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (2000) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures (2000) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Films de Argentina (2000) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Falcon (2000) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• Universal Studios Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar (2000) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar (2000) (Brazil) (VHS)
• LK-TEL (2000) (Argentina) (DVD)
• LK-TEL (2000) (Argentina) (VHS)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (2002) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Columbia TriStar Films AB (2000) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Egmont Film Distributors (Finland)
• Columbia TriStar Film (Germany)
• Columbia TriStar Films (France)
• Columbia TriStar (non-North America)
• Musikservice Sweden (2009) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Nordisk Film (2000) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Nordisk Film (2002) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Entertainment
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2008) (Australia) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2008) (Germany) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2008) (France) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2008) (UK) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2008) (Japan) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2008) (Sweden) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2009) (Sweden) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Universal Pictures Nordic (2004) (Sweden) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Cinesite (Hollywood) (digital visual effects) (as Cinesite Inc.)

Other Companies

• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera dollies (as Chapman/Leonard)
• Clairmont Camera  camera system (as Clairmont)
• Consolidated Film Industries (CFI)  color by
• Gourmet on Location  catering
• Howard Anderson Company, The  titles & opticals (as Howard Anderson Co.)
• Kodak  motion picture film
• L.A. Mad Dogs  voice casting (as L.A. Maddogs)
• Masterwords  cutting continuity
• Movie Movers  star trailers
• NT Audio Visual  dailies telecine and track negative
• Safeguard Investigation and Security Services  security: Ms. Roberts
• Signet Soundelux Studios  music recorded & mixed at (as Signet Soundelux)
• Sony Classical  soundtrack published by
• Todd-AO Studios  music recorded at (as Todd-AO Scoring Stage)
• Todd-AO Studios  re-recorded at (as Soundelux Vine Street Studios)
• Weddington Productions  post-production sound services

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for language

Runtime:

131 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS (8 channels)

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #37146) | Iceland:L | Brazil:14 | Malaysia:U | Italy:T | South Korea:15 | Singapore:PG13 (re-rating) | 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:

Santa Ventura Studios, Ventura, California, USA

Company:

Jersey Films

Trivia:

After Julia Roberts was presented with her Oscar by Kevin Spacey, she famously forgot to thank Erin Brockovich during her lengthy acceptance speech.

Goofs:

Continuity: The first time that Erin visits the Water Board archive, the photocopier has a blue start button. When she returns later, the start button changes to green.

Quotes:

Erin Brockovich:[Mr. Masry just fired Erin because she was gone for a week] I've been working, that is all I have been doing, what am I supposed to do check in with you every two seconds?
Brenda:Yes, it's called accountability and...
Erin Brockovich:I'm not talking to you, bitch!
Brenda:Excuse me?
Erin Brockovich:Get out of my face!

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Best! Movies! Ever!: Rants (#1.4)" (2007)

Soundtrack:

Two Shots Of Rye

dazzling performance by Julia Roberts

In its story, `Erin Brockovich' breaks little new ground. Essentially, it joins the ranks of earlier films such as `Silkwood,' `The Insider,' `A Civil Action,' `The Rainmaker,' among others, each of which tells the tale of a common `David' (be it in the form of a whistleblowing employee or compassionate, righteous lawyer) who, against all odds, mounts a seemingly quixotic crusade against a corporate Goliath. All the above five films expose the shoddy and often malevolent business practices of companies that have resulted in major health care crises for both their own employees as well as the residents who live near the companies' facilities. In the case of `Erin Brockovich,' the villain is the PG&E electrical plant located in the desert community of Hinckley, near Barstow, California. It seems that the residents of this small town have been experiencing a mind-bogglingly high number of serious illnesses and miscarriages that PG&E has assured them are not in any way related to the activities at their site. The company has even brought in medical professionals and toxicologists to assuage the residents' growing fears. Almost by chance, Erin Brockovich stumbles onto this information and takes up the challenge of fighting for the rights of these victims and exposing PG&E's gross malfeasance in the process.

Looking at its bare-boned plotting, one must concede that there really isn't much that is new here. However, thanks to a pair of utterly smashing performances by Julia Roberts and Albert Finney and a beautifully well-rounded portrait of a real-life heroine, this Steven Soderbergh film emerges as a true crowd-pleasing triumph. This may, in fact, be not only Roberts' best performance, but her finest role as well. Erin is not a conventional do-gooder heroine. First of all, she is often abrasive and off-putting in her demeanor. Dressed more like a fashion devotee of Roberts' `Pretty Woman' call girl character than a serious legal executive, Erin often launches into unrestrained, obscenity-laced tirades at her boss, her loving boyfriend, even the corporate lawyer bigwigs sent to help her when the case she is making comes close to completion. Yet, it is just this no-nonsense directness that earns her the confidence of the people she is trying so desperately to help. A twice-divorced mother of three, she is as passionate in the defense of her own children as she is in the defense of her case. Yet, she is a woman made up of any number of internal contradictions. Much as she loves her children, she has made a shambles of her life in recent years. Rootless and lacking the skills necessary to procure a well-paying job, she practically has to beg to get hired in the office of a lawyer who has failed to win her a settlement in a traffic accident case. Staunchly individualistic, she refuses to tone down her rhetoric or her temper – or to adopt the more `professional' attire of the business world – even if it might mean that she would be taken more seriously by those around her. She assumes that no man would be willing to consider having a serious relationship with her because of her children and marital track record, yet, when a man enters her life doing just that, her insecurities and her intense commitment to the cause for which she is fighting begin to drive him away – and her children as well. Most fascinatingly, perhaps, we are led to wonder whether it is really the suffering people who motivate her obsessive commitment or rather, as she herself admits, the personal recognition she receives now when she walks into a room and people clamor desperately to know what she thinks on an issue. All credit to Susannah Grant for writing a character so full of believable paradoxes. Obnoxious as Erin is at times, her innate vitality, wisdom and warm-hearted compassion consistently shine forth. Grant, by making her such a three-dimensional figure, mitigates much of the incredibility that lies at the root of this story, true though it may be.

And, given this juicy role, Roberts is nothing short of a revelation. She conveys each conflicting mood and character trait perfectly. Never before has this actress brought such a breezy assurance to her every action and statement. She literally holds this rich film together, forcing us to focus intently on the storm of emotions taking place deep inside this complex woman. This is definitely Oscar-caliber work. Equally brilliant is Albert Finney as Ed Masry, the lawyer for whom Erin works, a jovial, easygoing man who watches with a bemused appreciation as Erin hurls colorful invective at him, rages against the system and dresses down with withering sarcasm not only the legal representatives from PG&E but the seasoned lawyers Masry himself has hired to help bring home the case. One of Erin's most endearing traits is that she is an equal opportunity harridan – a fact that wins Masry over every bit as much as it does us.

If `Erin Brockovich' has a weakness, it comes in the form of Erin's romantic relationship with the unemployed motorcycle rider next door. He seems simply too good to be true, and, although we know that it is necessary to fill in this particular part of Erin's life to make her portrait a well-rounded and complete one, it is still the least interesting and believable part of the tale. We feel we are being too often distracted from the meaty center of the story.

Still, this is a minor quibble about a film that works so beautifully on so many levels. As Erin Brockovich, Julia Roberts has finally found the role uniquely suited to her enormous talents and she blazes forth more brightly than she has ever done before. I, for one, will be roundly rooting for her come Oscar night.