Erin Brockovich

What a great movie. Based on the true story of Erin Brockovich-Ellis, Julia Roberts shines in her lead role as a scantily clad, foul mouthed mother of three. Through determination and a fiery personality, she is able to land a job at a law firm conducting research. After looking deeply into a case, she finds that a major corporation, PG&E, is polluting the water system in a local town. The families in the town suffer from multiple disease from simple migraines to severe stages of cancer. Erin's interaction with these families and determination to seek justice and monetary compensation for them is incredibly heart-warming. Erin suffers with exhaustion and the guilt of not seeing her children.

Roberts proves she deserves her Oscar as she battles the corporation. Her interactions with Donna Jensen, a cancer patient, are beautiful and completely "tear worthy." Erin's love interest, George, played by Aaron Eckhart (The Dark Knight..."I believe in Harvey Dent") is comforting as well. Though his outward motif is that of a tattooed motorcyclist, he has a good heart and looks after Erin's kids for a long time.

My only complaint was that the movie focused less on Erin's family and more on the case. She gave up spending time with them, but I completely understood why mostly because I didn't really connect with her family. Her older daughter is barely even in the movie. The baby is more like a purse Roberts holds on her hip than her own child. That being said, there's no question of her heart's purity. The compassion she shows to the townspeople she helps goes above and beyond the call of duty.

When Scenes

WHEN Erin finds out that her daughter said her first word when she wasn't there and starts crying.

WHEN Erin shows up at her lawyer's office and demands a job.

WHEN the Donna Jensen's cancer shows up malignant and begs Erin saying, "We're going to get them aren't we? We're going to get them?"

WHEN Erin tells off the PG&E lawyers. The indignant stare she gives at the end could melt steel.

WHEN Ed gives Erin a big check with a note that says: "Erin hire a nanny, look outside, and cheer up."

WHEN Erin's son finally understands her work and supports her by the simple act of getting her breakfast.

WHEN Erin tells Donna Jensen that her family was awarded $5 million.

WHEN Ed gives Erin her bonus check of $2 million.

QUICKIES

"How many numbers you got?" — George (Aaron Eckhart)
"Oh, I got numbers comin' outta my ears. For instance: ten." — Erin (Julia Roberts)
"Ten?" — George (Aaron Eckhart)
"Yeah. That's how many months old my baby girl is." — Erin (Julia Roberts)
"You got a little girl?" — George (Aaron Eckhart)
"Yeah. Yeah, sexy, huh? How 'bout this for a number? Six. That's how old my other daughter is, eight is the age of my son, two is how many times I've been married - and divorced; sixteen is the number of dollars I have in my bank account. 850-3943. That's my phone number, and with all the numbers I gave you, I'm guessing zero is the number of times you're gonna call it." — Erin (Julia Roberts)

"By the way, we had that water brought in specially for you folks. Came from a well in Hinkley." — Erin (Julia Roberts)

"Okay, look, I think we got off on the wrong foot here..." — Theresa Dallavale (Veanne Cox)

"That's all you got, lady. Two wrong feet in fucking ugly shoes." — Erin (Julia Roberts)

"NOT PERSONAL! That is my WORK, my SWEAT, and MY TIME AWAY FROM MY KIDS! IF THAT IS NOT PERSONAL, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS!" — Erin (Julia Roberts)

"Wha... how did you do this?"- Kurt Potter (Peter Coyote)
"Well, um, seeing as how I have no brains or legal expertise, and Ed here was losing all faith in the system, am I right"- Erin (Julia Roberts)
"Oh, yeah, completely. No faith, no faith..." — Ed Masry (Albert Finney)
"I just went out there and performed sexual favors. Six hundred and thirty-four blow jobs in five days... I'm really quite tired" — Erin (Julia Roberts)

Fun Facts

The waitress in the diner is the real Erin Brockovich.

Julia Roberts won the Oscar for Best Actress as Erin Brockovich. When giving the acceptance speech, she forgot to thank the real Erin Brockovich.

The real Erin Brockovich is right handed and Julia Roberts is not so she had to practice which taking notes and signing papers.

This role made Julia Roberts the first woman to break the $20 million barrier.

The case was the largest direct action suit in US history.