Erin Brockovich (film)

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Erin Brockovich

Theatrical release poster
Directed by Steven Soderbergh
Produced by Danny DeVito
Stacey Sher
Michael Shamberg
Gail Lyon
John Hardy
Written by Susannah Grant
Starring Julia Roberts
Albert Finney
Aaron Eckhart
Music by Thomas Newman
Cinematography Ed Lachman
Editing by Anne V. Coates
Studio Jersey Films
Distributed by Universal Pictures
(USA and Japan)
Columbia Pictures
(International)
Release date(s)
  • March 17, 2000 (2000-03-17)
Running time 130 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $51 million
Box office $256,271,286

Erin Brockovich is a 2000 biographical film directed by Steven Soderbergh. The film is a dramatization of the true story of Erin Brockovich, portrayed by Julia Roberts, who fought against the US West Coast energy corporation Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E). The film was a massive box office hit, and critical reviews are highly positive.

Roberts won the Academy Award, Golden Globe, Screen Actors' Guild Award and BAFTA for Best Actress. The film itself was also nominated for Best Picture and Best Director for Steven Soderbergh at the 73rd Academy Awards. Early in the film the real Erin Brockovich has a cameo appearance as a waitress named Julia.

Contents

[edit] Plot

In 1993, Erin Brockovich (Julia Roberts) is an unemployed single mother of three children, who has recently been injured in a traffic accident with a doctor and is suing him. Her lawyer, Ed Masry (Albert Finney), expects to win, but Erin's attitude in the courtroom makes her lose the case. She tells Ed he should find her a job in compensation. Ed gives and subsequently hires her as a file clerk in his office.

While working, Erin sees the files in a pro bono real-estate case in which Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) is offering to purchase the home of Hinkley, California, resident Donna Jensen. Erin is surprised to see medical records in the file and visits Donna, who explains that she had simply kept all her PG&E correspondence together. Donna is very appreciative of PG&E's help: she has had several tumors and her husband has Hodgkin's disease, but PG&E has always supplied a doctor at their own expense. Erin asks why they would do that, and Donna replies, "because of the chromium". Erin begins digging into the particulars of the case and soon finds evidence that the groundwater in Hinkley is contaminated with dangerous hexavalent chromium, but PG&E is telling Hinkley residents that they use a safer form of chromium in their cooling ponds. She persuades Ed to allow her further research, and wins the trust of many Hinkley residents. She finds many other cases of tumors and other medical problems in Hinkley. Everyone has been treated by PG&E's doctors and thinks the cluster of cases is just a coincidence, unrelated to the "safe" chromium.

Eventually, a man approaches her and says that he was tasked with destroying documents at PG&E, but he had noticed the medical conditions plaguing the workers who worked in the unlined ponds, and kept the documents instead. He then delivers the documents to her. One is a 1966 memo that ties a conversation with a corporate executive in the San Francisco PG&E headquarters to the Hinkley station: it proves that the corporate headquarters knew the water was contaminated with hexavalent chromium, did nothing about it, and advised the Hinkley station to keep it a secret from the neighborhood.

Rather than delay any settlement for years through a series of jury trials and probable appeals, Ed takes the opportunity to arrange for a final disposition by binding arbitration. Erin is able to persuade the 634 plaintiffs to go along, and the evidence is examined by a judge without a jury. The judge orders PG&E to pay a settlement amount of $333 million, divided among the plaintiffs. In the final scene, Ed hands Erin her agreed bonus payment for the case, but says he has changed the amount. She starts to complain that she deserves more respect, but is astonished to see that he has increased it to $2 million.

[edit] Cast

[edit] Production

According to Stacey Sher, one of the film's producers, when they were attempting to locate financing for the film they had the real Erin Brockovich pitch her life story to an unnamed movie studio executive who yawned in the middle of her pitch. One of the film's executive producers, Carla Shamberg, said, "I'm sorry. Are we keeping you awake?"[1]

Erin Brockovich performed well with test audiences but executives at Universal Pictures were worried that audiences would be turned off by the title character's use of profane language.[2]

[edit] Reaction

[edit] Box office

Erin Brockovich was released on March 17, 2000, in 2,848 theaters and grossed $28.1 million on its opening weekend. It went on to make $126.6 million in North America and $130.7 million in the rest of the world for a worldwide total of $256.3 million.[3]

[edit] Reviews

The majority of critics responded favorably towards the film. It holds a certified "Fresh" rating of 83% on film review website Rotten Tomatoes and 73 metascore on Metacritic. In his review for The New York Observer, Andrew Sarris wrote, "We get the best of independent cinema and the best of mainstream cinema all in one package. Erin Brockovich, like Wonder Boys right before it, makes the year 2000 seem increasingly promising for movies".[4] Newsweek magazine's David Ansen began his review with, "Julia Roberts is flat-out terrific in Erin Brockovich." Furthermore, he wrote, "Roberts has wasted her effervescence on many paltry projects, but she hits the jackpot this time. Erin, single mother of three, a former Miss Wichita who improbably rallies a community to take on a multi-billion-dollar corporation, is the richest role of her career, simultaneously showing off her comic, dramatic and romantic chops".[5] Rolling Stone magazine's Peter Travers wrote, "Roberts shows the emotional toll on Erin as she tries to stay responsible to her children and to a job that has provided her with a first taste of self-esteem".[6] In his review for Entertainment Weekly, Owen Gleiberman gave the film a "B+" rating and wrote, "It's a delight to watch Roberts, with her flirtatious sparkle and undertow of melancholy, ricochet off Finney's wonderfully jaded, dry-as-beef-jerky performance as the beleaguered career attorney who knows too much about the loopholes of his profession to have much faith left in it".[7] Sight and Sound magazine's Andrew O'Hehir wrote, "Perhaps the best thing about this relaxed and supremely engaging film (for my money the best work either the director or his star has ever done) is that even its near-fairytale resolution doesn't offer a magical transformation".[8] In her review for the Village Voice, Amy Taubin wrote, "What's pretty original about the picture is that it focuses an investigative drama based on a true story around a comic performance".[9]

However, film critic Roger Ebert gave the film a two-star review, writing, "There is obviously a story here, but Erin Brockovich doesn't make it compelling. The film lacks focus and energy, the character development is facile and thin".[10] In his review for The New York Times, A.O. Scott wrote, "After proving, for about 40 minutes, what a marvelous actress she can be, Ms. Roberts spends the next 90 content to be a movie star. As the movie drags on, her performance swells to bursting with moral vanity and phony populism".[11] Time magazine's Richard Corliss found the film to be "slick, grating and false. We bet it makes a bundle".[12]

[edit] Awards and honors

Erin Brockovich received numerous awards. The National Board of Review, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and the Broadcast Film Critics Association voted Julia Roberts best actress of the year.[13] The National Society of Film Critics voted Steven Soderbegh best director for his work on both Traffic and Erin Brockovich.[14]

Erin Brockovich received four Golden Globe nominations including Best Dramatic Motion Picture, Best Dramatic Motion Picture Actress (Roberts), Best Director (Soderbergh) and Best Supporting Actor (Albert Finney).[15] It won only one award for Best Dramatic Actress.[16] The film received five Academy Award nominations including Best Picture, Best Director (Soderbergh), Best Actress (Roberts), Best Supporting Actor (Finney), and Best Original Screenplay (Susannah Grant).[17] Roberts won Best Actress, the only Academy Award the film received.[18] However, Soderbergh lost out to himself for his work on the film Traffic.

American Film Institute recognition:

[edit] Accuracy

While the general facts of the story are accurate, there are some minor discrepancies between actual events and the movie, as well as a number of controversial and disputed issues more fundamental to the case. In the film, Erin Brockovich appears to deliberately use her cleavage to seduce the water board attendant to allow her to access the documents. Brockovich has acknowledged that her cleavage may have had an influence, but denies consciously trying to influence individuals in this way.[20] In the film, Ed Masry represents Erin Brockovich in the car crash case. In reality, it was his law partner, Jim Vititoe.[21] Brockovich had never been Miss Wichita; she had been Miss Pacific Coast. According to Brockovich, this detail was deliberately changed by Soderbergh as he thought it was "cute" to have her be beauty queen of the region from which she came.[20]

According to the The New York Times, scientists have questioned the accuracy of the film, suggesting that their profession would have more rationally and scientifically evaluated the medical evidence that inspired Brockovich. One scientist who spoke to the paper urged audiences to ask themselves if the science supports the film's assertions.[22]

[edit] References in other media

The 2011 music video and song "Jack Sparrow" by The Lonely Island featuring Michael Bolton includes a reference to Erin Brockovich. In the video Bolton, who is attempting to impersonate various film characters, is seen wearing a wig and holding a baby and calls himself Erin Brockovich. The song went viral through YouTube and other social media sites. It currently has over 100 million views.[23]

[edit] See also

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[edit] References

  1. ^ Giles, Jeff; David Ansen (February 5, 2001). "Pass Me An Oscar". Newsweek. http://www.newsweek.com/id/80411. Retrieved 2010-03-04.
  2. ^ Willens, Michele (June 25, 2000). "Putting Films to the Test, Every Time". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2000/06/25/movies/film-putting-films-to-the-test-every-time.html?scp=31&sq=. Retrieved 2010-03-04.
  3. ^ "Erin Brockovich". Box Office Mojo. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=erinbrockovich.htm. Retrieved 2008-12-05.
  4. ^ Sarris, Andrew (March 19, 2000). "She Doesn't Have a Résumé, but She's Got Other Assets". The New York Observer. http://www.observer.com/node/42723. Retrieved 2010-03-04.
  5. ^ Ansen, David (March 13, 2000). "A Trash-Talking Crusader". Newsweek. http://www.newsweek.com/id/83319. Retrieved 2010-03-04.
  6. ^ Travers, Peter (February 9, 2001). "Erin Brockovich". Rolling Stone. http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/movie/5947601/review/5947602/erin_brockovich. Retrieved 2008-12-05.
  7. ^ Gleiberman, Owen (March 24, 2000). "Erin Brockovich". Entertainment Weekly. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,275735,00.html. Retrieved 2008-12-05.
  8. ^ O'Hehir, Andrew (May 2000). "Erin Brockovich". Sight and Sound. http://www.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/review/354. Retrieved 2010-03-04.
  9. ^ Taubin, Amy (March 14, 2000). "Tit for Tat". Village Voice. http://www.villagevoice.com/2000-03-14/film/tit-for-tat/1. Retrieved 2010-03-04.
  10. ^ Ebert, Roger (March 17, 2000). "Erin Brockovich". Chicago Sun-Times. http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20000317/REVIEWS/3170303/1023. Retrieved 2008-05-07.
  11. ^ Scott, A.O (March 17, 2000). "Erin Brockovich: High Ideals, Higher Heels". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/library/film/031700erin-film-review.html. Retrieved 2008-12-05.
  12. ^ Corliss, Richard (March 20, 2000). "Erin Go Bra". Time. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,996403,00.html. Retrieved 2010-03-04.
  13. ^ Lyman, Rick (December 20, 2000). "High-Decibel Oscar Buzz". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2000/12/20/movies/high-decibel-oscar-buzz-studios-push-their-contenders-in-a-wide-open-field.html?scp=45&sq=. Retrieved 2010-03-04.
  14. ^ Cardwell, Diane (January 7, 2001). "Critics Group Honors Quirky List of Film Favorites". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2001/01/07/nyregion/critics-group-honors-quirky-list-of-film-favorites.html?scp=52&sq=%22Erin+Brockovich%22&st=nyt. Retrieved 2010-03-04.
  15. ^ Lyman, Rick (December 22, 2000). "Gladiator and Traffic Lead Globe Nominees". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2000/12/22/movies/gladiator-and-traffic-lead-globe-nominees.html?scp=46&sq=%22Erin+Brockovich%22&st=nyt. Retrieved 2010-03-04.
  16. ^ Lyman, Rick (January 22, 2001). "Surprises but No Dominator at the Golden Globes". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2001/01/22/movies/surprises-but-no-dominator-at-the-golden-globes.html?scp=55&sq=%22Erin+Brockovich%22&st=nyt. Retrieved 2010-03-04.
  17. ^ Lyman, Rick (February 14, 2001). "Gladiator, Crouching Tiger and Soderbergh Are Oscar Nominees". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2001/02/14/movies/gladiator-crouching-tiger-and-soderbergh-are-oscar-nominees.html?scp=60&sq=. Retrieved 2010-03-04.
  18. ^ Lyman, Rick (March 26, 2001). "Oscar Spreads the Wealth, but Gladiator Takes Top Prize; Julia Roberts Is Named Best Actress, And Russell Crowe Is Chosen Best Actor". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2001/03/26/movies/oscar-spreads-wealth-but-gladiator-takes-top-prize-julia-roberts-named-best.html?scp=75&sq=%22Erin+Brockovich%22&st=nyt. Retrieved 2010-03-04.
  19. ^ AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes Nominees
  20. ^ a b "Chasing the Frog - Erin Brockovich - Questioning the Story". Chasing the Frog. http://www.chasingthefrog.com/reelfaces/brockovich.php. Retrieved 2008-12-05.
  21. ^ Masry & Vititoe - Erin Brockovitch resumé
  22. ^ Kolata, Gina (11 April 2000). "REFLECTIONS; A Hit Movie Is Rated 'F' In Science". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2000/04/11/health/reflections-a-hit-movie-is-rated-f-in-science.html?pagewanted=2&src=pm. Retrieved 23 January 2013.
  23. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GI6CfKcMhjY

[edit] External links

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