Erin Brockovich [DVD]

Description

Product Description A real woman. A real story. A real triumph. Julia Roberts stars as Erin Brockovich, a feisty young mother who fought for justice any way she knew how. Desperate for a job to support herself and her three children, she convinces attorney Ed Masry (Albert Finney) to hire her, and promptly stumbles upon a monumental law case against a giant corporation. Now, Erin's determined to take on this powerful adversary even though no law firm has dared to do it before. And while Ed doesn't want anything to do with the case, Erin won't take "no" for an answer. So the two begin an incredible and sometimes hilarious fight that will bring a small town to its feet and a huge company to its knees.Bonus Content:Spotlight on Location: The Making of Erin BrockovichErin Brockovich: A Look at a Real-Life ExperienceDeleted Scenes with Director's CommentsTheatrical TrailerProduction NotesCast and FilmmakersRecommendationsDVD-ROM Features desertcart.com Much will be made of Julia Roberts's wardrobe in Erin Brockovich--a brash parade of daring hemlines and Wonderbra confidence. Roberts is unabashedly sexy in the title role of this fact-based comedy-drama, but she and director Steven Soderbergh are far too intelligent to rely solely on high heels and cleavage. Susannah Grant's brassy screenplay fuels this winning combination of star, director, and material, firing on all pistons with maximum efficiency. With Ed Lachman, his noted cinematographer from The Limey, Soderbergh tackles this A-list project with the fervor of an independent, combining a no-frills look with kinetic panache and the same brisk editorial style he used in the justly celebrated Out of Sight. Broke and desperate, the twice-divorced single mom Erin bosses her way into a clerical job with attorney Ed Masry (Albert Finney), who's indebted to Erin after failing to win her traffic-injury case. Erin is soon focused on suspicious connections between a mighty power company, its abuse of toxic chromium, and the poisoned water supply of Hinkley, California, where locals have suffered a legacy of death and disease. Matching the dramatic potency of Norma Rae and Silkwood, Erin Brockovich filters cold facts through warm humanity, especially in Erin's rapport with dying victims and her relationship with George (superbly played by Aaron Eckhart), a Harley-riding neighbor who offers more devotion than Erin's ever known. Surely some of these details have been embellished for dramatic effect, but the factual basis of Erin Brockovich adds a boost of satisfaction, proving that greed, neglect, and corporate arrogance are no match against a passionate crusader. (Trivia note: The real Erin Brockovich appears briefly as a diner waitress.) --Jeff Shannon Review: Julia Roberts Shines - When Julia Roberts won the Oscar for Best Actress for "Erin Brockovich," I wondered if the vote was not just a popularity contest rather than the awarding of the golden statue for sheer triumphant acting. Revisiting the film, it is no longer any surprise or doubt. Roberts turns in the best performance of her long and successful career. One warning to parents or those offended by "bad" language. Virtually everything that comes out of Roberts' mouth is a four-letter letter word. The supporting cast is excellent. The director and the editing are excellent. The film is just the right length and the story unfolds well. This is not a feel good movie, but the positive transformation of Robert's character is a virtue of this film biography. So, too, is her work ethic. Movie fans will always wonder why Roberts never mentioned, let alone thanked, the real Erin Brockovich in her Oscar acceptance speech. The story salutes a remarkable woman triumphing in an unfriendly world to poor single mothers trying to raise three children. I sincerely hope the real Erin Brockovich made the most of her two million dollar settlement. This film does not have the warm and sweet nature of "Pretty Women," perhaps Robert's favorite role, but it is an acting tour de force. Any fan of good storytelling should enjoy this excellent film. Review: "I'm really kinda tired, Ed..." - "Erin Brockovich" is a wonderful movie! Starring Julia Roberts, Albert Finney, and Aaron Eckhart, it's based on the real-life story of Erin Brockovich, a down-on-her-luck, twice divorced former beauty queen with three young children. Having no post-high school education and few job skills, she has great difficulty finding and holding down a job. Despite her adversities, she displays a fierce grit and determination as she constantly seeks ways to support her family. Then a seemingly tragic twist of fate puts her on the road to a complete reversal of luck. After being seriously injured in a car crash, she sues the doctor who hit her. Her antagonistic personality and foul mouth cause her to lose her lawsuit. With bluff and bravado, she persuades her lawyer, Ed Masry, into giving her a job as a file clerk in his law firm. Erin finds herself intrigued by one of the cases contained in the files she's putting away. Why are people's medical records included in a simple real estate transaction? She asks Ed if she can look into it. He agrees. What Erin finds horrifies her. A large electric utility near the small town of Hinkley has been dumping a highly toxic form of chromium into the water. Citizens in Hinkley are contracting various forms of cancer and other gravely debilitating diseases. The film's main story line tells of Erin and Ed's efforts to persuade Hinkley's citizens to join in a class action lawsuit against the utility. Julia Roberts, Albert Finney, and Aaron Echhart each illuminate the screen with their superb performances. In Roberts' case, it would be easy to focus on her good looks and skimpy wardrobe and slight her acting. The fact is, though, her acting in this movie is probably her strongest attribute. Throughout the film, Roberts' character comes off as completely natural, believable, and admirable - if not always likeable. Julia Roberts is certainly deserving of her 2001 Academy Award Best Actress award. Albert Finney (nominated for Best Spporting Actor) plays the gruff, irascible, hard-working, and totally decent lawyer Ed Masry. Finney's Oscar-worthy performance is certainly the equal of Roberts. The chemistry between Roberts, the star of modern-day female movie stars, and Finney, the grizzled veteran of stage and screen, sparkles. Aaron Eckhart' s portrayal of George, the biker-turned-boyfriend and live-in baby-sitter is a refreshing change from the typical - and expected - Harley-Davidson rider stereotype. As Eckhart depicts him, George is smart, tender-hearted, probably a bit lazy, possessed with a wanderlust he keeps under control, and a thoroughly decent fellow. How director Steven Soderbergh managed to keep "Erin Brockovich" from becoming another tedious, cliché-ridden legal and family drama is intriguing, and is probably one of the key reasons for the movie's tremendous popularity. It would have been easy to turn "Erin Brockovich" into a film filled with stereotypical courtroom pyrotechnics; long, idealistic speeches about the "little guy" versus corporate America; and characters that are either too easy to hate or too easy to love. That's pretty much what I expected when I began watching the movie. Instead, I witnessed a film filled with ordinary, decent people... people with faults, to be sure; but all living their lives as best they can. Instead of slick lawyers seeking victory at any cost, there are attorneys zealously representing their clients to the best of their abilities. Instead of hapless, pitiable victims of corporate greed, the townspeople of Hinkley are portrayed as caring, decent, law-abiding citizens whose only concern is the welfare of their families. What Soderbergh has, in fact, done is present to his audiences a wonderful reflection of American life - the good as well as the bad. At the conclusion of this wonderful film, it's easy for viewers to walk away feeling pretty good... not only about the ultimate outcome of the movie, but also about the fact that we Americans are, for the most part, decent, caring, law-abiding citizens. And that makes "Erin Brockovich" a film well worth seeing!