Erin Brockovich is a riveting film about a woman who goes against a powerful corporation to bring justice to those who were harmed.

Rating: 9/10 (7 June 2016)

Erin Brockovich Saves the Day
Erin Brockovich is a riveting film that will have you rooting for the underdog and hating large corporations that are out to get the little guys. This plot has been done many times before and in many instances, it has failed but not in this case. The film stars Julia Roberts as the protagonist of this film, Erin Brockovich. This film also stars Albert Finney as Ed Masry and Aaron Eckhart as George, who is Brockovich's love interest in this film. This film is based on a true story about a brave woman who goes against a huge corporation to pursue justice for others. Erin Brockovich is a single mother trying to raise her three kids. The opening scene of the film shows Brockovich desperately looking for a job so she can support her children and she ends up in a car accident. Jobless, she convinces her lawyer, Ed Masry into giving her a job at his firm. While working at the firm she begins to look into a real estate case involving Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E). She finds out PG&E is trying to secretly buy land that is contaminated by toxic hexavalent chromium, which they have disposed of incorrectly and has now affected the people living in Hinkley, California. The inhabitants of Hinkley are unaware that the land has been exposed to this dangerous chemical and think the company is solely trying to buy their homes. She decides to go to Hinkley and begins to question some of the people she read about in the files. As she talks to the residents, she digs deeper into what is actually occurring in the small town of Hinkley. She investigates further and soon Brockovich and Masry are involved in the biggest class action lawsuit case in American history against the powerful PG&E. Erin Brockovich is an inspirational film that will inspire you to do great things for the environment. She's a single mother of three, who without any formal education decides to go after a large multi-billion dollar corporation to help bring justice to those affected by the contamination of water in Hinkley. She was able to obtain the job in the law firm due to her tenacity as she convinced her lawyer to give it to her, which to me, says a lot about her character and how driven she is, which will help her as the film progresses. Despite her financial situation not being great, she still chose to help the people of Hinkley. This was a truly admirable act because she was fighting for a much greater cause. Even though she was not a lawyer, she was still an important asset in this case. I feel this helped the people of Hinkley trust her and bridge the gap between the lawyers and the clients. She was able to help the residents of Hinkley understand what was going on with the case in a way that they would understand. I think Julia Roberts did an exceptional job as Erin Brockovich. She was able to really connect with the character and it showed in her acting. This is a biographical film and I think it is vital that the writers don't stray too far from the truth and this film achieved just that. The costumes used in the film were great and helped bring a point across. The fact that she is working in a law firm brings a certain image to mind when it comes to the type of clothing you imagine employees wear and the clothes she wore were the exact opposite of that. Her clothes helped her stand out from the women in the law firm who wore pant suits and looked down on Brockovich because of her clothing choices. Even though the other workers were uncomfortable with the type of clothes she wore she did not succumb to their wills and she kept on dressing the way she wanted to. This action may seem insignificant but it really shows her refusal to conform to societal norms. The plot in the film is intriguing and kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end because I wanted to know what the outcome of the case was going to be. Throughout the movie, you can't help but root for her and want her to succeed. She's a single mother going against a huge corporation because they did the people of Hinkley wrong. This really helps play on the emotions of the viewer. While watching the film I found this to be an admirable quality of hers. While there is an underlying romance in the film, it is not the main focus. The directors do an excellent job at not taking away from the plot and the story that is being told. I would highly recommend this film. The acting is phenomenal and the plot keeps you wanting more. After watching the film, it got me questioning the trust we put in the people that provide us with water. I'm sure there are many cases around the world similar to this and I think it is a topic that should be discussed more. This film really highlighted Brockovich's many admirable qualities and it inspired me. She was just one person who happened to stumble upon this case but that did not stop her from further investigating the situation and doing the right thing. The fact that she did not go to law school and yet achieved something great serves as an inspiration to us all. I think we all have something to learn from Erin Brockovich and we should continue to fight for things we believe in.