Norma Rae's a Pretty Woman Playing Quincy

Rating: 6/10 (19 March 2000)

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD
ERIN BROCKOVICH is an overlong, routine star-turn for Julia Roberts. As Brockovich, Roberts shows the fashion sense of Cher, the vocabulary of Madonna (or Whoopi Goldberg), the sanctimony of Alan Alda, and the belligerence of Robert DeNiro (or Jack Klugman as QUINCY). A single mother with no education and trying to raise three children, Roberts/Brockovich struts around with a perpetual chip on her shoulder. To Roberts credit, she makes Brockovich understandable, though not overly likable (WAY too beligerant). We also learn two heretofore undiscovered things about Roberts. She has a beauty mark (lovely spot, by the way), and she should NEVER again wear platform shoes.
Brockovich intimidates herself into a job as a legal aide, and quickly uncovers a coverrup involving Pacific Gas & Electric, horribly polluted water, and people dieing of cancer; all the while, PG&E is consciously covering all this up. During the course of her crusade, Brokovich succeeds in neglecting her children and driving away the only worthwhile man in her life. And what about the people made sick by PG&E. They are portrayed and whiny and passive. Hasn't anyone ever heard of a picket line? NOTHING would get in and out of the gates of PG&E if it were MY family dying from their criminal activity.
The movie reveals Brockovich received a $2,000,000 bonus for her work on this case. Roberts received 20,000,000 to play her on screen. Couldn't these two great "consumer advocates" get together with their Hollywood friends and petition both California and the Federal Government to CRIMINALIZE the kinds of activities committed by PG&E? Aren't there laws against reckless endangerment and fraud? Oh well, enjoy the movie.