Care until it hurts

Rating: 9/10 (26 March 2000)

Think about the person in your life who's a thorn in your side, that annoying person who knows exactly where your buttons are and when to push them; that person who, no matter how hard you try to refute their words, you have to admit `you're right' on a regular basis. This person isn't perfect--they too have their weaknesses, their flaws, but whenever you try to throw these flaws in their face, they come up with something even more incriminating about you to throw back. You hate this person and love them dearly at the same time, because without them, you'd probably be in a gutter somewhere. That person you are thinking of is your 'Erin Brockovich.' If you see the highly entertaining new Steven Soderbergh film named for her, you'll see my point.
Hollywood does love the underdog. When we're introduced to our heroine, played to perfection by Julia Roberts, she has no money, no job, and no marketable skills with which to get one. Here we see the frustration anyone encounters when looking for a job: `If only they would just give me a chance, I'd show them...' Personality goes a long way, but isn't enough to land a job, even an entry-level one. Personality's something Erin's got a bit too much of, unfortunately. Her life so far has been one long disappointment and frustration and desperation has its way of creeping to the surface.
One of the amazing things about Erin is that even when she's hanging onto the thinnest of threads, she never backs down. For instance, she finally lands a job from her lawyer, Ed Masry (played by the brilliantly-cast Albert Finney), who takes pity on her because he lost her neck injury lawsuit. Her wardrobe is limited to bright-colored, revealing tops and short skirts. Ed starts to give her the standard `workplace attire' speech after she's been there a while. She plainly refuses to change her wardrobe, citing `I think I look good' in her defense. The way she says it leaves no room for argument, no room to question. Suddenly, her wardrobe makes all the sense in the world!
Then comes the PG&E lawsuit. After Erin reveals her findings to one family who have all become sick in one form or another, many other families begin to come forward. Masry now has a very large civil case on his hands, and continually denies he has the resources to handle it. Erin, of course, believes otherwise. The case will require a ton of research, thousands of signatures, costly expert witnesses. All Ed sees is money piling up that may never be repaid. Erin sees people who have been wronged and lied to. She makes her argument and, again, it makes all the sense in the world.
"Erin Brockovich" is about the power of giving a damn. Erin cares so much it hurts. She knows each face, age, disease, phone number, and address of the people she's fighting for. The film tells you that this kind of compassion is something that no law school can ever teach. She's smart, she cares, and she's willing to fight. That's all she needs.
It's good to see that life under the guidance of a big studio hasn't cramped Mr. Soderbergh's style, at least not too much. Handheld camera is used almost exclusively, which makes you feel like it's really happening, like you're right there watching it. This is a simple story and he tells it straight, rarely dipping into his usual bag of tricks. For my money, Mr. Soderbergh is the best, most vital director working in Hollywood right now. I'm glad he was hired to make "Brockovich," but have to admit I'd like to see him return to the less conventional style of his other recent work, "Out of Sight" and "The Limey," two of the best films of the nineties.
Grade: B