Competent but ultimately empty....

Rating: 6/10 (13 November 2001)

***SPOILERS*** ***SPOILERS*** I expected much from Erin Brockovich. It received Oscars, much praise, hype and story after story on the real life Erin Brockovich. And indeed, the story is a worthy one - single mother makes good and finds her true calling, helping out a whole town in the process! Occasionally, the film is heart-rending and often very funny. It's also nice that it doesn't go overboard on the schmaltz - being realistic about the problems Erin and George have in balancing out work and a personal relationship. However, everything just floats by all too nicely.. with no real struggle. The meeting with PG & E seems far too easy and the case is won without us even seeing the final hearing with the judge. It's all cut and dried with no real drama or suspense. We know that she's going to win before the story even ends.
Great performances all round and still a very entertaining film but I don't think it deserved the OTT praise that it received. Part of me is left thinking that this won awards purely because it was socially conscious. Is that being too cynical?
6/10