Soderberg's American Pastoral

Rating: 10/10 (23 October 2000)

Steven Soderberg's extremely satisfying film about an unlikely crusader pitted against a mammoth corporation that has lied to its neighbors about their well-being may seem like a Julia Roberts showcase but Soderberg manages to use Roberts as one of many colors in his pastoral of an America where justice can be served. Not that Roberts is ignored or wasted: unlike 1999's manipulative "Notting Hill" she is forced to shed her star quotient in order to let her beauty serve the film's main character. As a put-upon former beauty queen desperate to find meaning in her life while trying to impart social values on her children, Roberts' feisty, no-nonsense determination becomes such an admirable quality that it actually makes her more beautiful than she's ever seemed; the film's last shot frames her in such a devastating way that you can't help but be swept away by such a complete characterization. Susannah Grant's sarcastic but perceptive screenplay gives Roberts the lines needed to make her be absolutely inspiring. Ace cinematographer Ed Lachman beautifully evokes an arid California that comes alive with color as events begin to happen. Soderberg's companion piece "The Limey" may be more succinct and filled with more depth but this masterpiece is just as thrilling and even more moving.