Courage, Devotion and Feminine Mystique

Rating: 8/10 (5 June 2015)

Based on a true story of tenacity and humble beginnings, this film follows Erin Brockovich (Julia Roberts) in her stiletto-clad stumble through the challenges of scraping by to pay bills, raising her children and catering to the whims of whiny boyfriends. It is clear from the beginning what a haphazard balancing act Brockovich's life is, opening on her painfully awkward attempts to make a good impression through an unsuccessful job interview, where we learn that she is an unemployed single mother of three. Wallowing in her defeat only long enough to smoke a single cigarette, she makes her way back to her old orange car, which has since acquired a parking ticket, and almost predictably is T-boned at an intersection minutes after leaving.
The ways in which life is stacked against Brockovich are revealed gradually through her meeting with a lawyer in order to sue the driver that hit her, and later the disastrous cross examination in which her fiery temper and colorful diction cost her the jury's sympathy and her chances of winning any reparations for her pain and suffering. In her impatience at the defense lawyer's suggestion that she saw his wealthy client as an opportunity to capitalize on a lawsuit, it is clear that she is familiar with the ways in which power dynamics sway to favor the opposite of everything she embodies. Now confronted with the failure of her lawsuit, Brockovich is set back further than before, and forced to be even more driven and resourceful in her methods of obtaining her next paycheck.
In this desperation, she turns back to her lawyer, Ed Masry (Albert Finney), demanding a job at the law firm in a grand show of shouting and refusal to leave, expressing that he owes her something for false promises and the failed lawsuit that left her in even more debt. When it becomes clear that Brockovich will not take no for an answer, Masry offers her a position as a file clerk. It is in the midst of this tedious paperwork that she discovers suspicious details of what was supposed to be a simple real estate case, which sends her on an investigation of a scheme bigger than she could have imagined.
While the film was inspired by the story of how Brockovich investigates the ethics of the insidious corporation Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) and touches on the intricate workings of the legal system, its strength lies in how deeply it appeals to the viewer's emotion, strategically taking the time to zero in on the struggles Brockovich faces in her personal life in order to humanize her, when on the job her abrasive personality could otherwise be off-putting. In the face of poverty, motherhood and romantic entanglements, it is clear how she grew to project a tough exterior for the sake of survival.
Brockovich's home life is one device used often to make her more accessible to the audience, revealing the tension with her young children over the long hours she must work, and her dilemma between helping the families she represents in her case or focusing on her own family. A defining moment illustrating the struggle she faces as a mother is in an argument with her boyfriend (Aaron Eckhart), who feels that he is being neglected for her work and taking too much responsibility in caring for her children. In a decision rarely made in fictional stories, Brockovich chooses to prioritize her work over her romantic relationship, a powerful choice challenging the familiar trope of a woman realizing that love is more important than her ambition. This is a powerful, pivotal moment in the film.
This film is more impressive than most in its portrayal of womanhood, Brockovich embodying a conglomeration of qualities which fictional accounts rarely conflate. It should not be groundbreaking to present a strong and intelligent female character who also has children and on top of this wears short skirts and high heels, but few other films with this type of character come to mind. And perhaps it is solely for the sake of remaining faithful to the true story on which this is based that her character was created with such dimension. Unfortunately, the other female characters in this film are disappointingly pigeonholed into familiar roles, deliberately contrasting with Brockovich in myriad ways only as a means to further glorify her and set her apart. There are the other women at the law firm who are mostly frumpy and overweight, and seem to regard Brockovich negatively based only on her fashion sense or out of envy. This reproduces the familiar but apocryphal idea that women are in constant competition with one another rather than being allies. There are the victimized clients she helps: rural, married and ignorant mothers who play the sympathetic characters. Then there is the other female lawyer, who, in spite of being on her side of the case, is portrayed as uptight and snobbish, unsuccessful in her attempts to connect with the working class community that the firm represents.
This is the story of an underdog, a representative of a stigmatized group in our society: a single mother, twice divorced, and poor. Above all of this, she is unapologetic in her femininity, refusing to be shamed for her opinions, clothing choices or pursuit of justice. Although it has its weaknesses in succumbing to an uncomfortable number of clichés, the film weaves a heartfelt tale of determination and navigating the gray areas between work and personal life as a woman. I am confident that anyone more emotional than me (read: anyone) would have minimal critique of this evocative combination of comedy and drama, which culminates to a tear-jerking resolution, even more impactful given the fact that it is based on true events. In spite of a few shortcomings and my own nitpicking critiques, I would rate this film highly and recommend it.