Showcase for Roberts, but not much else.

Rating: 7/10 (12 March 2001)

This movie struck me as primarily a vehicle to put Julia Roberts on display - and that is not without its positive aspects. But did I ever once believe that I was not seeing Julia Roberts play Erin Brockovich? No. This was too much a showpiece for Roberts, rather than a movie that could seriously involve us in a drama with tremendous potential. I think it might have been more affecting to have the real Erin Brockovich play the part.
I like Albert Finney, but he seemed less than convincing in this. In a scene where he is standing on a stage before a large audience trying to convince them to sign on to a deal that was probably in their best interests, but that many did not take to, he was not convincing to me. After his speech, Roberts told him, "You were good." But he wasn't.
Many scenes were clearly enhanced for dramatic and humorous effect and I never felt that we were seeing a true story unfold. Compare this with "Silkwood," a movie with a similar theme. There the focus was on the story and not on the star power of its protagonist. Or compare it to the recent "Pollock," where you felt you were seeing the real thing played very straight.
Having said all this, I have to admit that this movie did go down pretty smoothly while I was watching it. It was only thinking about it afterward that I realized that it could have been much more.