Roberts, Finney are good. Flawed film is worth seeing.

Rating: Null/10 (19 March 2000)

A car accident propels the main character of "Erin Brockovich" into a legal crusade in the style of "Norma Rae" and "Silkwood." Julia Roberts plays Brockovich, who antagonizes everyone in the film except her kids, a saint-like Harley biker named George (Aaron Eckhart) and the people she represents for her law firm. Director Steven Soderbergh and writer Susannah Grant make amends on the acid Brockovich, who slings out foul language like a Richard Pryor album from the '70s. Just so you don't totally hate her character, Roberts gets sensitive and cries a lot when bad situations occur. The plot concerns Roberts, cussing her way as usual, into a job at the law firm of Ed Masry (Albert Finney, who delivers a veteran actor's performance). Once employed, Roberts uncovers disease and birth defects attributed to a large utility company in a small Southern California town. Eckhart, a good actor in this film, does not play a believable character. Supporting players are Marg Helgenberger, Cherry Jones, Tracey Walter, Jamie Harrold, Peter Coyote, Conchatta Ferrell and Mimi Kennedy.
Helgenberger is in need of more direction during her first scene in the film, but she later delivers a very convincing performance. Harrold at first delights as a Gen-Xer with sideburns down to his legs. Walter and Ferrell, both gifted actors, are sadly there just to move the plot along, and Coyote takes a break from commercial voice-overs to actually appear on-screen somewhere. Thomas Newman's music and Soderbergh's direction are low-key, manipulating every scene to the sympathetic Brockovich character. Julia Roberts fans will not be disappointed. Non-fans might be surprised at her acting skills.