Erin Brockovich [VHS]
Julia Roberts outdoes herself in yet another David and Goliath struggle based on a true story. Erin Brockovich (Roberts) is a down-on-her-luck mother of three who can't seem to hold down a job. After having an auto accident, she makes a bumpy transition from client to employee at the law firm and stumbles onto a case with staggering implications. It seems that utility giant PG&E; has poisoned the groundwater and the local residents are getting gravely ill.The story starts poorly with scenes of Erin looking for jobs and botching her accident case. The first twenty minutes of the film could have been condensed into five. However, once the investigation of the case begins, the story is engrossing. It is a powerful and well written human interest drama centered on a tough and smart (though crude) woman who leads a passionate crusade on behalf of the victims.Director Steven Soderberg played it straight in filming this after his extremely avant-garde effort in "The Limey". His key strength here was the direction of the actors with both Julia Roberts and Albert Finney giving excellent interpretations of their characters. However, my only negative criticism of the film was the way Erin's boyfriend George was presented. George is a grubby tattoo covered biker (the tattoo on his left shoulder says "DIRTY") who behaves like Ward Cleaver with a ponytail. He is genteel, articulate, level headed, patient, sensitive and kind. All of this is so disconnected with his lifestyle that it seems inconceivable that a character this wonderful could possibly come in this package.Julia Roberts' gave a superlative performance that smashed any myth about her inability as a dramatic actor.