Review

The New York Times dedicated the March 5 issue of its Sunday Magazine to the topic of “Work,” including a story on why computer companies “prefer high school dropouts.” (They tend to have tons of youthful energy that employers can shamelessly exploit and, the reasoning goes, they haven’t been inculcated with out-of-date theories that might hinder their productivity.) There’s book learning and there’s common sense and compassion. Erin Brockovich — whose true story inspired director Steven Soderbergh’s thoroughly enjoyable new film — is smart and outspoken but got sidetracked by the birth of three children from two marriages, both of which ended in divorce.

A former Miss Wichita with a swell figure but only a two figure bank account, Erin (Julia Roberts) really needs a job. Any job. Because she favors garments that set off her attractive cleavage the way a lit fuse sets off dynamite, Erin has trouble being taken seriously by prospective employers. Making the most of a bad situation — lawyer Ed Masry (Albert Finney) assured Erin he’d win her a handsome settlement following a car accident, but failed — Erin forces the soon-to-retire Masry to take her on as a sort of sub-secretary in his small law firm. Erin’s new neighbor, a kindly biker and sometime construction worker (Aaron Eckhart), agrees to watch Erin’s brood while she works.

This movie convinces you that you do not want to be a poor single mother. And you most definitely don’t want to live on the tract of land that, as Erin accidentally discovers, a nearby power plant has rendered toxic via years of willful neglect. Many critics have suggested that Roberts is “trying to prove she’s a real actress and not just a star,” or words to that effect. Of COURSE she’s a “real actress.” This is a great part and Roberts runs with it. Her Erin brings a new kind of class to “class action suit” — a talent that escapes the real suits whose law degrees can’t begin to get the results Erin achieves with working class gumption, empathy and raw determination. She also uses the appendages she herself refers to as “boobs” to gain access to documents that will prove vital to her case against Pacific Gas and Electric, a $28 billion corporation.

If you’re tempted to think that Roberts is just too darn attractive to in any way resemble an ordinary mortal like the title crusader, look carefully at the scene in the movie where Erin takes her kids to a coffee shop. The waitress who takes their order is played by the real-life Erin Brockovich. Compare and contrast figures and smiles. I think most people will find the casting spot-on.

Sticklers may say, “Yeah, okay, but nobody dresses that way in real life and gets away with it.”

Roger Ebert received the following letter from Cinthea Stahl of Los Angeles: “In your review of Erin Brockovich, you found fault with Julia Roberts' costuming and felt it undermined the film's credibility. I work in Westlake Village, in an office that leases space from Masry & Vititoe. I see Brockovich regularly. She is an intelligent and thoroughly admirable lady. She dresses to this day in the same striking manner portrayed in the film. I think the costume designer worked very hard to capture the precise nuances of Brockovich's sartorial choices. For me, and for anyone familiar with Brockovich, Roberts' costuming enhanced the film's credibility.”

FilmFestivals.com reporter
Lisa Nesselson