'Erin Brockovich' -- essentially the triumph of the underdog<\/p>\n
By Tam Notosusanto<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): She may not seem like a role model: a twice-
\ndivorced woman with three young children, no permanent job and no
\ncollege degree, a nastier attitude than your neighbor's pet
\nrottweiler and an outrageous taste for clothing that is an
\neyesore.<\/p>\n
But Erin Brockovich is a hero in her own right. It is her
\npersistence and tenacity that motivated the citizens of a small
\nCalifornia town to file a lawsuit against a giant corporation
\nthat was contaminating their water with toxic chemical waste.
\nThey were triumphant when the court ordered Pacific Gas &
\nElectric to pay US$333 million to the plaintiffs, a record in the
\nhistory of direct-action lawsuits in the United States.<\/p>\n
The movie Erin Brockovich does not intend to be a historical
\naccount of this 1993 legal battle, and so it is perfectly all
\nright that this review reveals the story's final outcome. This
\nmovie is essentially about the triumph of the underdog, and how
\nit can happen around us, in real life.<\/p>\n
The film begins with Erin (Julia Roberts) desperately looking
\nfor employment while swimming in debts and struggling to look
\nafter her three young offspring. In the midst of it all, she
\nbecomes a victim in a car accident, and her effort to sue the
\nmotorist falls through when she cannot restrain herself from
\nspewing profanity at him during the trial.<\/p>\n
Her desperation leads her back to her own attorney, aging
\nlawyer Ed Masry (Albert Finney). In the film's most achingly
\nfunny scene, she both harangues and pleads with him into giving
\nher a job at his office.<\/p>\n
It is at Masry & Vittitoe that Erin reinvents herself. In the
\noffice's filing jungle, she discovers some land deal documents
\ncuriously attached with some medical records. Her inquisitive
\nmind brings her to the town of Hinkley. She interviews some of
\nthe townsfolk and learns of Pacific Gas & Oil's scheme to buy
\nproperty from the town's citizens, and of the company's effort to
\nenlighten them about the \"safe\" chromium which the company's has
\nbeen using in its neighboring plant.<\/p>\n
Erin's investigation discloses that the chromium that PG&E
\nemploys to prevent rust in their machinery is not safe at all.
\nIt has been going into the town's water supply for years and may
\nhave been responsible for the various kinds of illnesses
\naffecting locals.<\/p>\n
The discovery leads to a fierce legal battle that positions
\nErin as Masry's most trusted assistant and elevates Masry &
\nVittitoe from an insignificant law firm to a venerable legal
\nmachine.<\/p>\n
In the spirit of Norma Rae, that 1979 movie about the
\nfictional labor union heroine, Erin Brockovich captures what
\nessentially is key to this woman's achievement: her understanding
\nof common folk. She unearths the truth from her patient handling
\nof the Hinkley citizens, and later, she uses her rapport with
\nthem to motivate them to file the lawsuit.<\/p>\n
Screenwriter Susannah Grant, who gave us a postmodernist
\nCinderella in Ever After, presents a more down-to-earth heroine
\nin Erin, showing her foibles and that she would not be able to do
\nall the great things if George (Aaron Eckhart), the benevolent
\nponytailed biker next-door, was not around to look after her
\nchildren. Grant also gives us many reasons to cheer for this
\nwoman in her flashy attire, especially every time she manages to
\nstand up against all those arrogant lawyers in their sinister
\nsuits.<\/p>\n
We would not be seeing Erin in all her dynamic glory if it
\nwere not for Roberts' supercharged performance (the real Erin
\nBrockovich cameos as a diner waitress wearing the name plate
\nJulia). Roberts' face may still look too much like a movie star,
\nbut her body and spirit effortlessly blend into Erin's rebellious
\nnature and her messy hairdo.<\/p>\n
As Masry, veteran thespian Finney reminds us of Ed Asner's Lou
\nGrant, a paternal, middle-aged tenderheart who can go ballistic
\nto comical effect when most needed. Marg Helgenberger pulls at
\nour heartstrings in her brief scenes as one of the Hinkley
\ncasualties.<\/p>\n
The biggest surprise of all is director Steven Soderbergh,
\nfamous for his quirky debut sex, lies and videotape in 1989 and a
\nstring of independent circle follow-ups. Erin Brockovich is his
\nfirst totally mainstream piece, and it's remarkable how he frees
\nhimself from his usual devices -- nonlinear storyline and
\nirregular camera work -- and still manages to bring out a film as
\ngreat as any of his previous vehicles. The way he presents human
\nbeings and humanity in his films is his strength and no matter
\nwhat style he uses, he remains a true cinematic master.<\/p>",
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