Erin Brockovich is a 2000 biographical film directed by Steven Soderbergh. The film is a dramatization of the true story of Erin Brockovich, played by Julia Roberts, who fought against the US West Coast energy corporation Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E).

 

Erin Brockovich (Roberts) is a twice-divorced mother of three young children, who struggles to be taken seriously. While working as a file clerk in a small law firm, she stumbles upon a cover-up involving contaminated water in a nearby town which is causing devastating illnesses.

 

She convinces her boss (Finney) to allow her to investigate, and in the process uncovers the company causing the contamination. Although the local citizens are initially leery of becoming involved, Erin's brash manner and ability to speak to them clearly and frankly earns their trust. With over 600 plaintiffs signed up, the unlikely duo go on to win the largest settlement ever paid in a direct-action suit...$333 million.

 

The majority of critics responded favorably towards the film. It holds a certified"Fresh" rating of 83% on film review website Rotten Tomatoes and 73 metascore on Metacritic. In his review for The New York Observer, Andrew Sarris wrote, "We get the best of independent cinema and the best of mainstream cinema all in one package. Erin Brockovich, like Wonder Boys right before it, makes the year 2000 seem increasingly promising for movies". Newsweek magazine's David Ansen began his review with, "Julia Roberts is flat-out terrific in Erin Brockovich." Furthermore, he wrote,"Roberts has wasted her effervescence on many paltry projects, but she hits the jackpot this time. Erin, single mother of three, a former Miss Wichita who improbably rallies a community to take on a multibillion-dollar corporation, is the richest role of her career, simultaneously showing off her comic, dramatic and romantic chops".

 

Erin Brockovich was released on March 17, 2000, in 2,848 theaters and grossed $28.1 million on its opening weekend. It went on to make $126.6 million in North America and $130.7 million in the rest of the world for a worldwide total of $256.3 million.

 

Erin Brockovich received numerous awards. The National Board of Review, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and the Broadcast Film Critics Association voted Julia Roberts best actress of the year. The National Society of Film Critics voted Steven Soderbegh best director for his work on both Traffic and Erin Brockovich.

 

Erin Brockovich received four Golden Globe nominations including Best Dramatic Motion Picture, Best Dramatic Motion Picture Actress (Roberts), Best Director (Soderbergh) and Best Supporting Actor (Albert Finney). It won only one award for Best Dramatic Actress. The film received five Academy Award nominations including Best Picture, Best Director (Soderbergh), Best Actress (Roberts), Best Supporting Actor (Finney), and Best Original Screenplay (Susannah Grant). Roberts won Best Actress, the only Academy Award the film received. However, Soderbergh lost out to himself for his work on the film Traffic.