Cinemateque - Erin Brockovich

The movie “Erin Brockovich” is actually based on the true story of a mother that has been through two divorces and is working as a secretary at a law firm in Los Angeles, California. She doesn’t have a law degree or any background in law other then what she has picked up from working where she does. Brockovich takes it upon herself to fight a case in which a powerful corporation has contaminated water in a small, desert town. The corporation had spent a lot of money to hide their mistake up, but Brockovich doesn’t give up and ends up leading the contamination back to the Pacific Gas and Electric Company. From having no legal training at all, she works her way into the court room to bring the Mega Corporation to justice.
This biopic/drama was released in 2000 and directed by Steven Soderbergh. Soderbergh is more of an indie movie director, but worked with Julia Roberts to make the real Erin Brockovich’s story a blockbuster hit. The movie is rated R, because the lead character does seem to use a lot of curse words, but the message of the movie is that of triumph and inspiration. This movie, even though it is almost eleven years old, would still speak to many audiences and even connects to the present day with the BP oil spill that recently occurred.
The beginning of the movie introduces the main character, Erin Brockovich, to the viewer. We learn she isn’t having the best luck with her life, but she isn’t the type of person to just quit. As a viewer you find it hard to find any hope that Brockovich will be able to keep her family afloat through her injury and lack of money. But as the story progresses and we see a strong woman set on securing a healthy life for her own family as well as other families she finds have been wronged.
As the story progresses and Brockovich finds more and more people affected by the water contamination, it is interesting that the director takes a break from the central story of gathering the case to focus on the people who are affected. It is heart-wrenching to hear about the effects that this water contamination has had on the small community.
In the end you cannot help to be overcome with the feeling of triumph as the people who caused so much pain finally are put to justice. Erin Brockovich may have sacrificed a lot of her time and energy to help all of those people, but in the end she manages to juggle it all and pull her family together.