Dark Waters (2019)
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A corporate defense lawyer takes on a massive chemical manufacturing corporation after they contaminate a local community with unregulated chemicals.
The story
In 1998, corporate defense lawyer Robert Bilott is asked by a farmer to investigate the deaths of numerous dairy cattle in Parkersburg, West Virginia. The farmer links the deaths to the chemical manufacturing corporation DuPont. Upon investigating, Bilott discovers that the company has been using a chemical called PFOA, which is linked to cancer and other serious health issues, but has kept these findings private. As the local community faces the consequences of the contamination, Bilott must navigate a complex legal battle against a powerful corporation to seek justice for the residents of Parkersburg.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1998, Robert Bilott, a corporate defense lawyer, is hired by a farmer named Wilbur Tennant to investigate the deaths of 190 dairy cattle in Parkersburg, West Virginia. Bilott discovers that the deaths are linked to PFOA, a chemical used by DuPont to manufacture Teflon. Although DuPont knew of the chemical's toxicity, they kept the information private. Bilott faces a community that is divided on whether to sue their main employer. He eventually takes a stand, leading to a legal battle where he uncovers that the chemicals are 'forever chemicals' that accumulate in the body. After a series of legal maneuvers and a period of silence from the scientific community, it is confirmed that PFOA exposure is linked to various diseases. When DuPont attempts to withdraw from a settlement, Bilott sues the company for each individual resident with an illness. This leads to a final settlement of $671 million for the residents of Parkersburg.
- First release year
- 2019
- Runtime (minutes)
- 126
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Todd Haynes
- Writers
- Mario Correa · screenplay; Matthew Michael Carnahan · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Mark Ruffalo · Bilott; Anne Hathaway; Tim Robbins; Bill Camp; Victor Garber; Mare Winningham; Bill Pullman
- Genres
- legal thriller; historical; mystery thriller; psychological thriller
- Themes
- Corporate Malfeasance; Environmental Pollution; Legal Justice
- Tone and mood
- Serious; Dramatic
- Premise and plot tags
- Based on True Events; Legal Drama; Environmental Crisis
- Source material / true-story basis
- The Lawyer Who Became DuPont's Worst Nightmare (2016) by Nathaniel Rich; Stain-Resistant, Nonstick, Waterproof and Lethal: The Hidden Dangers of C8 (2007) by Callie Lyons; Exposure (2019) by Robert Bilott.
- Reception
- The film received positive reviews from critics and was well-received by audiences.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 89% · scale: percentage · review count: 236; Metacritic · score: 73 · scale: 100 · review count: 38; PostTrak · score: 3.5 · scale: 5
- Production trivia
- The film features several real-life cameo appearances, including the real-life Rob Bilott and his family.; The film's release caused DuPont's stock price to drop by 7.15 points.; The film was originally titled 'Dry Run' during production.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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