Erin Brockovich (2000)
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An unemployed single mother becomes an unlikely hero when she uncovers a massive environmental scandal involving a major utility company.
The story
In 1993, Erin Brockovich is an unemployed single mother of three living in Los Angeles, California. After being injured in a car crash with a doctor, she files a lawsuit. Her lawyer, Ed Masry, expects to win, but Erin's abrasive courtroom behavior under cross-examination loses her the case, and Ed does not return her phone calls afterwards. One day, he arrives at work to find her in the office, apparently working. She blames him for falsely promising things would work out, and says she needs a job. Sympathizing with Erin, Ed hires her. Erin is given files for a real estate case where the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is offering to purchase the home of Pete and Donna Jensen, Hinkley residents.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1993, Erin Brockovich, an unemployed single mother in Los Angeles, is hired by lawyer Ed Masry after a failed legal case. While reviewing a real estate file for the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), she discovers medical records for residents of Hinkley. She learns that the local groundwater is contaminated with carcinogenic hexavalent chromium, a fact PG&E has allegedly concealed from the public. Despite being fired and then rehired by Masry, Erin persists in her investigation, gaining the trust of the local community and uncovering a massive scale of illness. She discovers that PG&E's corporate management was aware of the contamination as early as 1966. A whistleblower provides internal documents that prove the company's negligence. This evidence leads to a major lawsuit and a $333 million settlement for the 634 plaintiffs. In the end, Ed Masry rewards Erin with a $2 million bonus, acknowledging her vital role in the victory.
- First release year
- 2000
- Runtime (minutes)
- 131
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Steven Soderbergh
- Writers
- Susannah Grant · writer
- Cast and characters
- Julia Roberts · Erin Brockovich; Albert Finney · Ed Masry; Aaron Eckhart · George Halaby
- Genres
- biographical; legal drama
- Themes
- corporate negligence
- Tone and mood
- drama
- Setting
- Hinkley, California, 1993
- Premise and plot tags
- biographical; legal; environmental
- Source material / true-story basis
- true story
- Reception
- The film was a critical and commercial success, receiving positive reviews for its portrayal of the lead character and its handling of complex information.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 87% · scale: percentage · review count: 194; Metacritic · score: 73 · scale: 100 · review count: 37
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Actress · win; Academy Award · Best Picture · nomination; Academy Award · Best Director · nomination; Academy Award · Best Supporting Actor · nomination; BAFTA Award · Best Actress · win; Critics Choice Award · Best Actress · win; Critics' Choice Movie Award · Best Director · win; Golden Globe Award · Best Actress · win; SAG Award · Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role · win
- Production trivia
- The film was shot in 1999 over eleven weeks.; Brockovich herself appears in the film as a waitress.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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