--- title: "Erin Brockovich" year: 2000 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/erin-brockovich" fi1m_id: "erin-brockovich" imdb_id: "tt0195685" tmdb_id: 462 wikidata_id: "Q220955" fi1m_score: 78 critics_score: 81 critics_reviews: 19 published: "2026-09-09" updated: "2026-09-18T08:37:54.825558+00:00" region: "US" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Erin Brockovich (2000) Directed by Steven Soderbergh · 2h 11m · MPA R · Drama ## Identity Erin Brockovich - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/erin-brockovich - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** erin-brockovich - **IMDb ID:** tt0195685 - **TMDB ID:** 462 - **Wikidata ID:** Q220955 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0195685/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/462, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q220955 **Fi1m score: 78** · Critics 81 from 19 reviews *In a sentence:* Julia Roberts in a push-up bra shouts down half of California, and California had it coming > Soderbergh’s true story of a filing clerk who took a utility company to court is shrewd about how such fights are actually won, and it is carried, scene by scene, by Julia Roberts. It is predictable to the minute. We did not much mind. ## Synopsis Erin Brockovich (Julia Roberts) is twice divorced, has three small children, no job and a car that has just been hit by a doctor at a junction. She loses the personal injury case in the opening minutes, then talks her way into a filing job at the office of the lawyer who lost it, Ed Masry (Albert Finney). In a property file she finds medical records that have no business being there, and drives out to a desert town where a utility company is buying up houses and paying residents’ doctors’ bills. Aaron Eckhart plays the biker next door who minds the children. Marg Helgenberger is the first of the families Erin knocks on. Steven Soderbergh directs, from a script by Susannah Grant. ## Review Erin Brockovich has no money, no husband and a neck brace from a car accident that was not her fault, and in the opening scene a jury declines to believe her. She responds by turning up at her lawyer’s office and refusing to leave until he gives her a job. Ed Masry (Albert Finney) does, mostly to make her stop talking. In a pro bono property file she finds blood tests and medical records, drives out to Hinkley, California, and starts asking why a power company is so keen to buy people’s houses. That is the first half hour, and Steven Soderbergh has made a good, plain film out of what follows. It is as predictable as a bus timetable. It is also funny, properly acted and honest about how a case like this gets built, which is by knocking on doors and reading everything. Roberts plays Erin fast and loud and never once asks us to like her, which is why we do. The mouth is the weapon; she swears at receptionists, lawyers, neighbours and her own boss, and the swearing is precise. Jeffrey Kurland puts her in the shortest skirts and lowest tops in any room she walks into, and the film is clear-eyed about what that costs her and what it buys. Some critics found the wardrobe a distraction from the case. We thought it was the case: Erin is underestimated on sight, by everyone, and she uses that to get into rooms nobody else can enter. Finney is the other reason to watch. His Masry is rumpled, tired, pleased with a small practice and appalled to find himself in a large fight, and the exasperation slowly turns into something like pride. The two of them arguing across a desk is the best material in the film. Aaron Eckhart’s George, the biker who moves in next door and ends up raising Erin’s children while she drives around the desert, is written as a saint and Eckhart plays him as one, which is not his fault and is a fault. Soderbergh shoots it rough. Edward Lachman’s camera is often handheld and the light looks like whatever was already there when the crew arrived; the desert is bleached brown and the houses are photographed in flat afternoon sun, with no swelling music to tell us these people are victims. Philip Messina gives the law office wood panelling and a drop ceiling, and Erin’s rented house looks rented. Anne V. Coates cuts scenes before they can take a bow, coming in late and leaving early, so that a film with a dozen speeches in it never feels like it is making one. Thomas Newman’s score is guitar and hand percussion, low in the mix, and it stays out of the way until the last stretch, when it does not. Here is what got us. Erin is in a motel in Hinkley, and George rings to tell her that their youngest has said her first word, and Erin was not there to hear it. Roberts does almost nothing with her face. We were moved more than we expected to be, because the film has spent an hour making the case matter and it now spends thirty seconds pointing out what it is costing. Marg Helgenberger, as the first Hinkley mother Erin sits down with, does similar work: a woman explaining her family’s tumours in the tone of someone giving directions. The weaknesses are the ones the material invites. The company’s lawyers are cardboard, and Veanne Cox’s Theresa Dallavale, a lawyer from a bigger firm who is set up as a rival, is dispatched in a single exchange written to be applauded. Susannah Grant’s script is never in any doubt about who is right, and the second half repeats its own shape: Erin drives out, a family tells its story, Erin drives back and shouts at Ed. At 131 minutes we felt the length around the two-hour mark. There is also a late arrival, played by Tracey Walter, whose timing is a little too convenient, and we will say no more about him. After [*Out of Sight*](https://film.one/film/out-of-sight) (1998), this is Soderbergh’s simplest film, and that looks like a choice rather than a lapse. He has a star and a true story, and he trusts both enough not to decorate them. It carries a 15 certificate, mostly for the language, and the language is the point. Watch it with someone who still thinks Julia Roberts is only a smile; they will be quiet by the end of the first reel. *Fi1m score 78, published 9 September 2026.* ## What the critics say Most critics like it, and almost all of them like it for the same reason: Julia Roberts. The reviews describe her Erin as vivid, funny, foul-mouthed and credible, and several treat the film chiefly as a vehicle she carries without strain. Steven Soderbergh is the second point of agreement. Critics praise his restraint, his interest in character over courtroom procedure and his refusal to reach for easy sentiment. Albert Finney’s supporting turn is warmly noted more than once. The reservations are mild and cluster around the story. Several critics call it predictable, an underdog tale that goes exactly where you expect, and The Guardian finds it triumphalist and less complex than comparable films. The spread is narrow: eighteen of nineteen reviews are favourable. The single dissent is RogerEbert.com, which argues that Roberts and her wardrobe upstage the litigation, and that the supporting characters and screenplay are thin. Nobody else agrees. ## Straight answers **Is Erin Brockovich worth watching?** *Erin Brockovich* is worth watching for anyone who wants a true legal story told plainly and carried by a star performance, and we scored it 78. Julia Roberts and Albert Finney arguing across a desk is the best of it. The shape is predictable to the minute and the length shows around the two-hour mark, but we did not much mind. **How long is Erin Brockovich, and what is it rated?** *Erin Brockovich* runs 2h 11m and is rated R by the MPA in the US. It is a drama film. **Where can I watch Erin Brockovich in the US?** *Erin Brockovich* is available to rent from Amazon Prime Video from $3.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service. **How violent or frightening is Erin Brockovich, and is it suitable for children?** *Erin Brockovich* carries a UK 15 certificate, almost entirely for the language, which is constant, precise and the point of the character. There is no violence to speak of and nothing frightening; the darkest material is families describing their illnesses in flat, matter-of-fact tones. It is unsuitable for younger children only because of the swearing, and older teenagers will be fine. **How does Erin Brockovich compare to Norma Rae?** *Erin Brockovich* and [*Norma Rae*](https://film.one/film/norma-rae) tell much the same story, a working woman taking on a company that has been quietly poisoning or exploiting a town, and both are simple-minded about their bosses. Sally Field's film is rawer and puts you on the factory floor; Soderbergh's is funnier and shrewder about how such a case is built. Take *Norma Rae* for grit, *Erin Brockovich* for the star turn. **What should I watch after Erin Brockovich?** After *Erin Brockovich*, try [*Norma Rae*](https://film.one/film/norma-rae) (1979, Fi1m 82): Sally Field organises a mill town; the same anger, twenty years earlier, no wardrobe jokes. Then [*Out of Sight*](https://film.one/film/out-of-sight) (1998, Fi1m 86): Soderbergh two years earlier, looser and funnier, with George Clooney robbing banks. ### Reviews we read (19) - **Radio Times**, Alan Jones (5/5): The critic calls it compulsive viewing thanks to Roberts' sensationally showy performance and Finney's lovable supporting turn in this emotionally rich true-story drama. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-fs3c5b/erin-brockovich/) - **Empire**, Ian Nathan (90/100, inferred): The critic praises Julia Roberts for delivering a superlative, Oscar-worthy performance as the trashy single mother turned crusader, bringing vulnerability, wit and determination to the role. Soderbergh is lauded for crafting an intensely funny and emotionally satisfying film that highlights individual impact against corporate power, though it remains predictable. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/erin-brockovich-review/) - **Evening Standard** (90/100, inferred): The critic praises Julia Roberts' monumental, exuberant performance as her best role, highlighting her chemistry with Albert Finney and the film's balance of maternal care, legal drama, and gender reversal. The screenplay is called a model for dramatizing issues while humanizing them, with Soderbergh's direction exemplary. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/erin-brockovich-7433853.html) - **Los Angeles Times**, Kenneth Turan (90/100, inferred): The critic calls the film an irresistible, hugely satisfying feminist fairy tale that turns Norma Rae into the protagonist of A Civil Action. He singles out Julia Roberts' textured, star-powered performance and Steven Soderbergh's restraint and intelligence in handling mainstream material. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-mar-17-ca-9608-story.html) - **Sight and Sound**, Andrew O'Hehir (90/100, inferred): The critic praises Julia Roberts' complex, edgy performance as the spirited but flawed heroine and Steven Soderbergh's restrained, respectful direction that avoids sentimentality and cinematic tricks. [Read](http://old.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/review/354) - **The New York Times**, A.O. Scott (90/100, inferred): The movie is a feel-good crowd-pleaser that embraces every cliché but delivers laughs, tears and cheers thanks to Julia Roberts' vibrant performance. Soderbergh directs with restraint, making it likely to earn her an Oscar nomination. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2000/03/17/movies/film-review-high-ideals-higher-heels.html) - **The Times**, Kevin Maher (★★★★☆): The critic praises Soderbergh for bringing indie sensibilities to a mainstream studio film, focusing on character relationships over procedural elements. Roberts is transformed into an Oscar-winning actress, with her 'numbers' monologue highlighted as a standout. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/erin-brockovich-film-review-julia-roberts-nhkq0rkz0) - **Time Out**, NB (90/100, inferred): The critic highlights Soderbergh's fresh, intelligent approach and humanist focus, singling out Roberts' credible and magnificent characterisation as the film's standout element. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/erin-brockovich) - **Variety**, Todd McCarthy (90/100, inferred): An exhilarating and very satisfying true-life story that takes Julia Roberts into more realistic territory with snappy dialogue and humor. Soderbergh keeps the focus sharp on the determined heroine while delivering heart and commercial appeal. [Read](https://variety.com/2000/film/reviews/erin-brockovich-2-1200461403/) - **The AV Club**, Keith Phipps (70/100, inferred): The review commends Steven Soderbergh for directing a true story without clichés or courtroom drama, focusing instead on the working-class struggles and Roberts' performance framed by authentic portrayal of class prejudice. It notes the leisurely pace but effective storytelling without wasted moments. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/erin-brockovich-1798192327) - **The Guardian**, Philip French (70/100, inferred): The critic praises the film's portrayal of Erin Brockovich as a determined working-class woman taking on a corporation, highlighting Julia Roberts' dominant and empowering performance. He notes it is a triumphalist story lacking the complexity of similar films like The Insider. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2000/apr/09/juliaroberts.philipfrench) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, Kirk Honeycutt (70/100, inferred): The critic praises Julia Roberts' star turn as Erin Brockovich, highlighting her energy and the film's focus on her self-discovery and the class conflict in the true story of the PG&E lawsuit. Soderbergh's crisp direction and the strong supporting performances, especially Albert Finney, are singled out for making the long film engaging. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/erin-brockovich-review-986979/) - **The New Yorker**, David Denby (70/100, inferred): The critic finds the upbeat, inspirational melodrama obvious and repetitive but enormously enjoyable thanks to Julia Roberts' heavenly, rampaging star turn as a moral heroine who protects the weak while staying true to herself. Soderbergh is praised for staying out of the way of Roberts' force of nature. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2000/03/27/hell-raising-women) - **Total Film** (70/100, inferred): Roberts is celebrated for her fizzing, triumphant performance as the foul-mouthed environmental avenger, making the most of the David-versus-Goliath story and her character's wardrobe and wisecracks. Soderbergh is noted for sidestepping clichés in a well-crafted film but is mildly faulted for not pushing boundaries further or avoiding occasional cringiness. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/erin-brockovich-review/) - **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert (40/100, inferred): The film is undercut by Julia Roberts' performance and provocative wardrobe choices that upstage the story of environmental litigation. Supporting characters lack depth and the screenplay feels thin and by-the-numbers. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/erin-brockovich-2000) - **The Playlist**, The Playlist Staff (A-): The critic praises Soderbergh for elevating a standard triumph-over-adversity story into a slick, edifying studio picture without turning it into a dull civics lesson, highlighting the humanist approach and strong performances by Roberts, Finney, and Eckhart. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/steven-soderbergh-essential-films-retrospective-20130205/3/) - **Film Stories**, A J Black (85/100, inferred): The critic sees Erin Brockovich as one of the best and most influential films of 2000, a commercially successful star vehicle that proved the appeal of female-driven dramas. They single out Julia Roberts' vibrant, Oscar-winning performance as the real-life heroine fighting corporate power for particular praise. [Read](https://filmstories.co.uk/features/erin-brockovich-julia-roberts-at-the-top-of-her-game/) - **Eye for Film**, Angus Wolfe Murray (80/100, inferred): The critic highlights Julia Roberts' strong performance as the feisty single mother who uncovers corporate wrongdoing, noting that Albert Finney adds class to the proceedings. Soderbergh directs in a straightforward manner, making it a tribute to determined legwork in a David vs Goliath story. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/erin-brockovich-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray) - **/Film**, Gino Orlandini (80/100, inferred): The review describes it as Soderbergh's turn as a studio hand with Julia Roberts, resulting in a smash hit that earned her an Oscar and him a directing nomination; it highlights the true story of the single mom fighting corporate evil, her disagreeable yet effective nature, and the film's exploration of the feminine dilemma. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/742499/every-steven-soderbergh-movie-ranked-worst-to-best/) ## Details - **Director:** Steven Soderbergh - **Director:** Steven Soderbergh - **Writer:** Susannah Grant - **Cinematography:** Edward Lachman - **Editor:** Anne V. Coates - **Music:** Thomas Newman - **Production design:** Philip Messina - **Costume design:** Jeffrey Kurland - **Producer:** Michael Shamberg, Danny DeVito, Stacey Sher - **Cast:** Julia Roberts as Erin Brockovich; Albert Finney as Ed Masry; Aaron Eckhart as George; Marg Helgenberger as Donna Jensen; Cherry Jones as Pamela Duncan; Veanne Cox as Theresa Dallavale; Conchata Ferrell as Brenda; Tracey Walter as Charles Embry - **Runtime:** 2h 11m - **Certificate (MPA):** R - **Release (the US):** 17 March 2000 - **Genres:** Drama - **Also in:** [Best Picture winners](https://film.one/collections/oscar-best-picture.md) (Nominee, 2000); [BAFTA Best Film winners](https://film.one/collections/bafta-best-film.md) (Nominee, 2000); [Golden Globe Best Drama winners](https://film.one/collections/golden-globe-drama.md) (Nominee, 2000) - **Budget:** $52 million - **Box office:** $256 million ## Where to watch in the US - Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, uhd - Amazon Prime Video: buy $6.99, hd *Checked 2026-09-10.* Also available in: AE, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CL, CZ, DE, DK, ES, FR, GB, GR, HR, HU, IE, IN, IT, JP, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SI, TR, US, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## Awards - Academy Awards 2001: Best Director (nominated); Best Picture (nominated); Best Supporting Actor (nominated); Best Writing, Original Screenplay (nominated); Best Actress (won) - European Film Award for Best Non-European Film 2000: European Film Award for Best Non-European Film (nominated) ## If you liked this - *Norma Rae* (1979), Fi1m 82: Sally Field organises a mill town; the same anger, twenty years earlier, no wardrobe jokes. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/norma-rae.md) - *Silkwood* (1983): Meryl Streep at a plutonium plant; the crusade without the comfort of a settlement. - *Dark Waters* (2019): Todd Haynes does the corporate poisoning case grey, slow and frightening. - *Made in Dagenham* (2010): Essex machinists take on Ford; warmer and sillier, with the same working-class spine. - *Out of Sight* (1998), Fi1m 86: Soderbergh two years earlier, looser and funnier, with George Clooney robbing banks. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/out-of-sight.md) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/erin-brockovich