Erin Brockovich

The 2000 release of director Steven Soderbergh, of “Sex, Lies, and Videotape” (1989) and “Ocean’s Eleven” (2001) fame. Starring Julia Roberts and Albert Finney. Based on a true story about a woman named Erin Brockovich, the film recounts her investigation into a cover-up involving contaminated water in a local community, and her vital role in bringing a lawsuit against the offending gas company on behalf of local citizens, which resulted in the largest settlement ever paid in a direct-action lawsuit in U.S. history. Julia Roberts received $20 million (approx. 24 billion won)—the highest screen guarantee ever paid to an actress—for her role, and went on to win the Best Actress Oscar.

With two failed marriages behind her, Erin is unemployed with three children to take care of. When her attorney Ed (played by Albert Finney), whom she hires after a car accident, fails to get her the settlement she deserves, she persuades him to give her a low-end position in his law firm. Although her racy outfits draw censure from her co-workers, Erin pours herself into her work with boldness and confidence. One day, she finds some medical records among a pile of papers and learns that a factory owned by a major corporation is leaking chromium into the water supply, making the local inhabitants seriously ill. ★★★☆

Seung-Jae Lee sjda@donga.com