LeoGlossary: Erin Brockovich (Film)

The film Erin Brockovich is a 2000 American biographical legal drama film directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Susannah Grant. The film is a dramatization of the true story of Erin Brockovich, portrayed by Julia Roberts, who initiated a legal case against the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) over its culpability for the Hinkley groundwater contamination incident.

Brockovich was working as a legal assistant at the law firm of Ed Masry, played by Albert Finney, when she stumbled upon medical records filed in real estate files. She discovered that PG&E had been dumping chromium-laden wastewater into unlined ponds at a compressor station in Hinkley, California, for decades. This had contaminated the groundwater, which was the sole source of drinking water for the town's residents.

Brockovich began investigating the case and soon discovered that many Hinkley residents were suffering from serious health problems, including cancer, birth defects, and respiratory illnesses. She convinced Masry to take on the case, and they eventually filed a class action lawsuit against PG&E.

The lawsuit was long and hard-fought, but Brockovich and Masry were ultimately successful. PG&E agreed to pay a $333 million settlement to the Hinkley residents, which was the largest direct-action lawsuit settlement in U.S. history.

The film Erin Brockovich is a powerful and moving story about one woman's fight for justice against a powerful corporation. It is also a story about the importance of standing up for what is right, even when it is difficult.

The film pulled in over $256 million at the box office. It was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actress for Roberts, and Best Supporting Actor for Finney. Roberts won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance.