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Review

Giving her best performance to date, Roberts (who won a Best Actress Oscar) absolutely shines as the title character, a single mother of three with no formal training who was instrumental in a class-action lawsuit against California's powerful electric company PG&E. Based on a true story, this always compelling, often funny and unexpectedly touching film traces Erin's road in helping score the largest settlement in U.S. history. Talking her way into a job with a law firm run by her ex-attorney (Finney in a sensational turn), she stumbles accidentally onto medical files which hint at cover-up. Beginning an exhausting investigation, she learns the giant power company has been dumping pollutants in a small town's water supply, causing devastating health problems for local residents. Director Soderbergh's first commercial film is a winner -- the king of the independents is right at home with the rhythm of an underdog story, the demands of a big-budget film, and showcasing to great effect Hollywood's biggest female star of the '90s. This is a Julia Roberts movie for those (few of you) who don't like Julia Roberts movies; yes, she's still sweet and adorable, but she holds the film together not with her patented cuteness, but with depth of character and genuine ability. Eckhart and Jones are terrific in support.