Oscar winner Julia Roberts is at her very best in the title role of this environmentally conscious biopic. Erin Brockovich was working as a clerk at a Southern California law firm when she discovered that residents of Hinkley, California, were being poisoned by chromium in their water supply. The subsequent class-action lawsuit spearheaded by the single mom against utility Pacific Gas & Electric resulted in a record-breaking settlement. Albert Finney co-stars as Brockovich’s boss, a seasoned attorney initially skeptical about the David vs. Goliath fight. “What's pretty original about the picture is that it focuses an investigative drama based on a true story around a comic performance.” - Amy Taubin, The Village Voice