Erin Brockovich | Canadian First Time Watching | Movie Reaction | Movie Review | Movie Commentary

[@andrewhelmer6853]

The real Erin made a cameo in the movie. She plays the waitress at the diner where her character doesn’t eat because she’s broke

[@MCscarfacematt]

the best part of that cameo is the actress that plays erin is julia the actress that plays julia the waitress is erin

[@warre1]

And man on the next table reading menu is real Ed Masry.

[@murraydodds7138]

And the waitress' nametag reads "Julia". :-D

[@pjg58x]

I knew about Erin’s cameo but didn’t know about Ed’s. That’s cool

[@Taramw32]

I was just about to comment about that! ❤

[@petergarayt9634]

The true nature and extent of corporate greeds harm against innocent people will never be fully exposed and is still occuring.

[@robhax]

That's partly because many do not need to take the blame. Too often they pay a settlement but don't have to admit guilt. It's pretty dumb. It should be a label they have to carry forever

[@rdramos13]

Tom Girardi, one of the lawyers on the legal team that represented the Erin Brockovich case. Was arrested and is going on trial for stealing clients settlement money. His wife was even on one of those Real Housewives shows, and occasionally you would see him on the show, and spending big money on jewelry, cars, a boat, and their mansion. Can see more about him on the CNBC show American Greed, Season 15, Episode 24: Lawyers, Lies, and a Housewife. So greed isn't just on the big corporations.

[@miriam8376]

@@rdramos13 Obviously--no one's saying greed is just them. But individuals like Girardi get busted all the time. The amount of labor required to make corporations pay for their greed is much higher, because the system is set up to allow them to get away with it. It starts and ends with tax breaks and legal loopholes that allow corporations to prioritize making profit over ethical choices that respect workers, customers, and the environment. PG&E is the tip of the iceberg. Just look at what corporations like Walmart have done that contributed to inflation during and after COVID--they were making record profits and raising prices on poor people while claiming it was supply issues. They're getting away with this kind of greed all the time.

[@Hey_Jamie]

Way to make the most obvious statement of all time. Lol

[@joecortes7142]

This was a great movie. Julia Roberts killed it in this performance. She won an Oscar for this role and she deserved it

[@BarryHart-xo1oy]

She truly did.

[@fuzzzone]

Julia Roberts 100% killed it in this role, but Ellen Burstyn deserved the Oscar that year.

[@maureenseel118]

Also one of the best Oscar acceptance speeches ever

[@akyhne]

It was her first role, where I saw something in her. She earned a lot of respect in this one. I almost didn't watched it, because she was the lead. Now, it's one of my favorites, in my film collection.

[@ianaustin5012]

I work in the chemical industry and have met the real Erin. She’s a fucking force to be reckoned with, but she’s incredibly sweet and personal. She is very blunt, gives it to you straight, but will make you cry laughing and feel heard

[@simonpsychosis2812]

"Do they teach beauty queens how to apologize? Because you suck at it!"😂

[@clevelandcbi]

I bet my wife I could go the whole movie without laughing. That stupid grin after he said that got me to paint that weekend instead of going to Vegas ..😠😠😠I was THAT DAM CLOSE 😂😂😂

[@slimmccoy8863]

Giving the water from Hinkley to the PG&E lawyers was a legendary move

[@justAman548]

Or was it just a way of saying ‘I DARE you to drink it’ Like making them think they brought it in but really it’s just water from their local faucet

[@MrChumpus]

President Obama was given water in Flint, MI. Take a look at how big of a gulp he took. kzbin.info/www/bejne/q2O9qqGheZiBlc0

[@JeshuaSquirrel]

​@@justAman548either way, their hesitation spoke volumes.

[@justAman548]

@@JeshuaSquirrel exactly… just speculation

[@OldRod99]

"I'm really quite tired" The look on her face, and the delivery of that line is just perfection!

[@ScottyDoesntKnow69]

Well they skipped over the one actual BJ she gave to the guy in the bar to get the smoking gun paperwork. Other words she smoked his gun. 😉

[@krissy9570]

Erin helped out with similar cases around the country too. My grandmother got a tiny settlement from a coal mine in Appalachia that was dumping chemicals into our drinking water.

[@MrPhotosh00ter]

She got involved with the chemical spills from trains derailing I believe last year, most notably in East Palestine, Ohio. kzbin.infobvPrO6CMyuk?si=IC5AMorjqGxOPLBz

[@tsefcik]

The real Erin walked the red carpet at the Golden Globes with Julia and i think introduced the film as one of the Best Picture nominees. Told Julia from the stage about her portrayal❤ "you got it so right." The attitude, the wardrobe, all of it.

[@MisterAnonymous1000]

Well, when you're as talented nad gorgeous as Julia Roberts, you CAN'T help but be flattered and amazed she's the one portraying her in her life story. She would have been pleased as punch either way.

[@LogicalNiko]

Erin herself says the movie is "probably 98% accurate", PG&E disputes this. In terms of color balance, Steven Soderbergh generally uses color as a story telling device. He actually is the DP on his movies using the pseudonym "Peter Andrews" to hide this fact. In this movie he specifically wanted the outdoor desert landscapes to be washed out and almost desolate to highlight the plight of the toxic environment. He used a lot of green and khaki to make everyone else seem sicklier in nature whereas Edrin is mostly in Red tones, highlighting the emotional fire she brings to the plot. He indicated this color choice came from Erin's red hair as a focal point. You will notice similar use of color to relate to themes throughout the entire movie in Traffic, the Ocean's series, Solaris, Contagion, etc

[@ArnoldTohtFan]

Colour grading, and post-processing in general, is what I dislike most about modern cinema. It's become entirely synthetic. I have never found that manipulating colour makes for more nuanced storytelling. It's just ugly and distracting. The film momentarily lapses into real life colour at 30:08 in Potter's office, and it looks so much better for it. As an autistic, hypersensitive individual, colour grading is the reason I stopped watching all forms of new media in 2007. The relentless onslaught of teal-and-orange, the depressing desaturation, I just couldn't stand it anymore. I honestly think it has been imposed on us to induce a kind of depressive passivity, because no one in their right mind would do this. It's a form of sensory deprivation, and for me it has been torturous.

[@jennybeard6341]

@@ArnoldTohtFanart is subjective. I’m sorry that current trends in cinema offend you, but I disagree with your critique. Just as a painter may choose to use an unreal palette of color that does not make it less engaging. I view it as another tool of the artist. What comes of it depends on the skill and the vision of the creators.

[@LogicalNiko]

@@ArnoldTohtFan also note when Soderbergh started doing this it was a selective and semi distinct decision for a major studio releases. Like in traffic he emphasized blue, on oceans eleven he over saturated everything to reflect this fantasy larger than life logic of the world. I think in Brockovich his skewing to isolate red led him naturally into green and browns, which is just slightly off of the teal and orange which later become a trend. So I kind of appreciate him doing it early in the industry, taking a risk like that is good. However the problem is when you hit on something people notice everyone else does it, and it’s no longer really an artistic risk or endeavor, it’s doing the known and proven trend. It’s the old “I also want to be distinct and different, exactly how everyone else is achieving it” trope.

[@SS4Luxray]

Soderbergh might be the most underrated American filmmaker, along with Michael Mann and Spike Lee. All 3 have such unique visual techniques they use and the way they tell stories just instantly grabs you.

[@that.ll_do_pig]

I do not believe that it's 98% accurate but understand why she might say that.

[@garychambers6848]

Years ago I worked for a large factory that , in part had large treating tanks ...One had hexavalant chrome........Once a month I had to pump a couple of tanks into a giant tank and treat to solidify the chrome and we put it into 55 gallon drums for hazardous waste disposal....The city even had sensors mounted in the sewage system if ANY were detected the sewage would be SHUT DOWN.... So pretty serious stuff and this was years after this case........ Oh yea...GREAT MOVIE

[@FightingTorque411]

I looked forward to this reaction all week. I'm a law student and this is my go-to movie whenever I'm stressing and wondering what the point of my degree is - I must have seen it some 15-20 times now. I imagine others have already mentioned that the real Erin and Ed can be seen in the diner, but will also add that the judge dismissing PG&E's demur claim is the actual judge from the case (LeRoy A. Simmons), just re-enacting his role! Thank you so much again, and if I may, The Rainmaker and A Civil Action are also both excellent legal dramas.

[@aaronpincus6095]

I didn't know that about the judge. Great piece of information, Thanks.

[@chefskiss6179]

I don't know why but for some reason Mickey Roarke shouting "Dex... hey Dex?" is tears inducing hilarious! What do you think of The Paper Chase?

[@matthewfike4491]

The Rainmaker is awesome.

[@adrianmcgrath1984]

Every now and again Erin used to pop up in a news piece, or an interview about a cause or litigation she was involved in. The movie is a rare case where they did not miscast a Hollywood actress to play her, and while you got the impression that she had learned to temper her manner somewhat, I don’t think there was any doubt that she was an absolute force. There is a lot of benefit to having someone who has faced adversity themselves as a defender of people’s rights. Comfortably raised lawyers frequently don’t get it.

[@BarryHart-xo1oy]

You are so right.

[@DC_Prox]

The screen name "Shaka, when the walls fell" is a reference to an episode of Star Trek TNG. They encounter a race who communicates through metaphor, so they say things which are meant to make the listener imagine the character and the situation, and compare that to the current situation. So, for example, when they say "Sokath, his eyes uncovered", it's a reference to someone making a realization or overcome misconception. "Shaka, when the walls fell" communicates failure or disappointment. Edit to add: the episode is called Darmok, and if you've ever heard a sci-fi nerd say "Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra", it's the phrase from that episode that gets repeated and referred to most frequently.

[@BarryHart-xo1oy]

Good to know.

[@Markus117d]

Darmok.. 👍

[@joelwillems4081]

I think that last phrase means Peace or Cooperation in their language.

[@t.c.thompson2359]

That woman you wondered about was the sheriff in Signs.

[@kaz8182]

and matt damons mom in oceans twelve disguised as an interpol agent

[@LogicalNiko]

Cherry Jones is also in Ocean's 12, The Village, and The Perfect Storm. All kind of memorable reluctant/antagonistic characters.

[@dorothydunn3285]

Yes, thank you 😊

[@BarryHart-xo1oy]

As l understand it,her name is Cherry Southern.

[@BarryHart-xo1oy]

Excuse me,l was mistaken-the actress’s name is Cherry Jones.

[@zmarko]

I cant remember if Julia Roberts won an oscar for this performance (i *think* she did), but both Albert Finney & Aaron Eckhart's performances were top notch, also. IMO, their performances should have been worthy of an oscar nomination. Just a great cast altogether, really. And Cherry Jones was the woman you recognized, and she was the Sheriff from Signs with Mel Gibson.

[@SS4Luxray]

Finney was nominated for Supporting Actor but he lost to Del Toro for Traffic which Soderbergh also directed and won Best Director for while also being nominated for Erin Brockovich lol

[@chefskiss6179]

Exactly, and they probably remember Cherry from Ocean's 12 as well.

[@denniszenanywhere]

@@SS4Luxray And true to what he said years ago, he was going to retire as a director which I couldn't believe because he was relatively young. Even George Miller of Mad Max still directs at 80+

[@JHarris533]

for all their incredible bodies of work over the years, IMO this movie is the greatest work of Julia Roberts and Albert Finney.

[@Scottie_S]

They had great chemistry together, didn't they?

[@joelwillems4081]

Finney has crushed it in so many roles you really should check out more of his stuff. My favorite is A Gathering Storm but he has perfect parts in Amazing Grace, A Good Year, Annie, Orient Express, etc.

[@mattcooke3594]

PG&E are also responsible for the downed power lines that started many wildfires in California including the deadly Camp fire in 2018.

[@thomassantillan2194]

Also the San Bernardino pipeline explosion in 2010.

[@Dularr]

Also to be fair California has really poor wildfire prevention policies.

[@chris...9497]

The mirror to PG&E on the West Coast is Duke Electric on the East Coast and Midwest; they serve gas ad electrical utilities to seven states. They also have a similar history of releasing poisonous chemicals into the streams ad ground water. They're considered the 8th worst water polluter in the US, mainly due to coal dust. Since 2000, Duke has racked up the fifth-highest amount of environmental penalties out of all companies in the United States (by total paid). Per a 2022 EPA report, Duke Energy is one of the top leakers of a gas that is 25,000 times more polluting than carbon dioxide. The gas, sulfur hexafluoride, is one of the most potent and longest-lasting climate pollutants - known collectively as “the immortals” because they remain in the atmosphere for thousands of years.

[@nancygodsey8312]

The wildfires are devastating. The winds are strong and blow down the electric lines that set the drought stricken dry areas on fire. Then the same winds flash the fires into huge conflagrations. PG&E are a multi billion dollar company and could put all electric lines underground to stop the fires. But....they just don't care enough to spend the money. They are still just as uncaring and greedy as they were in the Hinkley case. Corporate greed kills people to this day.

[@tobystewart4724]

​​@@Dularr tbe power companies are still responsible for the upkeep on their infrastructure. Oops, you forgot to mention that part.

[@paulshaw9953]

Albert Finney He's in Big Fish which is one of my favourite films of all time

[@stdamonsbeard]

Tim Burtons best film.

[@paulshaw9953]

@@stdamonsbeard absolutely

[@vly9257]

My brain still has trouble connecting him as "Daddy Warbucks" in Annie 😁

[@Charlesbaker3017]

The Dresser..is my favorite Finney. Film.

[@lisannebaumholz5028]

Finney was also in 1967's "Two For the Road" together with Audrey Hepburn.

[@johngraesser4911]

hexavalent chromium used to be used quite a lot. my exposure to it was handling cca (chromated-cupric-arsenate) lumber. the green would leech out and stain our hands, and when we asked, we were told it was harmless. of course it wasn't and my hair would come out in clumps as i showered. i still haven't found all the long term effects. nowdays that cca lumber is banned, but plenty of houses were built with it as the bottom plate of the frame.

[@moviescatsmargs]

It's okay not to feel great about George the Biker Boyfriend leaving her when you find out that in real life he and one of her ex husband's tried to extort Erin and Ed for $300k and got arrested

[@BoudiccasGhost]

Omg...I forgot about that. 😮

[@BarryHart-xo1oy]

Wow,that’s really shocking and sad.

[@nickcollins5191]

Yeah, I’d have to find the article I read a while back, but apparently he wasn’t pleased with how he was portrayed in the film (I think the way it showed him leaving Erin and something else). Erin in response I believe said he was a good guy, I THINK something like “she loved him but wasn’t IN love with him”.

[@Gameflyer001]

The actress who plays Donna Jensen is Marg Helgenberger. You'd recognize her as Catherine Willows on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

[@SeanHendy]

Albert Finney, absolute legend. RIP.

[@denanebergall5514]

Someone has probably already mentioned this and since y'all are Canadians I don't know if you ever heard about it, but when the train accident happened in New Palestine, OH a couple of years ago, Erin went out there to see if she could help with that disaster. It has still not been cleaned up.

[@JohnHermann-b5t]

I moved to the Bay Area 2 years ago. I was kinda shocked that PG&E is our provider here. Also it does make sense with its reputation for their recent problems. Answer to George’s question PG&E is around and got sued a number of years back for faulty equipment causing Cal Wildfires were people died. They paid off debts pay raising rates. John Oliver did a segment on his HBO show on it. One last thing tomorrow they are predicting triple digit temps, I expecting a power outage.

[@anhdungtran6432]

You do understand that saying triple digits temperature to canadians, means everybody is dead since your blood would be boiling, so the power outage is the least of our problems.

[@BarryHart-xo1oy]

I’m sorry that you and other California residents are forced to deal with PG&E.I feel like the state should step in and take control of the utilities.

[@JohnHermann-b5t]

@@anhdungtran6432 I understand that but if I put it in the other way it wouldn’t seem that hot if you were in the US. Also people will die in 100 f too.

[@Ernwaldo]

@@BarryHart-xo1oyGovernment control. Well said, comrade!

[@nplindgren]

In various interviews, Erin mentioned that she used to wear much more revealing outfits than what Julia Roberts wore in the movie.

[@guscarlson7021]

No matter how many times I see this movie "I'll get you some breakfast." destroys me everytime. The mountain of meaning behind it.

[@cruzinbosco]

Erin's absolutely the real deal. I've talked to her over the years about issues that I think might need some help getting the word out about and she always delivers. She's still a fighter to this day. I nearly moved to a town just 30 minutes from Hinkley but it freaked me out too much being even that close so I turned down the really great housing deal. Hinkley, itself, is nearly a ghost town. I think under 1000 people still live there and the number drops greatly every 5 years or so.

[@goldenageofdinosaurs7192]

She went to my high school, though she graduated 5-6 years before me. That’s all I know about Erin Brockovich🤣

[@beedlesmama]

the "water brought in from Hinkley" line is true!! 😂😂

[@McPh1741]

My wife and I watched this in theater. Can’t believe it’s been 24 years. All the main cast delivered a top shelf performance. Other really good “David vs Goliath” legal dramas you may consider- A Civil Acton- starring John Travolta The Rainmaker- starring Matt Damon The Insider- starring Russell Crow

[@Eric-ff4bf]

Love your suggestions, especially The Insider, which is outstanding

[@BarryHart-xo1oy]

Those are all good movies.

[@that.ll_do_pig]

Runaway Jury

[@hottopic2K11]

I love how this started as a real estate case for one person and through her investigating turned it into what it became for the town one of my favorite movies

[@robertshields4160]

3:18 Soft neck braces are used to give the neck some support so the muscles can heal. A hard neck brace would be something you'd see after a major accident when the spine might be damaged. It doesn't take much to injure the spine with displaced disc or cracked vertebrae. Silkwood is also a really good movie.

[@emilyridenour8355]

Hearing George ask “is PG&E still around?” as a Californian was WILD 😂

[@mj_SR22]

RIGHT? I'm sure they've caused a wildfire or something in the last few years as well.

[@joshuacoldwater]

@@mj_SR22years, probably last week

[@motorcycleboy9000]

And still a bunch of evil bastards.

[@aaronpincus6095]

PG&E for the Northern half of the state and SCE (Southern California Edison) for us in the bottom half of CA.

[@emmanuelmedina5535]

SMUD for the Sacramento area. Better rates too.

[@davenz000]

Of the many great movies I'm surprised people under 30ish haven't watched, this is one of them. They're all so much better than the crap pumped out in the last 15 years.

[@jennifergrove2368]

I live in Flint and when the lead water problem started 10 years ago, I remember hearing that Erin Brockovich came to lend a hand. (The problem still isn't fixed by the way. They test the water by having the water run for 15 minutes before testing. As if people run the water for 15 minutes before drinking it.)

[@andrewreisinger6860]

I remember when Obama went there to drink some water in front of a crowd to show how safe it was! Swell guy, Obama was 🤣🤣

[@FLQueerLiberal1982]

​@@andrewreisinger6860First off, what does Obama have to do with this? I swear, you people are seriously just 10 year-olds in the body's of adults. And ACTUALLY... he was where there to visit the ravaged city, and to speak to them. He spoke about how it was a tragedy that never should have happened. Then a reporter asked him to drink a glass of filtered water - filters provided by the Obama administration, by the way - and so he did. After meeting more people the following day, speaking a lot, and again spoke to the press he was parched... and coughing. So he asked for a glass of water. It was also Obama who signed legislation in 2016 that gave Flint $100mil to fix the lead pipes.

[@ynz3713]

One of Julia Robert’s best performances that won her the Oscar for best actress

[@magnusengeseth5060]

Fun fact, one of the lawyers on Erin's side in this case, Thomas Girardi, would later make a career out of scamming the people he represented out of the money he had won for them. He used his fame from having been part of this legal team and from being a consultant on the movie to get clients in other class action suits, and then just kept the money he won for them for himself, or spent them on his Real Housewife-starring wife. He's since been disbarred.

[@BarryHart-xo1oy]

That’s really sad and disheartening.

[@TheCrayonMaster]

That's awful! 😮😢

[@rdramos13]

Not just disbarred, he's in prison

[@magnusengeseth5060]

@@rdramos13 Unfortunately, I don't think that's true. At least his Wikipedia page only lists that his brother has him in conservatorship due to alzheimer's, but with no mention of prison anywhere. Is there a news source that mentions him serving time?

[@rdramos13]

@magnusengeseth5060 Oh that's right, he's claiming he has dementia. Sorry I misspoke on the prison, must've confused it with he being arrested. The CNBC show American Greed, Season 15, Episode 24: Lawyers, Lies, and a Housewife is how I heard his story. www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-01-10/tom-girardi-to-face-may-trial#:~:text=Girardi%2C%2084%2C%20was%20not%20in,that%20he%20has%20profound%20dementia.

[@CurtTweedle]

The actress you are wondering about at 27:19 was in another Steven Soderbergh's movie, Ocean's Twelve. She played Matt Damon's mother who arrives to rescue the gang from the cops. Also, same movie had Albert Finney as Catherine Zeta Jones' father.

[@kylestoddart]

Completely useless fact: I work as a dust collector, and there are two factories/mills that I unfortunately work for. Both manufacture and distribute Hexavalent Chromium and it's variants. I believe the movie is the liquid form when mixed and polluting water. The Chromium I work with, (not daily, twice a year both places we service) is the powder and dust form. I believe these two facilities are the only factories/mills/quarries in North America that produce this deadly chemical. Then distribute to China. Also, I thought it would be nice to add that both these facilities are directly sandwiched and neighbour Canada's Premiere Animal/Water Amusement Park. Marine Land... I'm sorry I work here but I need a job lol... (edit) Oh, I love this movie.

[@willcool713]

She's absolutely famous in activist circles, gives talks and helps people organize or learn to organize. She's tightly focused on her own work, doesn't really lend her name around, but she shares what she knows. A lot of activists are politicians first, but she only grew into that part and out of genuine passion, so her perspective has general appeal. This is really what being an activist is like, all footwork, patience, disappointment, lies, and mistrust. Society is a minefield, but somebody has to thread the needle through the mixed metaphor for actual justice, because even money alone can't do it. It should feel better, but the failures are a constant drag and the successes and gratitude seem fleeting. Canvassers, signature gatherers, activists, operatives, and legal clerks are whole different breeds you wouldn't credit without experience. There should be a movie...

[@deenormus1975]

Lol “They’re called boobs, Ed”

[@SS4Luxray]

My favorite line lol

[@im-gi2pg]

Albert Finney in “The Dresser” is my favorite. I also loved him in “Orphans.” I never noticed the color before you mentioned it. That area of California is boiling 🥵 hot, and the way they did the colors makes it feel exactly that way. Stifling!

[@StMichael7]

I recently saw Erin on tv being interviewed. She’s still alive and kicking ass

[@OutlandishZathrus]

The "holdout" was played by Cherry Jones. You might have recognized her from Signs and Ocean's Twelve. She was also the president in the TV show, "24".

[@charlestusin274]

Amazing dynamic. George and Erin Brooke up. But he stayed on as the family nanny for years.

[@ieyke]

The color grading is kinda the traditional Southwestern/non-urban California color grading. It's adjacent to the Mexican/India/Egypt color grading, which is kinda the same thing, but a little less saturated and more brown. Hollywood really has a bunch of places locked into specific color grading to manipulate people into feeling like a given set of colors feels like a certain area. I guess it helps unite and sell potentially unrelated shooting locations as if they were all the same area? Part of it is also to convey the weather of the area. Like here it's the oppressive desert heat, all the yellow, red, and warm chartreuse greens amped up, while muting down all the cool colors. In reality the color grading of most places is obviously pretty close to the same.

[@BarryHart-xo1oy]

Good to know.

[@hottopic2K11]

Wasn't a fan to watch the movie initially but caught on TV on day and have watched anytime I see it on now.. love how she don't take no shit, she's listening when u think she's not and didn't settle for less even when the case didn't directly effect her

[@couch.patati-patata]

George, the whistle blower guy, he applies ointment on Grace Jones with alacrity. In Conan the Destroyer.

[@paulcurlin2789]

07:44 When you mentioned the tone/color I immediately thought it's the tone of heat. The SW US is baking hot 🙂 So that tone is the color of people burning their hands on the steering wheels of their cars.

[@alisong826]

I love hearing Simone’s kitty purring! 31:20

[@vincegamer]

Great character actor Tracy Walter played the former employee. He pops up all over the place, but you probably remember him as Bob the goon in the first Michael Keaton Batman movie

[@alfiefletcher7513]

Albert Finney and Julia Roberts are amazing together onscreen. They compliment each other as scene partners. I recently watched this film for the first time on Netflix and I loved it!

[@chris...9497]

I didn't read down the comments, but to answer one of your questions: Yes; the band named themselves after PG&E, which is a public utilities company. Pacific Gas & Electric provides electric and natural gas service throughout most of Northern and Central California. The band was initially named The Pacific Gas & Electric Blues Band', then dropped the 'Blues Band', then (under pressure from the utilities company) shortened it to PG&E. Erin's boss was played by the great British actor Albert Finney, who passed in 2019. Erin's boyfriend was played by Aaron Eckhart, who also turned in exceptional performances as Two-Face ("The Dark Knight"), Nick Naylor ("Thank You For Smoking"), and Adam the monster ("I, Frankenstein"). The woman you thought was very familiar is Cherry Jones; you may recognize her as Officer Paski ("Signs").

[@geckogo7328]

Thank you very much for watching this. It's one of my favourites. I studied law and worked for a law firm that specialised in class action suits: against Big Tobacco, mining companies, blood collection agencies (for the people who got AIDS from blood transfusions), etc. So many of these cases relied on scientists and doctors who donated their time and expertise and paid for their own flights and accommodation so they could testify. I learnt most people are good, some really good, but corporations are amoral. Adding my vote for Spotlight. Darkwater is a really important film, but so real and dark I never want to watch it again.

[@garymeyer4243]

If you've ever been to the desert southwest in the summer, its bright yellow tinged dusty and scorching hot, just like the lighting in this film its well done

[@CamaroMann]

27:17 - That's Cherry Jones. She was in Signs, Ocean's Twelve, …

[@Johnny_Socko]

I love this film, it was moving without being sentimental, and it managed to hit exactly the right tone in every scene. And the acting was exemplary from the top of the call sheet to the bottom. It won multiple Oscars, yet somehow I feel that it's underrated. Part of that is because it felt like there was a mini-backlash after the Oscars, where some people seemed to think it only won because Julia Roberts was a huge box-office draw, and not because it was an amazing film. (They were painfully wrong.)

[@philjones45]

British actor Albert Finney, who played Ed Masry died in 2019. He was a working class son of a bookmaker from Lancashire. He played Scrooge in 1970, probably the best film adaption of the story, made his first movie in 1960.

[@PhilBagels]

Thank you very very very much!

[@mscolli3]

Shaka, When the Walls Fell. OMG haven't thought about that in YEARS. Awesome!

[@carriesmith742]

This was the first time I saw a movie in the theater where the audience applauded at the end. I saw it with my mom, who always LOVED Julia Roberts.

[@jennifervalentine8955]

I lived down the street from the house they filmed in, and I drive by Hinkley a lot. Total desert town near Barstow on the way to Las Vegas

[@andrewreisinger6860]

Barstow looks like LA next to Hinkley.

[@akyhne]

27:22 That's Cherry Jones. She has been in a lot of big movies and has won 3 Emmys. She has been in Ocean's Twelve, The Perfect Storm, Signs, The Handmaid's Tale, 24 Hours, Frasier, The Horse Whisperer, Succession and much more. She played the mother of George Clooney in Ocean's Twelve, which I believe you reacted to lately. She's one of those actors or actresses you just know the face of, but not the name.

[@philjones45]

The waitress at 03:04 is actually Erin Brockovich!

[@marleybob3157]

Albert Finney, who plays Ed, has long been one of my favorite actors. He passed five years ago but his lengthy film resume is incredibly impressive - everything from Kincaid in Skyfall (Bond) to the Bourne films to playing Hercule Pirot in Murder on the Orient Express. He was Tom Jones in Tom Jones, Mick Rice in The Entertainer and Sir in The Dresser. Great, overlooked actor.

[@emmanuelmedina5535]

Thank you for the shoutout, Simone! Lol. And yes, a Funky Cold Medina is an alcoholic drink.

[@mirkoyossen31]

Regarding the glass of water scene, you saw the same thing when Lisa wanted to show the pollution in Lake Springfield in "The Simpsons Movie"

[@3XLDave]

Loved your thumbnail on this one. Nicely done!

[@melvasaiel]

27:23. You saw that familiar woman in the movie "Signs". She was the sheriff.

[@tylerdurden3788]

3:36 That's Cherry Jones. She portrayed Matt Damon's Mom in Ocean's Twelve.

[@timothyhedrick5295]

@3:08 the real Erin is the waitress in this scene as a little cameo. @15:40 PG&E is still alive and well in California. It was my utility company for the eight years I lived in San Francisco from 1998 to 2005 and remains the utility supplier for the majority if not all of California.

[@notabritperse]

Steven Soderbergh's four-year (!) run of Out of Sight, The Limey (reaction, please!), Erin Brockovich, Traffic, and Ocean's Eleven is INSANE!!! Every single one is worth a watch.

[@derred723]

Out of Sight is one of my favorites.

[@nieksalomons]

The so-called "troublemaker" is an actress by the name of Cherry Jones. You guys know her as the policewoman in the film "Signs", I know her also of the film "Oceans twelve", I can't remember if you saw that one.

[@hectorsmommy1717]

Not so fun fact: the real life "Jorg" and an ex husband tried to blackmail Erin and Ed after the movie came out claiming to have proof that they had an affair. They coordinated a sting with the FBI and the two plus their lawyer were arrested.

[@nickcollins5191]

Yeah, I’d have to find the article I read a while back, but apparently he (George) wasn’t pleased with how he was portrayed in the film (I think the way it showed him leaving Erin and something else). Erin in response I believe said he was a good guy, I THINK something like “she loved him but wasn’t IN love with him”.

[@hectorsmommy1717]

@@nickcollins5191 The ex (her first husband) thought he deserved money because he wasn't in the film but his kids were so he and Jorg teamed up to try and extort money.

[@SunShine-qk4rb]

Great reaction..Cherry Jones was the actress you were referring to.Shes in Oceans 12,the perfect storm,Mother and child,horse whisperer and more

[@caseymoe816]

You guys might like a couple of movies along these same lines. The first would be “Silkwood,” which stars Meryl Streep as real life whistleblower Karen Silkwood (Kind of an overlooked underrated gem and Cher’s really good in it as well). The other would “The China Syndrome,” starring Jack Lemmon,Jane Fonda and Michael Douglas (NOT based on a true, but could actually happen).

[@DB-zp9un]

OK so someone else did suggest silkwood!!!

[@leeyaferguson9019]

I liked Silkwood, Karen.

[@synaesthesia2010]

i'm not one for dramas, especially true life dramas, but i love this film, Juila Roberts is very good at humanizing her characters

[@damiantreat7929]

I feel like you two would like the movie Spotlight. Little less light hearted, but still awesome flick

[@matthewdearsley123]

Dark Water is also really good when it comes to 'taking down' big companies

[@kathyastrom1315]

IMO, Spotlight is one of the best dramas of the past decade. It’s often compared to Al the President’s Men for its investigative journalism, but I think it’s better.

[@northwestkiwi7742]

Silkwood's another good choice (with Meryl Streep, Kurt Russell and Cher).

[@hertelantje]

Dark Water is really eye-opening. Spot light is an excellent movie with an outstanding cast.

[@Serenity113]

​@@matthewdearsley123 I would also suggest The Rainmaker. They would love that one.

[@jeremyphillips7827]

Simone wanted to know whatever happened with George, the long-haired biker dude, baby sitter and ex-boyfriend in the movie. It's not a happy ending. The real guy's name is Jorg Halaby, and he was bitter about the way their relationship ended. Erin said, "I was thankful for what he did. And I was kind and good to him, but I was simply not in love with him." A few weeks after the movie premiered, Halaby joined forces with Brockovich's first husband, Shawn Brown, and a lawyer named John Reiner, and they tried to extort $310,000 from Brokovich and Ed Masry. The three threatened to go to the tabloids and accuse her and Masry (both married at the time) of having a sexual relationship and say that she had been a bad mother if they didn't get the money. They were busted in a sting operation and went on trial, but the charges were eventually dropped against Halaby and Brown without explanation. Reiner was found guilty of attempted extortion and conspiracy to commit extortion, disbarred and sentenced to only four months in jail.

[@neilgriffiths6427]

Nice one Simone and George, batted it for six as usual!

[@bobbentz5993]

The saturated light recreates the intense reflective sunlight of California. The desert scenes are especially effective in a movie theater to create the blinding light.

[@Col_Fragg]

Erin Brockovich, as mentioned in the film's dialog, was leaving phone messages about her work activities but there messages were not being passed on.

[@dougstevenson1503]

This is my favourite role for Julia Roberts, same for Albert Finney. Second favourite for Aaron Eckhart. The movie is heartbreaking to see all the people in it suffering, and you're right about the settlement, it doesn't make their pain go away. All you hope is that it stops it from happening again. Great movie.

[@snowdenwyatt6276]

(blank) Gas & Electric was a common name in the US up to the early '80s. Gas and Electric service were commonly packaged together by the same company for each market. At some point there was an anti-monopoly measure that split many of these companies up into separate entities.

[@laurab68707]

The one woman you couldn't place but you knew you have seen her before in another movie. She was the Sheriff in "Signs".

[@1938superman]

27:20 She was the police officer in Signs.

[@JGComments]

The actor who plays the reluctant witness is Cherry Jones. She's been in a lot of things like Signs, The Village, Ocean's Twelve, and The Perfect Storm. She often plays tough characters.

[@silkypnub]

My family watched this movie a thousand times on vhs back in the day. It’s still a family favorite despite being a tear jerker. Great choice reaction guys. ❤️

[@Patriot009]

27:16 She played the police chief in Signs, who was skeptical of the main characters and their complaints.

[@williamblakehall5566]

I'm so glad you got to this! A great follow-up to this would be A Civil Action, starring John Travolta in one of his best dramatic roles.

[@ThistleAndSea]

Good one, S&G! Yeah, this was a huge story in the U.S. back in the day, and they did a great job turning it into a movie for sure. I always love Julia Roberts, and seeing her in this role was a treat. And Albert Finny has been my favorite actor for probably near 50 years now? He's a real keeper too. Thank for sharing this one. 🙂

[@stevenklyce3555]

The saturation of color you mention early in the film serves to accurately emulate the atmosphere of Southern California. The sky and landscape of the region have that hue and resemblance, essentially around the Mojave Desert where this takes place.

[@s001dxp]

the "problem woman" played the sheriff in "Signs"

[@lisannebaumholz5028]

The actor you think you've seen is Cherry Jones. Mostly a stage actor but she's been in quite a few movies & TV shows. Maybe you recognize her from the "The Handmaid's Tale" series? She played Elizabeth Moss' (June) mother.

[@matthewlennon6289]

She was also great in Succession, not sure if you guys have watched that!

[@harlongway1657]

Please do more trivia, I love you guys talking more about movies I love. Keep on doing what you’re doing, you guys are the best ❤❤❤

[@barrylieberman5954]

Funky Cold Medina was a Tone Loc song. Tone Loc appeared in Michael Mann’s 1995 Crime Epic ‘Heat’

[@declaneric]

The actress you recognize is Cherry Jones. She's a character actor who's been in everything, I'm sure you've seen her, probably more than once.

[@shadmedina3033]

Hell yeah Funky Cold Medina!!! 😂😂😂. My wife and I walked out to that song at our wedding reception. My last name is Medina

[@rekuzaaan]

Coincidentally, just googled the real Erin right now and saw that - today, June the 22nd is her 63rd birthday!

[@scottythedawg]

the actress you recognize was in Ocean's 12 as Matt Damon's mom.