2000, 2 hrs 10 min., Rated R for language.�Dir: Steven Soderbergh. Cast: Julia Roberts (Erin Brockovich), Albert Finney (Ed Masry), Aaron Eckhart (George), Marg Helgenberger (Donna Jensen).

Yeah, I know I�m a little late to the party on this one, cleaning up after it�s over. The hoopla was eight months ago, but I just had little interest then. The plot just seemed too A Civil Action, and seeing Julia Roberts strut her stuff in skimpy clothes and mega-cleavage didn�t do anything to get me to the theater (no, I have NOT been watching more �Will & Grace� than usual). But Steven Soderbergh directed, so I must have had the wrong impression because he�s one of the most reliably impressive filmmakers in Hollywood today (Traffic, Out of Sight).

Comparing little-man-versus-corporate-giant-in-court films of the last couple of years, Erin Brockovich is better than A Civil Action (starring the droll John Travolta), but not as compelling as The Insider (with the powerful Russell Crowe). It is well done in its own right, though, and worth a look for other holdouts.

I�m not all that sure why Julia�s being spotlighted in this role over any other. It�s not like she�s Heady Lamarr appearing naked for the first time in the silver screen�s history. Heck, Julia doesn�t even have the smarts of Lamarr (don�t see Julia with a patent, do you?), and Julia is not doing something she hasn�t before. Did anyone see Pretty Woman, where the young actress mixed sexual chemistry with a vulnerable attitude? She�s lovable and easily one of Hollywood�s most marketable actresses, but this wasn�t exactly the biggest stretch of her talents. I would probably give Roberts the Best Actress Oscar - which she will win - if only because she should have won it before, and this is as good a performance as any (although I liked her work more in Pretty Woman and Notting Hill).

Julia�s the title character (I know, a real-life person, but since I don�t know the actual history, I�m treating Erin as a fictional character), Erin Brockovich, a racy firebrand who wears skimpy clothes and obliterates anyone who dares cross her with a dirty mouth and disrespect unseen since Hillary Clinton pretended to hold Laura Bush�s hand as a token of friendship. She�s crass, spouts off with a smart mouth in the most inopportune moments and is in serious need of a session at Charm School. She keeps wondering why no one takes her seriously, but with the clothes, language and attitude, I wondered why anyone would.

George (Aaron Eckhart) moves in next door, and becomes the best thing that happened to her in years as the chivalric biker knight. Riding in on his Harley and offering his assistance and affection, she takes him for granted. Eckhart was a nice surprise, as I�ve never seen his work before and liked him throughout the film, as a much more heroic character than Erin.

Side note: How come people in movies always leave or storm out in arguments, when saying one sentence of explanation will settle everything?

Julia�s boss, Mr. Masry (Albert Finney) is an old-fashioned hardass, straight out of Peter Finch in Network without the meltdown. Finney has received some Oscar buzz, so don�t be surprised to see his name come nomination time in February.

There was other mentionable work from supporting actors, including Marg Helgenberger, known from her days on �China Beach� and currently my favorite new show of 2000, �C.S.I.� I almost didn�t recognize her, though, as a blonde housewife. Helgenberger plays Donna Jensen, the original of 634 plaintiffs.

As one would expect in these David vs. Goliath films (or as Masry puts it, David vs. Goliath�s entire family), there are many moments that the audience eats up, where the small firm puts it to the behemoth. My favorite was when Masry sees three professional lawyer honchos strut into his office, so he brings in three non-lawyers to look like they know what they�re doing, just to outnumber the cocky S.O.B.�s.

And as you know, the score is important to my moviegoing enjoyment. In Erin Brockovich, Thomas Newman keeps it simple, with simple piano strokes (not like the annoying Eyes Wide Shut, more like American Beauty).

Sodberbergh�s exposition is subtle, deliberate. There�s nothing entirely surprising, and nothing gets �Blow�d Up,� which is refreshing. I�m too used to big budget Hollywood thrillers, half-expecting Roberts to be attacked or see her kids kidnapped. There�s nothing like that here, just a moving, almost Biblical tale of good overcoming evil. Definitely worth a looksee.