Julia Roberts plays an unemployed single mom who helped win one of the largest settlements ever against a California power company accused of polluting a city water supply. In desperate need of a job, Erin Brockovich (Roberts) goes to work for lawyer Ed Masry (Albert Finney) who represented her on a personal injury claim and lost. While going through files, Brockovich uncovers information that suggests Pacific Gas and Electric was trying to buy up contaminated land where it dumped chemical waste and may have poisoned the water supply. Based on a true story, it was directed by Steven Soderbergh.

Trivia: Roberts got $20 million for playing the role, which made her the highest-paid woman in film at the time.

See our August 2018 cover story: “The 25 Greatest Legal Movies.”