I'm not sure how this tv movie got made into a feature. Which is not a put down of tv movies. The best drama writing these days is on television, and it's not even close.
But the fact is, this is a standard injustice movie where an idealistic crusader helps the little guy beat the big corporate bullies. The twist is that this crusader is not a big-shot lawyer or a 60 Minutes tv producer, she's an out-of-work blue collar girl with three kids and no husband and no self-esteem.
There are few plot surprises here. But the movie has an emotional payoff at the end because a lot of innocent people had their lives destroyed and the hero forces those reponsible to pay. We know that kind of justice doesn't happen much in life. So when we see it, it feels good.
Hats off to Marg Helgenberger for her performance and to Julia Roberts who finally found a dramatic role that could show off her strengths.
