Julia Roberts and Sandra Bullock have been contemporaries with both proving themselves as capable commercial leading ladies in Hollywood. Roberts and Bullock made their breakthrough in the 1980s and became stars in their own right during the following decade eventually winning a Best Actress Academy Award.
Moreover, Roberts and Bullock share an uncanny similarity as both won their Oscar for playing a character based on a real-life figure. However, the outcome of the two movies couldn’t have been more different. While Roberts’ film was praised by the person who inspired it, Bullock’s film landed in controversy years after it was released, and here is everything you need to know about it.
Erin Brockovich praised Julia Roberts for her Oscar-winning portrayal
Julia Roberts rose to prominence with her roles in movies like Mystic Pizza and Pretty Woman. She received her first Best Actress Oscar nomination for the latter movie but did not win. However, Roberts later won the award for her performance as the titular figure in 2000’s Erin Brockovich.
Directed by Steven Soderbergh, the film is loosely based on the life of activist Erin Brockovich who initiated a legal case against the Pacific Gas and Electric Company for its involvement in the Hinkley groundwater contamination incident. It received critical acclaim and grossed $256.3 million across the globe.
During an interview with Vulture, the real Brockovich discussed the movie and praised Roberts’ performance. At the same time, she also commended the movie for directly calling out Pacific Gas and Electric instead of choosing an alternative name for the company.
They tried so hard to hide from it. That was just really egregious behavior. They tried to stop the movie, but it still happened.
Brockovich made the above statement, admitting that it felt like a victory in her battle against the company that they were specially called out in the movie.
From Brockovich’s words, it is safe to say that she feels the film perfectly encapsulated her story, primarily the cause she was fighting for. As a result, Roberts’ performance only helped to raise further awareness about Brockovich’s cause, which is always a positive sign for a movie based on real events.
Sandra Bullock’s Oscar-winning movie The Blind Side landed in controversy
Roberts’ Oscar-winning movie is mostly remembered for the actress’ performance and its impact on water contamination by large corporations. However, the same cannot be said for the movie that won Sandra Bullock her first and only Oscar to date.
Like Roberts, Bullock played a real-life figure in the 2009 biographical sports drama film The Blind Side. It is loosely based on Michael Lewis’ book of the same name which tells the story of former NFL player Michael Oher and his relationship with his adoptive parents Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy.
In the film, Bullock played Leigh Anne Tuohy and won a Best Actress Oscar for her performance. However, in 2023, Oher filed a lawsuit (via NBC News) alleging that the Tuohys never actually adopted and instead created conservatorship, which allowed them to make money from his name.
The lawsuit also led to allegations that the family made millions from the movie with Oher demanding a clear accounting of the money earned. The lawsuit was settled in September 2023 (via AP News), when the conservatorship was terminated.
The Tuohys were also asked to remove mentions of adopting Oher from their website and speeches. Ultimately, what was a heartwarming story about humanity and kindness was dragged into legal crosshairs, which somewhat tarnishes the film’s legacy. As a result, despite no fault of her own, Bullock’s Oscar-winning movie will remain aligned with the controversy that followed it.
Erin Brockovich is streaming on Netflix and The Blind Side is available to rent on Amazon Prime Video.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
