Jeri
Jacquin
Coming
to Bluray, DVD and currently on Digital from director Todd Haynes and Universal
Pictures Home Entertainment is the story of a man who will stop at nothing to
expose one of America’s most known company’s about DARK WATERS.
While
working at his law firm in Cincinnati, Ohio, lawyer Robert Bilott (Mark
Ruffalo) is visited by Wilbur Tennant (Bill Camp). A farmer who knows Bilott’s
grandmother, he wants help with stopping DuPont from hurting people. Trying to
explain that he is a corporate lawyer that works for chemical companies, he
would recommend someone. Tennant becomes loud telling him that people are dying
and gives him a box of videotapes.
Bilott
goes to Parkersburg to visit his grandmother and find out about Tennant.
Realizing whose farm it is, he drives over to see for himself as Tennant shows
his the large amount of cows that have died on his farm from serious and
strange illnesses. He also sees for himself what has happened to one of
Tennant’s cows.
Running
into Phil Donnelly (Victor Garber) who is a DuPont attorney, Bilott asks if he
knows anything about what is happening in Parkersburgh and is told no. He then
decides to film a claim to get information about the chemicals dumped on a site
in the town. Getting the papers he has to slowly begin to understand the
workings of the chemicals and what is regulated by the EPA.
He
returns to Donnelly asking for all the information and in an angered move sends
Bilott hundreds of boxes. This infuriates Bilott’s boss Tom Terp (Tim Robbins)
but Terp also knows there is something going on. Now the case becomes personal
with wife Sarah (Anne Hathaway) at home expecting their child. When he tears
through their home, he has to explain to her why and Sarah begins to understand
what her husband is up against.
Tennant
is not in such great shape either as the town begins to turn against him for
going after DuPont who they work for. No one in town understands the struggle
the Tennant family is going through but instead make their lives frightening.
Entering
the courtroom, Bilott has only one goal, getting justice, not money, for
Tennant and those effected by the chemicals in Parkersburgh. This isn’t as
simple as it sounds as a study is required before DuPont will agree to anything
with testing of the locals. That will take seven years and Bilott facing
troubles at the firm, strain at home and his health taking a beating.
Fighting
for what is right against a giant meaning standing your ground for however long
it takes!
Ruffalo
as Bilott once again proves he has the stamina to take on a role like this.
Then again, I already knew was excellent in roles as person who will not let
go. Check out his role as journalist investigator Mark Rezendes in the 2015
film SPOTLIGHT to understand what I’m saying. Here he takes on DuPont – the
giants of chemicals and the ever “life-changing” Teflon that most of us grew up
with Mom’s using in the kitchen. He actually has a commanding voice without
getting loud and the film draws you in by his horror in what he finds.
Camp
as Tennant is a man who doesn’t take nonsense lightly. Instead, he is a man who
is angry about what is happening to his farm, family and community – even if
they don’t see it. He wants Bilott to jump in the dark water and do what is
right, not what gets money. That’s what makes Camp’s portrayal so important
because he is a man who is strong but deeply afraid.
Hathaway
as wife Sarah doesn’t at first understand what it is her husband is trying to
accomplish and once she does, is very supportive. But as the years pass,
Sarah’s support comes with high tension and frustration. Robbins as Terp falls
into that category as well as he wants to do what is right as a person, but his
law firm isn’t just Terp and Bilott, there are others not so happy at what is
happening.
Garber
as Donnelly seems a nice enough person to Bilott but that changes when it is
time to come clean with the truth. Shout out to Winningham as Darlene, a woman
who doesn’t yet understand the lies she has been told and the repercussions of
it all.
Other
cast include Mare Winningham as Darlene Kiger, Bill Pullman as Harry Deitzler,
William Harper as James Ross, Louisa Krause as Karla, Kevin Crowley as Larry
Winter, Bruce Cromer as Kim Burke, Richard Hagerman as Joe Kiger, Abi Van Andel
as Kathleen Welch, John Newberg as Dr. Gillespie and Denise Dal Vera as Sandra
Tennant.
Universal
Pictures Home Entertainment has just added an amazing film to their library and
making it available for us to all experience and re-experience in our own home
theaters. There are film of every genre available from scary to drama to family
films. For more of what they have to offer please visit www.uphe.com.
MOVIES
ANYWHERE gives viewers the ability to download the Movies Anywhere App. With
that you can view films by downloading or streaming to your favorite device
using a Digital Code. For more information on Movies Anywhere please visit www.MoviesAnywhere.com.
Bonus
Features of the Bluray include The Cost of Being a Hero – This piece examines
real life Rob Bilott’s sacrifices to take down a powerful corporation and how a
single individual can impact the entire community. Cast and filmmakers discuss
the importance of telling this story and empowering whistle-blowers, Uncovering
DARK WATERS – Get an inside look into the storytelling behind the gritty,
real life story of DARK WATERS from Mark Ruffalo, Anne Hathaway, filmmakers and
crew, and The Real People – Meet the real people from Parkersburg
who were impacted first-hand by the contaminated water as they share these
experiences being on set and taking part in the film.
The
film is based on the 2016 New York Times Magazine article “The Lawyer
Who Became DuPont’s Worst Nightmare” by Nathaniel Rich. Also, the 2015 article
“Welcome to Beautiful Parkersburg, West Virginia”. Sharon Lerner also wrote an
article in The Intercept called “Bad Chemistry” and Robert Bilott wrote
a book Exposure on the battle with DuPont.
I
am a fan of the 2000 film ERIN BROKOVICH and DARK WATERS falls into that
category as well. This time it is DuPont covering up and lying about what it
knowns, when it knew it and the potential of everything having long term
effects not only of the people in Parkersburg but of you and I as well.
Ruffalo
takes the character of Bilott into places that most of us would have never
suspected. There is no way to avoid the horrors of the effects and the film
doesn’t hide any of it. So much so that when he shows the baby picture of Bucky
Bailey, it is heart breaking but also smacks of the reality that none of us
thought about 10 years ago let alone 30 years ago.
The
film is though provoking because it brings back memories of home and how my own
mother cooked so I’m very sure everyone who sees DARK WATERS will also recall
their own. The film also shows how one man who was on the other side of the
fence, questions his own life and the risks he is willing to take for the sake
of pretty much everyone proving one man can make a difference.
In
the end – the truth has a man on the inside!
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