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An unemployed single mother becomes a legal assistant and almost single-handedly brings down a California power company accused of polluting a city's water supply.
George: How many numbers you got? Erin Brockovich: Oh, I got numbers comin' outta my ears. For instance: ten. George: Ten? Erin Brockovich: Yeah. That's how many months old my baby girl is. George: You got a little girl? Erin Brockovich: Yeah. Yeah, sexy, huh? How 'bout this for a number? Six. That's how old my other daughter is, eight is the age of my son, two is how many times I've been married - and divorced; sixteen is the number of dollars I have in my bank account. 850-3943. That's my phone number, and with all the numbers I gave you, I'm guessing zero is the number of times you're gonna call it.
Kurt Potter: Wha... how did you do this? Erin Brockovich: Well, um, seeing as how I have no brains or legal expertise, and Ed here was losing all faith in the system, am I right? Ed Masry: Oh, yeah, completely. No faith, no faith... Erin Brockovich: I just went out there and performed sexual favors. Six hundred and thirty-four blow jobs in five days... I'm really quite tired.
Theresa Dallavale: Okay, look, I think we got off on the wrong foot here... Erin Brockovich: That's all you got, lady. Two wrong feet in fucking ugly shoes.
Ed Masry: [after a meeting with a PG&E representative] Didn't you hear? They have $28 billion at their disposal! Erin Brockovich: So? Ed Masry: You think I'm MADE of money? Erin Brockovich: What are you yelling at me for? Ed Masry: Because I'm pissed off! Erin Brockovich: Good! Ed Masry: [throws down tie] Fuck you! Erin Brockovich: Fuck you back! Ed Masry: [starts laughing] I really hate you sometimes, I really do. Erin Brockovich: Aww, you love me.
Ed Masry: What makes you think you can just walk in there and find what we need? Erin Brockovich: They're called boobs, Ed.
Ms. Sanchez: [at the meeting with the PG & E lawyers] Let's be honest here. $20 million dollars is more money than these people have ever dreamed of. Erin Brockovich: Oh see, now that pisses me off. First of all, since the demur we have more than 400 plaintiffs and... let's be honest, we all know there are more out there. They may not be the most sophisticated people but they do know how to divide and $20 million isn't *shit* when you split it between them. Second of all, these people don't dream about being rich. They dream about being able to watch their kids swim in a pool without worrying that they'll have to have a hysterectomy at the age of *twenty*. Like Rosa Diaz, a client of ours. Or have their spine deteriorate, like Stan Blume, *another* client of ours. So before you come back here with another lame ass offer, I want you to think real hard about what your spine is worth, Mr. Walker. Or what you might expect someone to pay you for your uterus, Ms. Sanchez. Then you take out your calculator and you multiply that number by a hundred. Anything less than that is a waste of our time. [Ms. Sanchez picks up a glass of water] Erin Brockovich: By the way, we had that water brought in specially for you folks. Came from a well in Hinkley. Ms. Sanchez: [Puts down the glass, without drinking] I think this meeting is over. Ed Masry: Damn right it is.
Erin Brockovich: [testifying in court about her accident] I was pulling out real slow, and out of nowhere his Jaguar comes racing around the corner like a bat outta hell... [pause] Erin Brockovich: They took some bone from my hip and put it in my neck; I didn't have insurance so I'm about $17,00 in debt right now. [pause] Erin Brockovich: I couldn't take painkillers 'cause they made me too groggy to take care of my kids... [pause] Erin Brockovich: Matthew's six, Katie's four and Beth's just nine months... [pause] Erin Brockovich: I just wanna be a good mom, a nice person, a decent citizen. Just wanna take good care of my kids. You know? Ed Masry: [quietly] Yeah... I know. Defending Lawyer: $17,000 in debt? Is your ex-husband helping out? Erin Brockovich: Which one? Defending Lawyer: There's more than one? Erin Brockovich: [becomes defensive] Yeah, there's two. Why? Defending Lawyer: Right, no doubt. [pause] Defending Lawyer: So, you must've been feeling pretty desperate that afternoon. Erin Brockovich: What's your point? Defending Lawyer: Broke, three kids, no job. A doctor in a Jaguar must've looked like a pretty good meal ticket. Erin Brockovich: What? [referring to the doctor] Erin Brockovich: He hit me! Defending Lawyer: So you say! Erin Brockovich: [starts yelling] He came tearing around the corner out of control! Defending Lawyer: [sarcastically] An ER doctor who spends his days saving lives was the one out of control... Erin Brockovich: THAT ASSHOLE SMASHED IN MY FUCKING NECK!
Erin Brockovich: Annabelle Daniels: 714-454-9346. 10 years old, 11 in May. Lived on the plume since birth. Wanted to be a synchronized swimmer so she spent every minute she could in the PG&E pool. She had a tumor in her brain stem detected last November, an operation on Thanksgiving, shrunk it with radiation after that. Her parents are Ted & Rita. Ted's got Crohn's disease, Rita has chronic headaches, and nausea, and underwent a hysterectomy last fall. Ted grew up in Hinkley. His brother Robbie, and his wife May and their five children: Robbie Jr, Martha, Ed, Rose & Peter *also* lived on the plume. Their number is 454-9554. You want their diseases?
Erin Brockovich: For the first time in my life, I got people respecting me. Please, don't ask me to give it up.
Erin Brockovich: [to Ed, trying to persuade him to hire her] Now, I'm smart, I'm hard-working and I'll do anything... and I'm not leaving here without a job. [pause] Erin Brockovich: Don't make me beg. If it doesn't work out, fire me... But don't make me beg!
Erin Brockovich: [Mr. Masry just fired Erin because she was gone for a week] I've been working, that is all I have been doing, what am I supposed to do check in with you every two seconds? Brenda: Yes, it's called accountability and... Erin Brockovich: I'm not talking to you, bitch! Brenda: Excuse me? Erin Brockovich: Get out of my face!
Ed Masry: This is a whole different ball game. A much bigger deal. Erin Brockovich: Kind of like David and what's-his-name. Ed Masry: It's kind of like David and what's-his-name's whole fucking family. [sighs] Ed Masry: Okay, here's the deal: If, and only if, you find all the evidence to back this up, I'll do it, I'll take it on. Erin Brockovich: You're doing the right thing, Mr. Masry. Ed Masry: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Remind me of that when I'm filing for bankruptcy.
Erin Brockovich: NOT PERSONAL! That is my WORK, my SWEAT, and MY TIME AWAY FROM MY KIDS! IF THAT IS NOT PERSONAL, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS!
Erin Brockovich: Bite my ass, Krispy Kreme!
Ed Masry: [explaining his reason for removing Erin from his office] Now, look Erin, this incident aside, I don't think this is the right place for you. So what I'm gonna do is make a few calls on your behalf; find you something else, okay? Erin Brockovich: [angrily] Don't bother! Ed Masry: Come on! I'm trying to help here... Erin Brockovich: BULLTSHIT! YOU'RE TRYING TO FEEL LESS GUILTY ABOUT FIRING SOMEONE WITH THREE KIDS TO FEED! WELL, FUCK IF I'LL HELP YOU DO THAT! [Erin storms out of his office]
Donna Jensen: You're a lawyer? Erin Brockovich: NO, no... I hate lawyers. I only work for them.
Ed Masry: In a law firm you may want to re-think your wardrobe a little. Erin Brockovich: Well as long as I have one ass instead of two I'll wear what I like if that's all right with you. You might want to re-think those ties.
Erin Brockovich: [whispering] Ed, have a fucking cup of coffee.
[last lines] Erin Brockovich: Ya know why everyone thinks that all lawyers are back stabbing, blood sucking scum bags? cause they are! and I can not believe you expect me to go out, leave my kids with strangers and get people to trust you with *their* lives while all the while your screwing me! You know, Ed, it's not about the number! It's about the way my work is valued in this firm... [She looks at the two million dollar bonus check] Ed Masry: Like I was saying, I thought that the number you proposed was inappropriate, so I increased it. [Turns to walk away and turns around to her] Ed Masry: Do they teach beauty queens to apologize? Because you suck at it! Erin Brockovich: [Long pause, as Erin looks at the check] Uh, Ed... uh... thank you...
Erin Brockovich: Don't be too nice to me, OK? George: Why? Erin Brockovich: It makes me nervous.
Erin Brockovich: Look, I don't know shit about shit but I know right from wrong!
Erin Brockovich: [the inciting moment] I'm sorry. I just don't see why you're corresponding with PG&E about your medical problems in the first place. Donna Jensen: Well, they paid for the doctor's visit. Erin Brockovich: They did? Donna Jensen: You bet. Paid for a checkup for the whole family. And not like with insurance where you pay and a year goes by and maybe you see some money. They just took care of it just like [snaps fingers] Donna Jensen: that. We never even saw a bill. Erin Brockovich: Wow. Why'd they do that? Donna Jensen: Because of the chromium.
Matthew Brockovich: This girl's about my age. Is she one of the people you're helping? Erin Brockovich: Yeah, she's really sick so I'm going to get her some medicine to feel better. Matthew Brockovich: Why doesn't her own mom get her medicine? Erin Brockovich: Because her mom's really sick too. Matthew Brockovich: Oh.
Erin Brockovich: Hey Scott, Tell me something. Does PG&E pay you to cover their ass, or do you just do it out of the kindness of your heart? Scott: I don't know what you're talking about... Erin Brockovich: The fuck you don't! Nobody calls me Pat-te, That heavy-breathing sicko that called the other night, Could have only found out about me from you... People are dying, Scott, you've got document after document here telling you why, and you haven't said one word. I wanna know... How the hell you sleep at night! [guilty stare]
Erin Brockovich: I don't need pity, I need a paycheck. And I've looked. But when you've spent the past six years raising babies its real hard to find somebody who pays worth a damn, are ya getting every word of this down honey or am I talking too fast?
George: [parrying Erin's rejection of free babysitting] Are you always this hard on people who try and help you? Erin Brockovich: I'm out of practice.
Ed Masry: I'd love to help, Erin, but I'm sorry, I have a full staff right now, so... Erin Brockovich: Bullshit. If you had a full staff, this office would return a client's damn phone calls.
Erin Brockovich: [Erin tries to use her cell phone but has no reception] Oh, you fucking piece of CRAP with no signal!
Ed Masry: You're emotional, you're erratic. You say anything, you make this personal, and it isn't. Erin Brockovich: Not personal? That is my work! My sweat! My time away from my kids! If that's not personal, I don't know what is. [starts to cough] Ed Masry: Hey, come on. Come on. Go home. Get well. Because your no good to be sick. I need you, all right? This case needs you.
Erin Brockovich: Are you going to be something else that I have to survive? Because... to tell you the truth... I'm not up to it.
Donna Jensen: 'Cause of the chromium. Erin Brockovich: The what? Donna Jensen: The chromium. Well, that's what kicked this whole thing off.
George: What's the matter? You got so many friends, you don't need one more?
Erin Brockovich: Isn't it funny how some people go out of their way to help others, when others just fire them? Ed Masry: Look, I'm sorry but you were gone for a week. I assumed you were off having fun. Erin Brockovich: Oh, and why the hell would you assume that? Ed Masry: I don't know. You look like someone who likes to have fun. Erin Brockovich: Oh, so by that standard I should assume that you never get laid. Ed Masry: I'm married! [after a pause] Ed Masry: Look. What is this all about? Erin Brockovich: Do you want to know? Then you'll have to hire me back. I've got a ton of bills to pay. Ed Masry: Fine! Fine!