MovieChat Forums > Erin Brockovich (2000) Discussion > Erin--a selfish bully with boobs!

Erin--a selfish bully with boobs!


Sorry guys, I know this is gonna set a lot of people off, BUT....Erin didn't care about anyone but herself.

She said it best when she told George that people quit talking when she walks in a room to see if she has anything to say. I'm not saying she didn't care about the plaintiffs in the case, but she cared more about herself, being important and looking good.

She didn't care that Ed thought she should dress more appropriately.

She didn't care that George was being left home to raise her kids.

She didn't care when Ed said he was going to have to take out a 2nd mortgage on his house. Remember her reply? "So?" She didn't care whether Ed was inconvenienced or devastated financially, which was a possibility in this case because the outcome early on was not known for sure. Erin had never worked hard in her life...and had no idea what it was like for someone like Ed to work his entire life to accumulate a life savings...and to have a case like this jeopardize that lifetime of work. Nope..she just wanted what she wanted.

She wanted to play with the big kids even though she did not go to school and go through the same life experiences the big kids did, i.e., she was a lawyer wannabe but couldn't accept the fact that she didn't have an education and wasn't on the same level as they.

She was offensive to those who had put in the time to be lawyers so they could play with the big kids. And, while I'm on that subject, if she had the "600" phone numbers in her head, did it ever occur to her that she SHOULD perhaps put them in the files? No..because this was one more way she could control the situation. Only she had the info...what if she got killed or hurt badly? The info wouldn't have been in the file, and someone would have had to start over on it. She didn't care. She felt this kept her in the drivers seat.

Her own perception of her value was obvious when she asked Ed, "Did you tell them that" after Ed told her she was important to him on the case. She wanted constant ego-stroking, either from Ed or the plaintiffs to confirm her own perception of her value.

I found her cussing, screaming rants to be nothing but an additional indication of her instability and short fuse. She was basically a bully with boobs, who couldn't take one bit of criticism. I don't know how Ed stood her.

After watching the movie yesterday for about the 4th time, I decided I couldn't stand the movie anymore. It has finally dawned on me why. I'm glad the plaintiffs won a big settlement, but watching Julia Roberts portray this person is not enjoyable any longer.

Okay, off my soapbox.





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Lol, yeah history's footnotes provide alot more information than the film does. In reality, a study done on Hinkley cancer rates from 1996-2008 were found to actually be less than what was considered "normal" for that region and the same demographics. NO link between PG&E and Hinkley cancer rates, evidently. $333 million for no reason.

Then, in 2006, she tried to sue a Beverly Hills school district with a similar claim linking oil wells with alleged cancer cases, but failed to provide any substantial evidence to support this and was forced to pay $450,000 in reimbursement for legal fees. And that's just an example of her legal career since.

Yes, she sued a company for $333 million, and won, over BS. And keeps trying to do this same thing repeatedly, often over hexavalent chromium, which won her the first case and has since been proven to have no link to cancer. If this isn't a greedy, unrepentant, unbelievably ballsy thief...what is?

There's a reason it's "based on a true story" and not "this is a true story". People shouldn't assume seeing a movie means they know ANYTHING close to the reality of the situation. Truth is, since the film came out Erin Brockovich has been proven as nothing more than an extremely successful "ambulance chaser". I encourage everyone to read up on her, you won't like her so much anymore.

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There's nothing people on here can say that can justify Erin's bad manners.

You want to play the game, you'd better know the rules, love.
-Harry Callahan

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Nobodies perfect.

I just justified her bad manners.

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A greedy corporation hurts hundreds of people with their poisonous practices and people are made sick and/or die from said practices. The corporation tries to cover its ass, so as not to lose money. And what YOU are focused on are Brockovich's supposed "bad manners?" That's ridiculous.

I guess, fortunately for her, "bad manners" aren't against the law.



Sister, when I've raised hell, you'll know it!

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You do have a point there about the phone #s. What exactly was the point of her not filling that item in each of the files?

When you think of garbage, think of Hakim!

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I know it's an old post but I am going to reply anyways. Nobodies perfect, maybe you think you are. Only the pope is infallible(joke.) The plaintiffs were BY FAR the most important thing to care about(besides her kids of course.) And if helping the plaintiffs means that George had to stay at home and be the mom so be it. As far as dressing more appropriately and stuff those are tiny issues in comparison to the plaintiffs. And wow, she was offensive to lawyers so what. haha. They got their feelings hurt/ego busted down a notch it's not the end of the world.

Oh yeah, and she's really a "selfish" bully who busted her ass to help OTHER people. Her wearing the inappropriate clothing and "being a bully(only in a few cases, and it was mild bullying at best if you even want to consider it bullying)" didn't ruin any careers or kill anybody.
You sound like a religious fundamentalist focusing so much on everything that really doesn't mean squat and forgetting/leaving out the major accomplishment which was helping all those people. Or maybe mentioning it but pretending it's not any bigger than wearing inappropriate clothing or throwing a little temper tantrum here and there when it is infinitely more important.

And more about George. That whole scene towards the end of the movie where she apologizes and then they show Erin and George walk up to the ladies house sit on her porch and show the money that she was able to get her. It was to not only show the excitement/emotion from the lady receiving the money, but also a kind of "in your face George" moment. haha. Why do I say that? Because while George was bitching and moaning about having to stay at home and watch the kids, that scene showed that she was doing something very important for other people and even George could see that at that moment and totally understood. In other words, she was working hard not for herself or to make George suffer, but to help other people.

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[deleted]

Erin has dyslexia.
That is probably why she wasn't in the habit of writing down numbers.
More accurate to memorize them.

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I know this was 4 years old, but this must be said:


"Erin didn't care about anyone but herself"

then,

"I'm not saying she didn't care about the plaintiffs in the case"

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She is a terrible person. Her real life is quite disturbing. Greedy and selfish!

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Woo hoo someone that thinks like me!!!!
I hope the real Erin wasn't like Julia cos I hated her.
She was rude, arrogant, constantly swearing and her behaviour was disgusting!!!!
I agree she was right with helping the Hinckley people and she did a good job but if I was ed and she marched into my office demanding a job, I'd have said no sorry. Your not professional, your rude, you swear and I don't like it. When Ed told her to dress appropriately, and she said no, I'd have said I'm the boss you do as your told.
I wouldn't have fired her when she came in, if she explained she was working I'd have given her a warning. When she kept emphasising I've got kids to feed, I'd say well that's your problem isn't it! Maybe if you hadn't had them so young and got an education you wouldn't have to keep blaming everybody else for your own mistakes.

Lots of other women have kids and are single but they don't act like you!!?!???

She's horrible to George, what she think he's her little slave????
Then she has a go cos he says there's lots of jobs and her answer is 'how would you know'?
If I was him I'd have said, 'well I can get one without bullying people' then I'd have walked out.
She ain't thinking of her kids when she screws George, which could mean she gets pregnant again. I mean get a *beep* grip woman and get your life in order.

And the bit I *beep* hate is when she's talking to the new lawyer, who quite rightly says there's no numbers in this file and she says "that's all you got, two wrong feet and *beep* ugly shoes" if I was Teresa I would say to Ed and the other guy "I'm not working with this vile bitch" and walked out just after saying "listen love, maybe try getting a *beep* education and support yourself instead of producing kids everywhere"

I've worked since I was 15 full time and I still got a degree and a house etc all paid for by myself and I don't treat people like Erin does.

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Woo hoo someone that thinks like me!!!!
I hope the real Erin wasn't like Julia cos I hated her.
She was rude, arrogant, constantly swearing and her behaviour was disgusting!!!!
I agree she was right with helping the Hinckley people and she did a good job but if I was ed and she marched into my office demanding a job, I'd have said no sorry. Your not professional, your rude, you swear and I don't like it. When Ed told her to dress appropriately, and she said no, I'd have said I'm the boss you do as your told.
I wouldn't have fired her when she came in, if she explained she was working I'd have given her a warning. When she kept emphasising I've got kids to feed, I'd say well that's your problem isn't it! Maybe if you hadn't had them so young and got an education you wouldn't have to keep blaming everybody else for your own mistakes.

Lots of other women have kids and are single but they don't act like you!!?!???

She's horrible to George, what she think he's her little slave????
Then she has a go cos he says there's lots of jobs and her answer is 'how would you know'?
If I was him I'd have said, 'well I can get one without bullying people' then I'd have walked out.
She ain't thinking of her kids when she screws George, which could mean she gets pregnant again. I mean get a *beep* grip woman and get your life in order.

And the bit I *beep* hate is when she's talking to the new lawyer, who quite rightly says there's no numbers in this file and she says "that's all you got, two wrong feet and *beep* ugly shoes" if I was Teresa I would say to Ed and the other guy "I'm not working with this vile bitch" and walked out just after saying "listen love, maybe try getting a *beep* education and support yourself instead of producing kids everywhere"

I've worked since I was 15 full time and I still got a degree and a house etc all paid for by myself and I don't treat people like Erin does.
Ps and if I was ed and she black mailed me into giving her benefits, her hilarious comment, "10 percent raise cos there's lots of places I can get a job" I'd have laughed at her and said "oh really, go on then" and I'd have left,
She'd have been chasing him down the path ten minutes after

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What I hated about this character (if she is really like the real Erin) was the way she attacked the only FEMALE lawyer. Now the scene may have been exaggerated and I'm sure there was more than one female lawyer involved in a huge class action but it seemed like Erin was so jealous of the other woman's education.

While it showed that Ed gave out to her later, it never shows Erin apologising to her. Ed should have made her do that. Instead she targets the woman again.

This scene really bugged me. Erin didn't seem to have such a big problem with the guys. She did however single out the only female in the room and even criticizes her dress sense (f*ucking ugly shoes)! She is not one to talk about dress sense or looks. It's typical of women like her. She is so threatened and intimidated by the female lawyer and resorts to low-class catty comments. They should have at least showed the female lawyer responding in an intelligent way. Honestly if Erin had been in a bar, it wouldn't have surprised me if she had tried to drag the other woman's hair out.

She is so out of her depth with these lawyers and it's so obvious. If it's true she didn't even list their phone numbers then she is also totally unprofessional.

I appreciate that the scenes may not have been like that in real life however.

I've seen pictures of the real Erin: tacky cosmetic surgery.

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Back in the day I found her ranting and rambling funny and exciting. Now that I'm older I now find it annoying.

You want to play the game, you'd better know the rules, love.
-Harry Callahan

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She did care about the people who were being poisoned, and her impassioned spirit is what drives this movie. As far as boobs go, Julia Roberts is not well-endowed. Padded push up bras work for her in this movie.

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