Erin Brockovich Page #16

Below the surface, the dirt turns from brown to green. Erin

notes this, then looks back at her kids playing in the dirt.

Worry comes over her face. She heads back to them.

EXT. HINKLEY MART - DAY

The kids are waiting at the car. Erin comes out of the store

with a bottle of water and uses it to rinse off their hands.

EXT. WATER BOARD - DAY

The sound of a BABY CRYING. The Hyundai's parked in front.

MATTHEW (O.S.)

I'm hungry.

INT. WATER BOARD - DAY

Erin is at the Xerox machine, copying a file while she tries

to calm Beth. There's a stack of files on the nearby table.

Matthew and Katie are flopping around on the floor.

ERIN:

We'll go eat in a minute. Settle

down.

Ross is on the phone with someone -- we don't know who --

but the look on his face is one of anxiety. His eyes keep

shifting between the call and Erin. He nods as if he

understands and hangs up... He crosses to her.

ROSS:

(real friendly)

So, how we doin'?

ERIN:

We're doing great?

ROSS:

(off the cuff)

Good... Well, you've got quite a lot

done already... so uhh... I'm sorry

but uh... we... we have to have those

records back now. OK?

Erin stops... looks at him... and quickly knows how to

respond;

ERIN:

No.

ROSS:

What?

ERIN:

These papers are a matter of public

record. I'm not leaving til they're

copied.

Erin returns to copying. Ross is stymied.

INT. MASRY & VITITOE - BRENDA'S DESK - DAY

Ed comes in in the morning, and without pausing, hands Brenda

a copy of the STACK OF DOCUMENTS, with a Post-It on the top.

ED:

Fax these to this number, okay?

BRENDA:

All of 'em?

ED:

All of them.

He continues into his office and closes the door.

CLOSE ON THE FAX MACHINE LED

Brenda types in the number. The recipient's ID comes up on

the LED:
PG&E CLAIMS DEPT.

INT. IRVING HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - DAY

Donna has made lunch for Erin. The remnants are on the coffee

table. A copy of those DOCUMENTS are in Donna's hands. She's

on her couch with Erin, reading them. Outside, Donna's two

daughters are playing in the pool. She reads the last page

and looks up at Erin, bewildered.

DONNA:

An on-site monitoring well? That

means --

ERIN:

It was right up on the PG&E property

over there.

DONNA:

And you say this stuff, this

hexavalent chromium -- it's poisonous?

ERIN:

Yeah.

DONNA:

Well -- then it's gotta be different

than what's in our water, 'cause

ours is okay. The guys from PG&E

told me. They sat right in the kitchen

and said it was fine.

ERIN:

I know. But the toxicologist I been

talking to? He gave me a list of

problems that can come from hexavalent

chromium exposure. And everything

you all have is on that list.

Donna resists this idea hard.

DONNA:

No. Hunh-uh, see, that's not what

the doctor said. He said one's got

absolutely nothing to do with the

other.

ERIN:

Right, but -- didn't you say the

doctor was paid by PG&E?

Donna sits quietly, trying to make sense of this. The only

sound is the LAUGHING and SPLASHING from the pool out back.

Then, gradually, Donna realizes what it is she's hearing --

her kids playing in toxic water. She jumps up...

DONNA:

ASHLEY! SHANNA!

...and runs out to the pool. Erin follows her.

EXT. DONNA'S HOUSE - DAY

From the door, Erin watches Donna run to the edge of the

pool in a frantic response to this news.

DONNA:

OUT OF THE POOL! BOTH OF YOU, OUT OF

THE POOL, RIGHT NOW!

SHANNA:

How come?

DONNA:

'CAUSE I SAID SO, THAT'S WHY, NOW

GET OUT! OUT! NOW!!!

Erin watches compassionately as Donna flails to get her kids

out of the contaminated water.

INT. ED'S OFFICE - DAY

Ed is attempting to tie his tie in a mirror, as Erin looks

on. He's very excited as he fumbles the knot...

ED:

I'm telling you, the minute Brenda

sent the fax -- I'm talking the second

she pressed that send button -- PG&E

claims department is on the phone to

me, scheduling a meeting.

ERIN:

So you think we... let me do this,

you're driving me nuts...

She makes him face her as she ties his tie....

ED:

It's the material.

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