Erin Brockovich Page #3

ERIN:

He came tearing around the corner,

out of control --

DEFENDING LAWYER

An ER doctor who spends his days

saving lives was the one out of

control --

ERIN:

(erupting)

That a**hole smashed in my f***ing

neck!

INT. COURTHOUSE HALLWAY - LATER THAT DAY

Erin barrels toward the elevator. Ed trails.

ERIN:

...Open and shut? Open and f***ing

shut?

ED:

Which is exactly the kind of language

that lost the case.

ERIN:

Oh, please, it was long over by then.

God damn, he made me look like some

cheap --

ED:

I told you the questions might get a

little persona --

ERIN:

Bullshit. You told me I'd get half a

million dollars. You told me I'd be

set.

ED notices her ranting is starting to draw attention.

ED:

Okay -- let's try and settle down

here. You want something to eat?

ERIN:

You want to feed my kids too!? F***

settle down! I got seventy-four

dollars to my name! I can't afford

to settle down!

Beat.

ED:

I'm sorry, Erin.

ERIN:

Do they actually teach lawyers how

to apologize -- because you all suck

at it.

Erin turns away from him and heads for the stairway.

EXT. ERIN'S HOUSE - DAY

A shitty little house in a shitty part of Northbridge. The

Hyundai with a bashed-in side pulls up to the curb.

Erin gets out, takes the mail from her mailbox, then heads

over to the equally grim house next door and rings the bell.

A Hispanic woman in her 60's opens the door, holding a white

baby. This is MRS. MORALES.

MRS. MORALES

Hi, Erin! You're back so soon.

She hands Erin the baby. It's BETH, Erin's 9-month old.

Erin avoids the question by focusing on her baby.

ERIN:

Hi, sweetie. Were you a good girl?

Where are Matt and Katie?

MRS. MORALES

Outside with the sprinkler. So it's

good?

The truth is too depressing to share. They walk towards Erin's

house as they talk...

ERIN:

It'll be fine, yeah.

(BETH COUGHS in her

arms)

Oh honey...

MRS. MORALES

She's got a little cough. I sat with

her in the steam to loosen it up.

But...

ERIN:

I've got enough medicine, I think..

MRS. MORALES

Ai, bueno. Listen, I didn't want to

tell you before, with your worries --

ERIN:

What?

MRS. MORALES

My daughter, she's bought a big house

with a room for me. I'm going to

move in with her.

ERIN:

You're moving away? When?

MRS. MORALES

Next week.

ERIN:

(stunned)

Next week?

MRS. MORALES

I know. But it's good for me. Now I

can help my daughter take care of my

grandkids. And it's good for you,

too. Now you have money, you can

find a good baby-sitter, huh? Not

the old lady next door.

Oh, God. Beth COUGHS.

EXT. ERIN'S HOUSE - DAY

Erin carries Beth up to her house. As she nears her door,

she steps on a GIANT WATER BUG. It crunches under her sole.

ERIN:

Ugh.

Insult added to injury. She heads up to the house, dragging

her shoe, wiping off the bug guts.

INT. ERIN'S HOUSE - KITCHEN - DAY

Hand held camera follows Erin as she puts down her bag and

looks through cabinets to see what she can make for dinner,

all the while holding Beth who coughs on and off.

ERIN:

Oh sweetie... that doesn't sound so

good, huh?... my baby... let me just

start dinner...

Erin finds nothing but boxes of macaroni and cheese and some

canned peaches and vegetables. She pulls out a box of macaroni

and cheese and a can of peas. She bends down and grabs a

pot, placing it under the faucet. She grabs another pot and

places it on the stove. She searches for a can opener to

open the peas. She moves back to the sink, shuts the faucet

and sees:

Another waterbug crawling up the side of the pot from the

drain.

ERIN:

Ugh! Goddamn it!

She bangs the pot onto the bug spilling the water and

upsetting Beth.

ERIN:

It's all right honey. Mommy's sorry.

It's all right.

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