Erin Brockovich Page #5

DONALD:

She works here.

Ed looks back out at her -- what the hell?

INT. MASRY & VITITOE - MAIN ROOM - DAY

The support staff -- mostly middle-aged women -- are all

stealing glances at Erin. Ed approaches her, friendly.

ED:

Erin! How's it going?

Up close, the wear and tear of worry show on her face.

ERIN:

You never called me back. I left

messages.

ED:

You did? Wow, sorry about that.

(beat)

Listen, Donald seems to think that

you said --

ERIN:

There's two things that aggravate

me, Mr. Masry. Being ignored, and

being lied to. You did both.

Glances skitter between the secretaries -- get a load of

this. Ed lowers his voice.

ED:

I never lied, Erin.

ERIN:

You said things would be fine, and

they're not. I trusted you.

ED:

I'm sorry about that. Really. But --

ERIN:

I don't need pity. I need a paycheck.

And I've looked, but when you've

spent the last six years raising

babies, it's real hard to convince

someone to give you a job that pays

worth a damn.

(referring to Brenda's

staring)

You getting every word of this down,

honey, or am I talking too fast for

you!?

Brenda jumps. Ed sees everyone watching him, listening.

ED:

I'd love to help, Erin, but I'm sorry,

I have a full staff right now, so --

He starts to escort her out, but she stays put.

ERIN:

Bullshit. If you had a full staff,

this office would return a client's

damn phone calls.

She's backing him into a corner here. The secretaries exchange

knowing glances.

ERIN:

Now, I'm smart, I'm hard-working,

and I'll do anything, and I'm not

leaving here without a job.

C.U. on Erin as she steps in close to Ed and speaks in a low

voice that combines fierceness with desperation:

ERIN:

Don't make me beg. If it doesn't

work out, fire me... But don't make

me beg.

Ed looks at her for a long moment. Then:

ED:

No benefits.

INT. MASRY & VITITOE - FILE ROOM - DAY

A tight office lined with file cabinets and shelves. ANNA,

the humorless file clerk, is showing Erin around.

ANNA:

...what we do in here is keep track

of all the case files. That way, at

any time, we can find out a case's

status -- where it is in the office,

stuff like that. We file 'em all

here, alphabetically --

ERIN:

Simple enough.

As Anna continues to show Erin around the office, they pass

JANE, the bitter office manager, and Brenda, at the coffee

area.

JANE:

Just last week, he told my sister we

weren't hiring.

BRENDA:

What's your sister look like?

INT. MASRY & VITITOE - ED'S OFFICE - NIGHT

Ed is packing up his office. Erin sticks her head in.

ERIN:

Mr. Masry?

He turns, sees her.

ED:

Yeah?

ERIN:

I was wondering -- could you tell me

who I'd talk to about maybe getting

an advance on my paycheck? Just --

for the weekend.

ED:

Jane's the office manager. She handles

payroll and petty cash. But she leaves

early on Fridays.

ERIN:

Oh. Okay. That's okay.

Ed looks at her a moment, sees that it's far from okay.

ED:

Oh, for Christ's sake...

He takes out his wallet, looks in.

ED:

All I have is hundreds.

ERIN:

I don't wanna take your money, Mr.

Masry.

ED:

Where do think your paycheck comes

from?

He slaps a hundred in her hand and leaves. When he's gone,

she looks at the bill -- her life raft.

EXT. BABY-SITTER'S HOUSE - NIGHT

Erin is at the door, taking Beth from the BABY-SITTER, a

shabby, unkempt-looking woman in her 40's. Katie and Matt

pull on their backpacks and troop out of the sitter's house.

EXT. ERIN'S KITCHEN - NIGHT

Erin and her kids are putting away bags of groceries. Beth

watches from a baby seat. The kids are trying to tell her a

story. They fight over details. Erin loves listening.

INT. ERIN'S HOUSE - MATT AND KATIE'S ROOM - NIGHT

A small room with Salvation Army furniture. A BUNCH OF DAISIES

is propped in a Ragu jar on Katie's bedside table.

Matt and Katie are asleep in bed. Erin looks down at them,

smiles, then kisses them good night.

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