First of all let me thank you for doing business with us.

However, this letter is just a reminder about the pending payment of ($ 10,000). This amount
has been pending from you for the past 4 months. So, I earnestly request you to look in the
matter and make the payment as early as possible so as to maintain healthy business
relations between our companies.
If you have made the payment recently, just ignore this letter.
Thanking You,
Persuasion

Business today is largely run by teams and populated by authority-averse

baby boomers and Generation Xers. That makes persuasion more important
than ever as a managerial tool. But contrary to popular belief, the author
asserts, persuasion is not the same as selling an idea or convincing
opponents to see things your way. It is instead a process of learning from
others and negotiating a shared solution. To that end, persuasion consists of
four essential elements: establishing credibility, framing to find common
ground, providing vivid evidence, and connecting emotionally. Credibility
grows, the author says, out of two sources: expertise and relationships. The
former is a function of product or process knowledge and the latter a history
of listening to and working in the best interest of others. But even if a
persuaders credibility is high, his position must make senseeven more, it
must appealto the audience. Therefore, a persuader must frame his position
to illuminate its benefits to everyone who will feel its impact. Persuasion then
becomes a matter of presenting evidencebut not just ordinary charts and
spreadsheets. The author says the most effective persuaders use vivideven
over-the-topstories, metaphors, and examples to make their positions come
alive. Finally, good persuaders have the ability to accurately sense and
respond to their audiences emotional state. Sometimes, that means they
have to suppress their own emotions; at other times, they must intensify
them. Persuasion can be a force for enormous good in an organization, but
people must understand it for what it is: an often painstaking process that
requires insight, planning, and compromise.
Oral Communication:

Written communication is precise because words are chosen by the writer with great care. Oral
communication can be more effective because it involves carefully chosen words along with nonverbal gestures, movements, tone changes and visual cues that keep the audience captivated.
The written word often stands in place of the spoken word. People often say it was good to hear
from you when they receive an e-mail or a letter, when in fact they didnt hear the message,
they read it. Still, if they know you well, they may mentally hear your voice in your written words.
Writing a message to friends or colleagues can be as natural as talking to them. Yet when we are
asked to write something, we often feel anxious and view writing as a more effortful, exacting process
than talking would be.
Oral and written forms of communication are similar in many ways. They both rely on the basic
communication process, which consists of eight essential elements: source, receiver, message,
channel, receiver, feedback, environment, context, and interference. Table 4.1 "Eight Essential
Elements of Communication" summarizes these elements and provides examples of how each
element might be applied in oral and written communication.

Table 4.1 Eight Essential Elements of Communication

Element of
Communication

Definition

Oral Application

Written Application

1. Source

A source creates and

communicates a
message.

2. Receiver

A receiver receives the

Heather listens to Jay.
message from the source.

Heather reads Jays e-mail.

3. Message

The message is the

stimulus or meaning
produced by the source
for the receiver.

Jay asks Heather to

participate in a
conference call at 3:15.

Jays e-mail asks Heather to

participate in a conference
call at 3:15.

4. Channel

A channel is the way a

message travels between
source and receiver.

The channel is the

telephone.

The channel is e-mail.

5. Feedback

Feedback is the message

the receiver sends in
response to the source.

Heather says yes.

Heather replies with an email saying yes.

Jay makes a telephone

call to Heather.

Jay writes an e-mail to

Heather.

Element of
Communication

Definition

Oral Application

Written Application

6. Environment

The environment is the

physical atmosphere
where the
communication occurs.

Heather is traveling by
train on a business trip
when she receives Jays
phone call.

Heather is at her desk when

she receives Jays e-mail.

7. Context

The context involves the

psychological
expectations of the
source and receiver.

Heather expects Jay to

send an e-mail with the
call-in information for
the call. Jay expects to
do so, and does.

Heather expects Jay to dial

and connect the call. Jay
expects Heather to check her
e-mail for the call-in
information so that she can
join the call.

8. Interference

Heather calls in at 3:15,

Also known as noise,
but she has missed the
interference is anything
call because she forgot
that blocks or distorts the
that she is in a different
communication process.
time zone from Jay.

Heather waits for a phone

call from Jay at 3:15, but he
doesnt call.

As you can see from the applications in this example, at least two different kinds of interference have
the potential to ruin a conference call, and the interference can exist regardless of whether the
communication to plan the call is oral or written. Try switching the Context and Interference
examples from Oral to Written, and you will see that mismatched expectations and time zone
confusion can happen by phone or by e-mail. While this example has an unfavorable outcome, it
points out a way in which oral and written communication processes are similar.
Another way in which oral and written forms of communication are similar is that they can be
divided into verbal and nonverbal categories. Verbal communication involves the words you say, and
nonverbal communication involves how you say themyour tone of voice, your facial expression,
body language, and so forth. Written communication also involves verbal and nonverbal dimensions.
The words you choose are the verbal dimension. How you portray or display them is the nonverbal
dimension, which can include the medium (e-mail or a printed document), the typeface or font, or
the appearance of your signature on a letter. In this sense, oral and written communication are
similar in their approach even as they are quite different in their application.
The written word allows for a dynamic communication process between source and receiver, but is
often asynchronous, meaning that it occurs at different times. When we communicate face-to-face,

we get immediate feedback, but our written words stand in place of that interpersonal interaction
and we lack that immediate response. Since we are often not physically present when someone reads
what we have written, it is important that we anticipate the readers needs, interpretation, and likely
response to our written messages.
Suppose you are asked to write a message telling clients about a new product or service your
company is about to offer. If you were speaking to one of them in a relaxed setting over coffee, what
would you say? What words would you choose to describe the product or service, and how it may
fulfill the clients needs? As the business communicator, you must focus on the words you use and
how you use them. Short, simple sentences, in themselves composed of words, also communicate a
business style. In your previous English classes you may have learned to write eloquently, but in a
business context, your goal is clear, direct communication. One strategy to achieve this goal is to
write with the same words and phrases you use when you talk. However, since written
communication lacks the immediate feedback that is present in an oral conversation, you need to
choose words and phrases even more carefully to promote accuracy, clarity, and understanding.

Communication
Sensitivity
One of the disadvantages to providing too much communication is that it may result in some
sensitive information being leaked to the public or competitors. This can be especially
dangerous when developing new products or undergoing organizational changes. Revealing
too much information may cause investors to back off from buying stock or even cause
current stockholders to lack confidence in their existing holdings. With products, proprietary
information may be stolen and used by other companies before you can get your product to
the market.

Brand
Brand image is important for business. A business' brand is its distinct or core identity. Sales
promotion efforts sometimes over-saturate the market with advertisements, and this can
erode the effectiveness of the advertising effort. Too much promotion may send the wrong
message to your customer base and damage your brand's reputation.
Related Reading: Advantages & Disadvantages of Too Much Company Finance

Control

When information is shared with the public regarding your company or organization, you run
the risk of someone misusing the information in a harmful manner. This could damage your
business reputation and hurt your standing in the business community. By limiting the flow
of information to those on the outside looking in, you can keep a tight control over the
information and determine how and when it is shared with others. This also means limiting
the information as it shared within your company as well. Employees should always be
among the first to know important information but only as necessary.

Miscommunication
Miscommunication is also a potential downfall to providing too much communication. When
you provide communication regularly, it is possible to make a mistake and communicate a
message that was not intended. Miscommunication can lead to public relations issues that
can be harmful to the company and its reputation.

Vocabulary
It is with words that we conceive and express thoughts and ideas. The words that we
understand and use, i.e., vocabulary, reflect the limits of our mind.
As children we all learn new words at a phenomenal rate. Research shows that children
learn new words at the rate of several hundred a year. In adults, however, this rate slows
down to 2550 words annually. It is sad but true: for most of us the inclination to learn new
words reduces drastically with age.
When was the last time you looked up a new word in a dictionary, noted its meaning and
usage, and then actually used it?
Words matter
A strong and wide-ranging vocabulary is a highly valued asset both socially and
professionally. People who use the right words have a definite edge in any situation.
Studies have proven that the most noticeable performance characteristic shared by
successful people is not physical appearance, financial backing, or family connections, but
vocabulary.

Earl Nightingale (one of the worlds foremost experts on success and what makes people successful) wrote of a
study in which a vocabulary test was given to executive and supervisory personnel in 39 large manufacturing
companies. Presidents and vice-presidents averaged 236 out of a possible 272 points; managers averaged 168;
superintendents 140; foremen 114; floor bosses 86. In almost every case, vocabulary correlated with executive
level and income.
Career counselors agree that verbal mastery is directly linked to career advancement.

So, whether or not you like it, people will judge you by the way you speak and the words
you use (or dont use!).

Use the right words (whether in speech or in writing) and people will respect and admire
you, and the doors of opportunity will swing open. Each day that you spend without
improving and expanding your vocabulary, you are letting opportunity, better income, better
status, and a better image of you slip by!
How do you rate your vocabulary?
How well do you express yourself, in speech and in writing?
Do
Do
Do
Do

you
you
you
you

often find yourself groping for words?

take time to understand what others say or what you read?
find yourself using the same words all the time?
find it difficult to compose letters, memos, and reports?

If you answered Yes to all these questions, you know that your vocabulary needs
improvement.
Even if you answered No to most of the questions, you, like most others, would benefit
from learning new words. Knowing that improving your vocabulary is a sure route to
success, would you still neglect it?
Improving your vocabulary can work wonders
Improving your vocabulary will help you improve all areas of communication listening,
understanding, speaking, reading, and writing.
Vocabulary and listening comprehension
While listening to someone using words you don't know, dont you feel lost and intimidated?
And, very often, while you are trying to figure out what the strange words mean, the
conversation advances without you.
Every day we hear words that we do not recognize or understand. If we make no effort to
understand them, we are then at the mercy of the speakers their words, then, whether
true of false and whether or not we like them, will prevail!
A strong vocabulary ensures that you recognize and understand the words people use and
therefore helps you contribute meaningfully and fruitfully.
Vocabulary and reading comprehension
Have you ever reached the end of a page in a book and realized that you didnt know what
you had read? Well, somewhere earlier on that page you went past a word or words that
you did not know!
Heres an example. It was found that when the crepuscule arrived the children were quieter
and when it was not present, they were much livelier. You think you dont understand the
whole idea, but the inability to understand came entirely from one word you could not
define crepuscule, which means twilight or darkness.
Since comprehension is the ultimate goal of reading, you cannot overestimate the

importance of vocabulary development in reading comprehension.

Vocabulary and effective speech
When you have the right vocabulary, you will know the right words to use. When you use
the wrong word, or use a word without knowing its various shades of meaning, you are
likely to commit embarrassing blunders. And knowing the right word to use is not easy,
since English is a funny language:
Quicksand takes you down slowly
Boxing rings are square
And a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.
When the stars are out they are visible
But when the lights are out they are invisible
When you wind up your watch it starts
But when you wind up a speech it ends.

Building up and improving your vocabulary will help you know the right words to use on
every occasion.
What, then, is a strong vocabulary?
Having a powerful vocabulary means using words that count:
A good vocabulary does not mean knowledge of long or difficult words. Instead, it means
expressing yourself through words that people understand.
With the right words at your disposal, you will be able to use simple and clear sentences,
without unnecessary words that bore and confuse.
Having a powerful vocabulary means using words that convey consideration and trust:
Very often we do not realize the nuances and undertones of words that we use. We then run
the risk of sounding rude and hostile, without intending it.
For instance, consider:

Do something about the big mess you made versus Let's straighten out this
confusion.

What do you expect us to do about it? versus How may we help you?

Having a powerful vocabulary means using words that paint pictures:

Martin Luther King, Nehru, Vivekananda their speeches and writing inspire us even today.
In your own circle of friends and acquaintances, you probably have come across people
whose words paint vivid pictures, and others who make us yawn.
Good writers and speakers know that people are engaged and aroused by the use of words
that are concrete and vivid, and turned off by the abstract and the colorless.
For instance:

We're seeing what we can do about meeting those projections. isn't the same as
We'll move heaven and earth for you.

Acquiring your greatest asset vocabulary

Clearly, successful people have a vocabulary that works. Is this a gift that they are born
with or a result of their educational and social background?
Even if you do not have the family, academic and social background or work experience that
fosters a strong vocabulary, dont panic! A good vocabulary can be acquired. New words can
be learned.
Unfortunately, most people pick up words in a haphazard manner or by chance. It then
takes years to acquire a strong and effective vocabulary.
Instead, a progressive and structured vocabulary-building program such as Word Mine will
help you learn natural vocabulary-building skills that you can use to master hundreds of new
words easily. You will then be fully equipped to face competitive exams such as TOEFL,
IELTS, etc.
Conclusion
If you cannot express ideas clearly and elegantly, if you hesitate because of uncertainty
about the right word, you will appear incompetent and under-qualified. Financial rewards,
recognition, and promotion could pass you by.
When you improve your vocabulary, you immediately boost your powers of expression. The
more words you have, the more ideas you can express, and the greater influence you will
have on people.

Erin movie

You never know what's going to change people. We all go along our
merry ways, never suspecting that around the corner, some event is
going to turn our lives completely around. I guess that's why they
call them "life events."
Erin Brockovich (Julia Roberts) is a single mother, unemployed,
struggling to make ends meet in a world not particularly kind to
single moms (ask Da Queen about it sometime). After a car accident
leads her to seek legal rederess, she meets lawyer Ed Masry (Albert
Finney) on a referral. When he loses her lawsuit, she shows up at
his office, demanding a job, barely hiding her desperation.
Intimidated, Ed gives her one.
At first her brassy attitude, provocative dress and, ummm, colorful
idioms win her no respect or friendship in Masry's staid office of

clerks and legal assistants. When she finds a confusing file (a pro
bono real estate case with medical files attached), she asks a
distracted Masry if she can research the case further. He
offhandedly tells her yes, never dreaming
she would open up a can of worms the size
of the Sears tower.
See, Pacific Gas and Electric of Southern
California is trying to buy property near
its Hinkley, California, plant to make way
for an offramp for an interstate freeway
that will make it more convenient for its
workers to get to work. It so happens that
the family in one of the homes thinks the
price PG&E is offering is a bit low, so
they've retained Masry's services to negotiate for them. Y'see, they
have to get a higher price, due to the mounting medical bills of
both the husband (stricken with Hodgkin's Disease) and wife
(multiple forms of cancer), as well as the kids (who
are sickly and suffer from unusually nosebleeds).
DVD features
As Brockovich digs deeper, she discovers the
shocking truth: PG&E had been using chromium as
an anti-rust agent in their compressors. But instead of
the relatively benign (and expensive) chromium-3,
they're using the highly toxic and often lethal
chromium-6. And, because as a cost-cutting measure
they haven't properly lined the retaining pool where
the chromium is being dumped after use, the
chromium has seeped into the ground water of
Hinkley. As a result, the people of Hinkley have been
infected with a variety of cancers and other diseases
linked directly to chromium-6 poisoning.

Quite a bit, actually, with

audio commentary from
director Steven
Soderbergh, a makingof featurette, an
extensive array of
deleted scenes (the
final cut had a running
time of about an hour
less than the first cut)
and an especially
moving interview with
the real Brockovich,
who nearly loses her
composure when
discussing how the
community of Hinkley
came together to make
its voices heard.

However, it's an uphill battle, even though Brockovich has

uncovered documentation that the corporate suits at PG&E not only
knew what had been going on in Hinkley for a quarter of a century,
but had instructed fuctionaries to lie about it. PG&E is a billiondollar utility with nearly unlimited resources at its disposal, while
Masry's firm is a small one with Masry himself more inclined to
retirement than taking on a corporate Goliath.

It's an inspiring story, more so because it happens to be true (the

real Brockovich appears briefly as a waitress). Roberts gives one of
the most riveting performances of her career, making the character
of Erin Brockovich come to life. She is vulnerable, full of self-doubt
but in the end, she's possessed of enormous sympathy, finding not
only her calling in this crusade, but finding herself as well. Finney's
Masry is a good-hearted man (as lawyers go), a bit intimidated by
the force of Brockovich's personality but at the end of the day, his
instincts are to do the right thing. The supporting cast, which
includes Conchata Ferrell as a bitchy secretary, Peter Coyote as a
supercillious lawyer and Aaron Eckhart as
Brockovich's gentle biker boyfriend, is
solid.
Director Steve Soderbergh ("Sex, Lies and
Videotape") wisely sticks to the facts in
this case, which are compelling enough.
It's not just a triumph of the little guy over
the big nasty corporation, it's the journey
of one woman down the path of selfdiscovery as well. Brockovich, who refuses
to conform to any standard other than her own, is never taken
seriously by anyone until she finds respect through her efforts in
this crusade.
Perhaps the most admirable thing about Brockovich is that though
others begin to accept her and respect her, she is still basically the
same woman in the tight, lowcut halters and miniskirts she's always
been. If only the world had more Erin Brockoviches in it, perhaps
there would be more honesty in it.

12 ANGRY MEN COMMUNICATION ANALYSIS

Communication is needed in every day life, but is especially crucial in a business
setting. A good manager and leader knows how to effectively communicate with
his or her employees, fellow managers, and those outside of the company. This was
an analysis done in my BA 321 class that discusses the communication tactics
among the jurors in the movie 12 Angry Men.

In the film 12 Angry Men, the main purpose of the group of men is to work together as
a jury to decide the fate of an 18 year-old boy who is standing trial for the murder of his
father. If the men decide that the defendant is guilty, they are guaranteeing his
execution in the electric chair, as the court will not entertain any acts of mercy on the
boy. The jurors job is to discuss the facts that were presented to them, communicate
with each other, and deliberate whether or not, without a shadow of a doubt, the boy is
guilty.

The relationship among the jurors is a complicated one. The relationship is definitely
one that is short-term in terms of what they have to accomplish, but a relationship that
provides long-term changes within some of the men. These men are strangers, but
must work together to make a very important decision. Juror #11 states it best, by
telling the men that they are going to decide on the guilt or innocence of a man we
have never heard of before. We have nothing to gain or lose by our verdict (Lumet,
1957). Names have not been disclosed, and the men are simply referred to by juror
number. When the film first begins, the men are friendly with each other, making small
talk and talking about occupations. As the film progresses, more personal information is
revealed about the characters that lends some insight as to why some of the jurors
voted the way they did. The friendliness ends, and real emotions come forward. Juror
#3 speaks about his son that he made into a man at age 9, and how his son hasnt
spoken to him in 2 years. He talks about how children have no respect anymore. We
know that there is some deep-seeded resentment towards his son, and that this may be
spilling over into his perception of the case. Juror #10 makes frequent comments about
the fact that the defendant is from the slums, and that people from the ghetto cant be
trusted. Another juror, Juror #2 also agrees with this mentality, stating that children
born in ghettos are bound to become menaces to society. This type of diversity was a
large part of the film.

The most prevalent diversity issue in the film were presented by Juror #10 and his
thoughts of those who lived in the slums. He makes it a point to mention many times
that the boys father was a criminal, almost as if it is the defendants fault he came from
where he did. He states that boys born into the ghetto are violent by nature, and will
become alcoholics and violent (Lumet, 1957). At first, he is agreed with, but as the
movie progresses, the other jurors start to realize how prejudiced he is, and ignore his
statements. A very powerful scene showing nonverbal communication plays out during
the prejudiced rant of Juror #10, when he has an outburst of rage towards those born
and living in the ghetto, claiming that they are all liars and criminals (Lumet, 1957). He
has made mention of this many times earlier in the film, and most of the men ignored
the comments. However, during this particular outburst, I think that the other jurors
finally realize that his guilty verdict had nothing to do with the facts, and everything to
do with where the defendant came from. Slowly, each of the men stands up and turns
his back to the ranting man. They are verbalizing to the man that he is only judging his
guilty verdict on the boys background, and nothing else. Further, the men will not
stand for the bias and prejudice anymore. That being said, the prejudiced man does
have a realization at this moment. It is apparent by the expression on his face. By
understanding the non-verbal communication of his fellow jurors, he understands that
his own prejudices have clouded his perception of the trial. Knowing now why he voted
guilty initially helps him to look at the trial in a more objective way, and he changes his
vote to not guilty. This is where I think the relationship of the jurors showed more longterm effects. Juror #10 will probably be forever changed in his prejudices because of
this moment.

While the majority of the communication between the jurors is verbal, there are many
other instances of non-verbal communication occurring. The first display of non-verbal
communication I noticed was the wiping away of sweat, showing how hot it was in the

room. It is verbalized that it is summer, but the acts of wiping foreheads and removing
jackets make the viewer understand how unbearably hot it is the small jury deliberation
room. The fact that its hot inside the room and the men are uncomfortable is part of
what makes the men meet Juror #8s not guilty vote with such resistance. Other forms
of non-verbal communication throughout the film included facial expressions of surprise
as more and more men turned their vote from guilty to not guilty, as well as body
language. When the men are discussing the murder weapon, and the knife is brought
into the room, the next scene is a perfect example of body language without the need
for words. The jurors are discussing the fact that the knife was purchased at a pawn
shop, and it was the only one of its kind the show owner had ever sold. Juror #8 stands
up, and takes the exact same knife out of his pocket, sticking it into the table right
beside the murder weapon. Every man in the room jumps up in surprise, and moves
closer to the knives in order to see them better. They are obviously surprised by the
fact that the juror had a switchblade, which is said to be illegal to purchase, but also
that the knife is identical to the murder weapon and was purchased in the same
neighborhood as the murder suspect.

Since a majority of the communication in the film is verbal, there are many
communication barriers between the men, especially when it comes to listening to Juror
#8s reasoning for voting not guilty. Juror #8s persuasion techniques are much
different than his peers, and because of this he is able to eventually persuade them all
to doubt their guilty verdicts. The first step to his persuasion methods is actually talking
the men into staying for an hour, saying he cant send a boy off to die without talking
about it first (Lumet, 1957). The men agree, although many times while he is
speaking, the others put up barriers. An example of this is when the men are playing
Tic Tac Toe while Juror #8 is speaking. This is not only disrespectful, but meant to show
Juror #8 that they dont want to hear what he has to say. The character who puts up

the most communication barriers is Juror #3. He is described as excitable, although

he, of course, denies this. He spends a majority of the movie yelling, angry, and
refusing to listen to others reasoning. In fact, he is the last one to vote not guilty.

In comparison, Juror # 8 uses I messages, keeps calm, and is objective. His response
every time when asked if he really doesnt think the boy is guilty is, I dont knowIts
possible. He is also willing to compromise by telling the men to take an anonymous
vote, himself excluded, and if all come back unanimously guilty, he will agree. His
biggest persuasion technique, however, is by disproving some of the testimony that was
given by using logic, and thinking things through, rather than just taking the witnesses
word. He thinks thoroughly about each piece of evidence, and in the end, is able to
convince the other jurors that there is a chance that the boy may not be guilty. He
never states for a fact that the defendant is guilty. He simply says he doesnt know, but
thinks there is a chance he is not.

The jurors accomplish a few goals in their final decision. The first is obviously that they
came to a decision, a not guilty verdict. However, I think other goals were
accomplished. Juror #8 is able to convince the other jurors of his reasoning behind the
not guilty decision. He doesnt use anger or force, but rather is able to persuade the
men. Juror #10, who was prejudiced in the beginning, is probably not going to have the
same ideas about people from the slums after that day. I think that many of the jurors
were happy about their decision. Once they thought about the facts, I believe that they
were all confident in giving the not guilty verdict. Juror #3, although resistant to the
very end, did finally give in with a not guilty verdict. I think that despite the
overwhelming evidence that the defendant had not committed the murder, Juror #3
was harboring a lot of anger. This is evident in his outbursts throughout the movie.
Much like Juror #10, who realized he was only giving a guilty because of his prejudices,

Juror #3 realized he was only giving a guilty verdict because of his anger towards his
own son. Once he realized that it wasnt about his son or his own personal experiences,
Juror #3 realized he was wrong, and decided on a not guilty verdict. In the end, they
were all satisfied with the answer in their own way.

Movie:

Erin Brockovich is a movie with two personalities, one that’s breezy and winning, and one
that’s maddeningly preachy. It’s almost a shock when the pushy side wins out in
the end – the early part of the movie is so good that it seems like nothing could ruin it.
The picture (which is based on real characters and events) is at its best as an American
Pygmalion tale. When we meet her, Erin (Julia Roberts) is a nearly penniless mother of three
who can’t find work because every potential employer recognizes her as his worst living
nightmare. Not only is she uneducated and unskilled, she dresses like she’s perpetually in
heat: she’s all cleavage and miniskirts and push-up bras. Even worse, her lack of standing
in the world has made her hypersensitive, so that any perceived slight sends her into profane (and
explosively funny) tirades – she specializes in ripping people a new one.
When Erin is injured in an auto accident, she takes her case to Ed Masry (Albert Finney), a wellmeaning lawyer whose practice is treading water. They lose their case when Erin self-destructs
on the stand, but the story really begins when she manipulates Masry into giving her a job as a
paralegal in his law office. At the same time, she’s getting to know her new neighbor,
George (Aaron Eckhart, in a warm and sexy performance), a down-to-earth biker who takes a
shine to Erin when she tells him off for revving his Harley too loud. (He’s so instantly
smitten that he falls flat on his face.) But two busted marriages have made Erin prickly and
unapproachable; when George begins courting her, he has to defuse her like a bomb.
Erin’s chance review of a file leads to her discovery that a California utility company,
PG&E, polluted the groundwater around Hinkley, California, with a carcinogenic chemical, and
then tried to cover up its actions when the local residents began falling ill. The discovery leads to
a war on several fronts, as she works to convince Masry, the plaintiffs, and a judge that an
injustice has occurred. The battles give her anger a focus for the first time in her life, and as the
case turns into a huge class-action lawsuit, Erin learns how to put her salty personality in service
of a larger goal.

In Erin Brockovich, Julia Roberts proves that she’s more than an ear-to-ear smile –
she’s a gifted, intelligent actor. A role like Erin would make most people shoot for a
"towering" performance, the acting equivalent of an atomic bomb, but Roberts keeps Erin human
and accessible by taking things one piece at a time. She doesn’t strap on any accents or
funny ways of walking. Instead, her natural sense of the character comes through in the way Erin
takes off her neck brace, or in the way she wonderingly repeats the phrase "county water board"
the first time she hears it. And the scenes between Erin and Masry are everything you want them
to be. These two make a delicious comedy team, communicating in shrewd looks and charging
each other up for battle.
But director Steven Soderbergh, who breathed magical new life into overworked genres in Out
of Sight and The Limey, makes his work in those films look like accidents. For Erin
Brockovich isn’t just a conventional movie – it’s also a clumsy and
indifferent one. What begins as a compelling character study turns into a merely passable
courtroom drama as Erin’s development is overshadowed by a lot of dialogue about
contaminant plumes and corporate wrongdoing. By the end this lovingly created character has
become a loudmouth saint who simply wanders around telling everyone off – everyone but
her clients, that is. With them she’s a watery Mother Teresa, gazing on them with such
empathy that you think she’s about to cure their gallstones.
For a movie that’s full of such fine moral dudgeon, Erin Brockovich is itself on slippery
ethical ground. It’s bad enough that it’s one of those slot-machine movies that toss
a few million dollars to each of its good guys at the end. (Simply doing the right thing
isn’t considered an accomplishment in movies anymore; one must prevail, and get well
paid for it, too.) But Soderbergh panders to his audience in a way he never has before, filling his
story with strawmen who only serve as punching bags for Erin’s righteousness. The
picture hits a low point in its treatment of a comically horny records clerk who hides
incriminating documents. When she finds out what he’s done, Saint Erin, who earlier in
the film wasn’t above sexually manipulating the frustrated young man, lays him low with
the chestnut, "I want to know how the hell you sleep at night." And it’s really beneath
Soderbergh to make a key character seem threatening until he’s revealed as one of the
good guys; it’s the kind of phony narrative doorstop that uninspired directors resort to.
Erin Brockovich might become a giant hit – the crowd I saw it with whooped and hollered
at every line. It’s the same kind of whooping that could be heard during The Longest
Yard and The Bad News Bears, and in every other movie where David turns us on by taking it to

Goliath. Erin Brockovich is a Frank Capra fantasy updated for Y2K: it’s Jimmy Stewart in
a see-through blouse. But like Erin herself, the movie is one big tease.