...Erin Brockovich The film Erin Brockovich is relevant today given current environmental crises like global warming and municipal water system failures. The common theme of corrupt corporations seeking to make money at the expense of human health continues to play out on a national and global scale. Erin Brockovich sheds light on the public health issue of clean drinking water, something most view as a human right. It’s a film that many can relate to and can serve as a case study in Environmental Law and Public Health. Purpose of the Film The exact details which reveal why the film was made are unclear. Erin Brockovich mentions being approached by a writer and film studio in the 1990s, however, there is no mention of why they chose to tell her story. One can assume the writer and film studio felt the David and Goliath story of a small town legal secretary taking on a large corporation, was worthy of dramatizing. Their hunch was correct and the film was nominated for an Academy Award. Appropriate Audience This film would suit a wide range, from teens to the 60 plus crowd. There is some swearing so it's not appropriate for children; parents will have to decide if it's ok for their teenage children. Erin Brockovich is a great case study for those studying environmental law or public health. It’s also relevant to anyone studying business or ethics. The science has been called into question, yet the fundamentals of leading an inquiry into a community's drinking water remain...
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...ERIN BROCKOVICH (2000) Cast: Julia Roberts, Albert Finney. Directed by: Steven Soderbirgh Screenplay: Susannah Grant The motion picture titled ‘Erin Brockovich’ is written by Susannah Grant and directed by Steven Soderbirgh and is based on true events between the years 1993 and 1996. Released in the year 2000, this Hollywood movie revolves around two characters: Erin Brockovich an American environmentalist and paralegal official. The other character is the US based power and gas firm ‘Pacific Gas and Electric Company’ (PG & E) which is responsible for providing gas and electricity utilities to almost 2/3rds of the northern Californian population. The events surrounding a much publicized and broadcasted case involving PG & E and residents of Hinkley, California expose a plethora of business and general ethical issues that form a sumptuous academic feast for any business student. Before exploring the central characters of this story and inspecting the varied moral and ethical positions adopted by them in the movie, we must engage ourselves in creating a brief background study of the people and the institutions that play a pivotal role in this intriguing drama of business ethics and it’s relation with human psyche and actions. Main Characters: a. Erin ‘Patty’ Brockovich: Erin is a thirty three years old - twice divorced single mother of 3 children by the name of Matthew, Katy and Beth who age 8 years, 6 years and 9 months respectively in the beginning...
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...“Erin Brockovich” – Movie Overview By Eryn Pilla, Hamilton Onyeukwu & Jennifer Poff The movie “Erin Brockovich” starring Julia Roberts is loosely based on a true story. In the movie, Roberts plays a sassy single mom who is down on her luck and struggling to provide for her three children. She was involved in a car accident and sued the driver of the other car- a wealthy doctor who she felt deserved the blame for the accident. The lawsuit was spearheaded by her lawyer, Ed Masry who eventually lost the case and caused Brockovich to seek employment from him as compensation and charity. During her early time as a legal assistant, Brockovich stumbled across a pro bono file containing information about a case Masry was handling in which Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) was attempting to purchase property from the Jensen family. Interestingly enough, contained within the case files were medical records, wondering why those documents were included in the case files for the home purchase, Brockovich decided to investigate further. With the consent of her boss, Masry, Brockovich set out to meet the family and ask questions relating to their ordeal with Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E). Upon speaking with Donna Jensen, Brockovich discovered that the gas company, Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) had provided doctors at their own expense to dismiss the claims of correlation between the sickness of the residents of Hinkley with the company’s chemical – Hexavalent Chromium...
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...“Animal Farm”, the film “Erin Brockovich” and the issue of asylum seekers. The issue of how information is used to control others is demonstrated in the novel “Animal Farm” by George Orwell. The novel “animal farm” is a story about animals that take over a farm. Flee their owner out, and begin to manage the farm on their own. Using their own system and power led by Napoleon. However instead of all animals being equal in the end some animals tent to have more power than others. Napoleon does this by using a variety of false information. For instance the animals must obey and follow the 7 commandments, but as time goes we seem to see these commandments being changed by the pigs. For example (page 15) the seventh commandment that “All animals are equal” gets changed to (page 90). “Some animals are more equal than others” this makes Napoleon and the other pigs better and sets more power over the others. In this and other ways, the novel “Animal Farm” demonstrates how information can give us control other others. Erin Brockovich is a film based on a true story of Erin Brockovich (played by Julia Roberts) who fought against the US energy corporation, Pacific Gas and Electric Company. Erin Brockovich was an unemployed single mother of 3 children. That loses a personal injury lawsuit after she was involved in a car accident. Erin then goes on to sue this multi millionaire company, when she comes across a pro bono case Involving medical records. Brockovich beings digging in to the...
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...The movie Erin Brockovich is based on a true story of a heroic paralegal, who uncovers that a California utility company, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, polluted the ground water around Hinkley, California. Pacific Gas and Electric Company used Hexavalent Chromium to control corrosion in their cooling tower. The wastewater dissolves the Hexavalent Chromium from the cooling towers and then discharges to unlined ponds at the site. This wastewater went into the soil and contaminated the ground water. The families who lived in that area had no suspicion that their illnesses were the result of the water contamination. Everything started when Erin gets some medical records from a real-estate file. As the story unfolds, Erin is using a direct approach with her appearance, dedication, kindness and hard work to unveil a massive water contamination cover-up. Also, there are a few ethical issues arising in this movie about her appearance and the approach that she is choosing to find the truth. She is convincing her attorney Mr. Masory to take the risk and fight against the big corporation. Erin Brockovich took an unconventional path to her profession, uses her fabulous looks to persuade, all while maintaining the professional conduct. First of all, Erin became a paralegal by forcing her way to Mr. Masory’s office to extort a job from him. In order to get a job at Mr. Masory’s office, her path was to act like a new staff member. Next, Erin starts to research and investigate...
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...Erin Brockovich The movie Erin Brockovich is based on a true story of a heroic paralegal, who uncovers that a California utility company, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, polluted the groundwater around Hinkley, California. Pacific Gas and Electric Company used Hexavalent Chromium to control corrosion in their cooling tower. The wastewater dissolves the Hexavalent Chromium from the cooling towers and then discharges to unlined ponds at the site. This wastewater went into the soil and contaminated the groundwater. As the story unfolds, Erin is using a direct approach with her appearance, dedication, kindness and hard work to unveil a massive water contamination cover-up. Also, there are a few ethical issues arising in this movie about her appearance and the approach that she is choosing to find the truth. She is convincing her attorney Mr. Masory to take the risk and fight against the big corporation. She utilizes her sexuality at the water board to achieve her target. On the other hand, a professionally qualified paralegal would have represented her firm in her manner and appearance. Other than that, in order to obtain the same information’s and documents, a professional paralegal would have sent a subpoena through her law firm. The families who lived in that area had no suspicion that their illnesses were the result of the water contamination. Erin became a paralegal by forcing her way to Mr. Masory’s office to extort a job from him. In order to get a job at Mr....
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...Erin Brockovich movie clip I have chosen to choose the film Erin Brockovich and the scene where Erin gets rehired. In this scene her ex-boss, Ed, comes to her door to ask about the information that has come to him. Erin tells him that if he rehires her then she will tell him. He then rehires her and they talk about what has been happening with some of the people that are living where they have been affected by the hexavalent chromium. She extorts Ed for a raise and benefits. Erin gets her information about PG&E from the water board by flaunting herself. “The Director of this movie is Steven Soderbergh. The Producers are Carla Santos Shamberg, Danny DeVito, and Stacey Sher. The Cinematographer is Edward Lachman. The Editor is Anne V. Coates. The Costume designer is Jeffrey Kurland. The Screenwriter is Susannah Grant (http://movieclips.com/N4kHP-erin-brockovich-movie-erin-is-re-hired/)”. “The Production Design is by Philip Messina and the Art Direction is by Christa Munro (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0195685/fullcredits )”. The Director has a very important role. "The director is the one that is responsible for the whole film. The director is the one that interprets the script into their own vision and then decides the final look of the whole film with the production designer and cinematographer. The director will also be the one that is directing the actors as well as the action while it is being shot (Goodykoontz, 2011, Ch. 7)." "The directors are not only the ones that...
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...how society portrays women needing male assistance. Despite any women’s capability, it is society that makes us feel inferior to a man, and that without a male title we will never achieve anything. Erin Brockovich is a prime player in this issue. The film tells the story of a single mother, determined to make ends meet. The confident non-lawyer negotiates a job at a law firm, where she starts to investigate a local town’s water supply. The town’s people are becoming diagnosed with deathly injuries and have been told by PG&E, a $28 billion dollar water company that these illnesses are purely coincidental. However, Erin learns the Hexavalent Chromium molecule in the water, is linked to the cause of each person’s illness. Erin’s traits of...
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...produces over 50 innovative programs and special events annually; advocates for women in the industry; and, recognizes and encourages the contributions of women in the field.” So reads the mission statement on the NYWIFT website (www.nyfit.org). The fact that there is an entire organization dedicated to the success and inclusion of women in film, shows what a powerful movement is in motion. While learning about a woman’s role in filmmaking during this course, I have also learned that this is only a small portion of the movement that is appreciating women in film. During the first half of this semester, our class has examined several examples of women in film: The Women, Sense and Sensibility, Fried Green Tomatoes, Waiting to Exhale, Erin Brockovich, Calendar Girls, Little Women, and A League of Their Own. Most all of these films (with the exception of Waiting to Exhale) I have thoroughly enjoyed. They have not only enforced the fact that women deserve equality in all aspects of life, but most certainly do both behind and in front of the camera. Too often women are considered merely accessories their male counterparts, and these films hold a long history of females fighting for their right to be recognized for...
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...Feldman portrays a young woman named Devoireh, struggling to grow and gain the freedom she deserves under all the restrictions and barriers laid upon her. Contained in these pages, are the examination of the primary and secondary sources such as: the movie Erin Brockovich directed by Steven Soderbergh, the memoir The Bite of the Mango by Mariatu Kamara, articles such as Norse Jewish Women Tells Of Holocaust from the New York Times and Judaism, the women’s version by Tamar Rotem which brings out the major themes like freedom, determination, struggle and courage. Within these primary and secondary sources a strong relation to the major archetypal figures are displayed through out the memoir such as: the crusader, the survivor and the innocent, the contexts of these sources depict Feldman’s interpretation of Devoireh. There are many strong willed women who are told they are incapable of pursuing what they want because they are “women”. With many struggles and obstacles, in the film Erin Brockovich, the major character Erin displays herself as a remarkable woman who achieved what she desired most because she had a vision to pursue her goal. This plot unveils the theme determination from the memoir Unorthodox because in relation to Erin, Devoireh was in pursuit to set herself free from her Satmar community and with conviction she was successful. Devoireh believed her destiny was not to abide with the little Jewish community set in Williamsburg, Brooklyn...
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...1. PLOT OF THE Story The movie describes the story of Erin Brockovich, a struggling single mother who becomes connected to Ed Masry’s law firm because of an unfortunate car accident. She becomes interested in the cases between the community members of Hinkley, CA and a company by the name of Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), who have a plant in Hinkley. Several families in the Hinkley community have various health problems, from headaches, to miscarriages, to gastrointestinal cancer. Although Erin does not have a law degree, she is able to uncover many details of this case through her discussions with these families. She discovers the link between these health issues and hexavalent chromium in the water, which infiltrated the water system through PG&E’s plant. 2. ETHICAL ISSUES PRESENT IN THE MOVIE Individual Moral Values The movie shows how an individual’s moral principle changes or conflicts their personal moral value when in the corporate world. For example, lawyers and representatives of PG&E are not after for the welfare of the victims. In fact, they sent a representative to try to stop the investigation. An assumed employee from PG&E actually calls to threaten the safety of Erin and her children because of the valuable information that could prove their fault in the health issues of Hinkley community members. Clearly, this act depicts the business world in a damaging way, and how an individual’s moral values are being compromised when facing such conflict. This...
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...Class Action Law Suits Allen R. Yates One of the most fascinating aspects of business law is the class action lawsuit. I find this intriguing because class action law suits are often litigated on the same principles as other types of civil action suits, however, the outcome of the class action lawsuit often may have a deep impact on our society, as well as our legal system as a whole. In a normal civil lawsuit, where the plaintiff is the victor, said plaintiff is typically well compensated for their respective damages. Thus it can be viewed that is how justice is served in these cases. In the class action lawsuit where the plaintiffs win, often the individual is not proportionately compensated for their damages as compared to the victor in the average civil suit. In fact there have been class action law suits that have been held in favor of the plaintiffs, damages have been rewarded by the courts, but the individual did not receive a cent of monetary compensation. Yet, in these cases, justice has still been adequately served on the basis of morality. . In this paper, we are going to take a look at class action lawsuits. This paper will cover the history of class action lawsuits, what exactly a class action law suit is, how a class action suit is filed, and we’ll take a look at some of the more famous and impacting class action lawsuits in our nation’s history. The history of most of the United States legal system is deeply rooted in the heart...
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...Essay The powerless protagonist - A reflection on the powerlessness of the individual in modern Russian society through the film “Durak” (The Fool) INTRODUCTION “You must obey the law, always, not only when they grab you by your special place.” Vladimir Putin I grew up on American movies built around stories portraying an underdog protagonist (ex. Erin Brockovich) who against all odds through hardship and danger manages to beat all sources of antagonism, fight injustice, save the day, and ride off into the sunset with cash and a high sense of self-achievement, reaching a full transformation circle in his/her character development. In contrast, after watching “The Fool” by Yuri Bykov, and “Leviathan” by Andrey Zvyagintsev I couldn't help but noticing the exact opposite. Namely, the stories revolve around an underdog protagonist, who in a toxically decaying environment, never seem to change or learn anything while battling against either corruption, injustice or both, ending up with the protagonist being ruined in every way imaginable, losing practically everything including his family and hope, his efforts ridiculed, and he himself severely physically punished. The two protagonists are of course very different, however, one needs to be reminded that behind every movie script there is an individual writer with a goal of conveying a statement to his audience. In the film “the Fool” through Dima, the powerless protagonist, the writer/director describes a...
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...Whistleblowing: Necessary Evil or Good Thing Maureen Haley University of North Carolina – Asheville April 16, 2014 This paper was prepared for Management 484-001, taught by Professor Donald D. Lisnerski Whistleblowing: Necessary Evil or Good Thing Is whistleblowing a necessary evil or good thing? Can whistleblowing be avoided? Can the whistleblower be protected? “A whistleblower is an employee who discovers corporate misconduct and chooses to bring it to the attention of others.”(Ghillyer, 2014) Whistleblowers can be viewed as providing a praiseworthy act or be severely labeled as informers who have breached the loyalty of their co-workers and company. Whistleblowing can be a service to the community and public. Whistleblowing can be ethical or unethical, and the whistleblower discovering corporate misconduct has the options to be an internal or an external whistleblower. Whistleblowing can save people’s lives. Dr. Jeffrey Wigand made the decision to go public with information that his employer Brown & Williamson (B&W) was manipulating the nicotine content, suppressed efforts to develop safer cigarettes, and lied about the addictive properties of nicotine. According to Sissela Bok, in the book Taking Sides: Clashing views in Business Ethics and Society, “not only is loyalty violated in whistleblowing, hierarchy as well is often opposed, since the whistleblower is not only a colleague but a subordinate. Though aware of the risks inherent in such disobedience...
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...THE “BLOG” EXPERIENCE: WHEN FREEDOM BECOMES INVASION INTRODUCTION Francois Voltaire, one of France’s most famous philosophers became well-known for this often quoted phrase: “I may disagree with what you have to say, but I shall defend, to the death, your right to say it.” The phrase summarizes the spirit of the freedom of speech – one of the inventions of the 18th century Enlightenment, a time when discussions among the upper class were construed as constituting the public sphere. Although they belonged to the sophisticated members of society, their conversations highlighted social equality and everyone was given the chance to speak and be demanded to listen. With free and frank conversations, people became acquainted with points of view that were not familiar; they discovered strengths and weaknesses in their personal arguments, and subsequently became moderate in the expression of their views taking into consideration the arguments of others. With this small light ignited in the intellectual realm, the idealism of free communication of thoughts and opinions spread and became one of the trademarks of democratic societies. During the next century, John Stuart Mill affirmed that societies progress when people freely express themselves because errors and misconceptions are exposed, and alternatives were proposed. These sentiments became the backbone of the United Nations’ Declaration of Human Rights, adopted in 1948...
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