Erin Brockovich

The Erin Brockovich movie was an astounding film exhibiting the complexity of research. It also showed the process involved in social research. Erin and her boss, Mr. Masry, were facing a perplexing case against a billion dollar company, PG&E. Erin came across a file regarding one of Mr. Masry’s clients that really intrigued her and decided to explore it. She found out that the neighboring village of a PG&E factory had contaminated water due to the PG&E operations. She interviewed a few residents and discovered that most of them were gravely ill because of the contamination and that PG&E was hiding this information from the residents. This case was investigated for a long time because the research process was challenging to achieve. The film revealed how difficult it was to do research. The hardest part about social research in the movie was the data gathering procedure. It was really challenging and time consuming to interview the people involved in the case. Erin also had to search for important documents which were very difficult to find. She had to connect all of the data she gathered and be able to draw the right conclusion.

She had to really look into the issue at hand because there was so much at risk. It can be seen in the film that cases like these can take up to several months to even be approved or started. This really takes time and effort to conduct. Erin had to go door to door for the residents to sign the petition and she was able to do so ending up with 634 signatures. She also had to persuade these residents to fight for their right and their lives since this was causing their terminal illnesses for their families. This goes to show that research really does require patience and persistence. The different personalities of the characters were also portrayed commendably. I thought the film was really interesting because its main character, Erin Brockovich, seemed to be a peculiar choice to be working with the issue at hand. She had a big personality with a straightforward attitude and profane language, but at the same time has a tender and motherly side. Throughout the film, you can really see her genuine concern for the residents of Hinkley. .

She may not have been educated, but as the film shows; with focus and persistence, any goal can be done. One can be successful as long as you have the drive to be. She may not have graduated from college but she was genuinely concerned with the case unlike the partner who was underestimating her abilities and criticizing her work. But in the end, the partner performed poorly because she did not know how to relate with their clients. She, unlike Erin, did not have the social or interacting skills to be attached to their clients. Erin earned their trust and was really affected and concerned with the welfare of the victims involved. The partner had no compassion or concern to the residents but was more focused on the fact that they were fighting against a big corporation. Erin was brave and courageous to push through with all the hard research, door to door interview and signing all the residents of the area. She was determined to not only solve the case but also to help the residents. It was not only for the sake of her job or employment but also for the welfare of others. Erin was taking the case seriously, deeply concerned with others even if her family was being affected.

This was the first time she really worked hard to achieve something. Mr. Masry was also admirable for taking a chance by letting Erin do the research despite all her faults and shortcomings. She believed in her compassion and hard work in spite of her lack of education and big attitude. Even George, Erin’s neighbor, was a good man for taking care of Erin’s kids even if he was not obliged to. He was considerate and understanding. He really cared for Erin and her family. Research is hard and time consuming. It does not only require prior knowledge about the research process but also the values that is implied with it. What’s more important is the dedication and hard work put into the research process.

Like Erin, she may not have been formally educated but she was able to unravel one of the largest settlement issues in America. Values such as concern and understanding are also important for relating with the clients or the people involved in the research. These qualities are what really made the difference. A person who would conduct a research must possess qualities like these as to prevent selfish acts like what the PG&E did. The billion dollar company was indeed very selfish. They were not at all disturbed with the fact that because of them, many lives were at risk, many children did not have a proper childhood because of their disease. They were only focused on what they were to lose or gain with their operations. This proves that research must be taken seriously. And that it should be done with the right motives.