Review of Erin Brockovich

I certainly understand the appeal of this film, but I find elements of it, well, puzzling.

It might be unfair to comment on a now-common Hollywood convention, but does it really make sense to have a novice (e.g. a woman like the character Erin Brokovich) come into a job and be rewarded not only for telling her employer how to do his job properly but also to show repeated disrespect to her co-workers?

Early in the film, Brokovich disappears from her boring job for a couple of weeks to do investigative work, which she finds more diverting, and which means that the "unimportant" people in the office have to take up the slack. She is then shocked when she finds out she has been fired and yells incessantly until she gets her job back.

Her boss, played by Albert Finney, has been an attorney for years and has made a living fighting uphill battles on contingency, but he seems unable to deal with people or build a case or even conduct a meeting without the help of ignorant-yet-spunky Erin Brokovich.

Yes, it's a Hollywood film and certain shortcuts have to be made, but . . .