Other mistake: When Erin starts working on the case, her youngest daughter is supposedly 10 months old. Later on in the film, Erin says she's been working on the case for 18 months, which would make her daughter more than 2 1/2 years old, but the actress playing the daughter is at least a year too young for that. Also, Katie and Matthew don't age at all over those 18 months.
Erin Brockovich (2000)
1 other mistake - chronological order
Directed by: Steven Soderbergh
Starring: Julia Roberts, Albert Finney, David Brisbin, Dawn Didawick
Factual error: In the 2nd scene of the movie she is standing on the street, and in the background at the top left there is a billboard with an ad for www.quepasa.com. The movie was set in the early 90's. But the web wasn't even around then (well... not like we know it now). That web site came out in 1998. (00:02:51)
George: What's the matter? You got so many friends, you don't need one more?
Trivia: Julia Roberts became the first actress to receive a $20 million salary for her work on the film.
Question: I don't know all the ins and outs of the law, but when Erin is in a car accident, she is going straight through a green light. The other guy rams into her as he tries to cross the intersection (it's not like he just cut her off making a right turn) so obviously he had a red light and not even an arguable right of way. I know money can buy you justice, but how is this not an open and shut case?
Chosen answer: I have to admit that is a bit frustrating to watch. I think that?s how the producers wanted us to feel. Making us think, "Man this chick never gets a break". It was just an unrealistic way to set up the character's life.
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Answer: They would have had to prove he ran the red light, which would require video or witnesses. It seems like Erin had no witnesses backing up her version of the story, so they wouldn't have had anyone to say he went through the red light either.