In the investigative biopic narrative, it is the protagonist and her development that drive the story…
Even though it falls within the ‘investigation’ model of the social issue narrative, Erin Brockovich is first and foremost a biopic, which focusses on a period in the life of the titular character.
In fact, in his well-regarded book Whose Lives are They Anyway?: The Biopic as Contemporary Film Genre, Dennis Bingham notes:
‘The conflict of the film is really not the discovered fact that PG&E poisoned the groundwater and lied about it. Hitchcock would have tagged that the MacGuffin.’[1]
This may be a little unfair in the context of Erin Brockovich, given the magnitude of the case and the wide-reaching implications for the real-life residents of Hinkley. However, it can certainly be said that the two things run in parallel – Erin’s character development and uncovering the evidence that led to a sizeable financial settlement for the affected Hinkley townsfolk – with the balance tipped firmly in Erin’s favour.
The idea that PG&E flagrantly contaminated the groundwater is never in question. Unlike, for example, Dan’s myopic approach to the post-9/11 torture investigation in The Report, what we are supposed to care about is Erin’s journey, which includes her personal life and character arc, and especially how she is changed through her involvement in the Hinkley investigation.
In the case of The Report (2019), the story questions focus on the investigation – ‘what will Dan uncover?’ and ‘will the truth come out?’ – with the personal aspect mostly to do with Dan’s safety and freedom, as he is threatened with jail (indeed, apart from a passing comment near the beginning, we find out nothing about his personal life).
In Erin Brockovich, the questions cover both the investigation and her life – e.g. ‘will justice be secured for the Hinkley residents?’ and ‘will Erin mend divisions with George and her kids?’.
When deciding how to balance an investigatory plot with biographical detail, ask:
Which is more important for the audience to care about? How we leave the protagonist at the end of the story or how we leave the investigation and its fallout?
Maybe it’s both.
At the end of Erin Brockovich, she’s off playing happy families, while continuing with her environmental crusade, having helped to secure a sizeable financial settlement for the stricken families. In The Report, Dan walks away alone, the incriminating report having been made public but, as we learn, no-one held to account.
So, we leave Erin in a happy place. ‘Good for her,’ audiences are supposed to think, as she moves into a new phase in her life in a stable relationship, closer with her kids, financially set for life, and with a renewed purpose. Meanwhile, The Report is more likely to compel viewers to have a lively debate over the use of torture and government accountability.
These two screen stories are quite extreme in their approaches and there are plenty of examples that weight the investigatory and biographical elements more evenly.
In Dark Waters (2019), we follow corporate defence lawyer Rob Bilott over many years as he switches sides to take on a polluting chemical company. While see the personal and emotional toll the case took on Rob and his family, the investigation and his determination to pursue the case form the thrust of the narrative. Likewise, The Insider blends the Big Tobacco revelations with Jeff’s personal turmoil and the toll the story took on Lowell. The news story impacts each man emotionally, leaving them in a very different place at the end of the story than when we met them, while opening audiences’ eyes to a corporate cover-up.
The emphasis on the protagonist potentially has drawbacks. However, the screenwriter presented a compelling character study, in which a protagonist’s inner strength and commitment helped to secure justice and illuminate the important social issue of wilful contamination and the resulting impact on public health.
And, as we all know, the script became an extremely successful and well-received film that includes a memorable Oscar-winning lead performance.
[1] The MacGuffin is a device or physical object that functions to drive the story, but which is largely inconsequential in of itself.) Classic examples of the MacGuffin include the falcon statue in The Maltese Falcon (1941) and the letters of transit in Casablanca (1942). A more recent example is the ‘glowing’ suitcase in Pulp Fiction (1994).