Norma Rae (1979)

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Hijinx erupts when a cute laborer works to organize a textile plant in the Deep South.

[Vic Sage]

A typical Martin Ritt film... heavy-handed agitprop mixed with melodramatic soap opera. Even though I agree with it's message about unionism, it's still the kind of drivel for which i have no patience. And i can only stomach Sally "you like me! you really like me!" Field for limited periods. All that being said, it's a solid, well-crafted piece of film-making and this performance is about as good as Field gets. If nothing else, Ritt was a great director of actors.

[Edgy MD]

I more or less agree, but really, as left-leaning as Hollywood may be, how many great union-organizing movies have they made? If this isn't as good as it gets, it may be close.

Hollywood's best movie built around a union may be On the Waterfront, and in the union are the villains in that.

[Frayed Knot]

Well, the union bosses were the villains in OtW, the union rank & file not so much.


Norma Rae is one of those I've never gotten around to.

[Edgy MD]

Yes, certainly, but it remains that it isn't really the most inspired Labor Day selection.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

We never got around to it either, but it popped up free on demand recently.

I didn't think the movie was great, but her character was great, I loved that she was kind of rough around the edges and all and the whole scene where they decide to get married was just great. And I liked (really liked!) her tight t-shirts too.

[Frayed Knot]

Edgy DC wrote: ... as left-leaning as Hollywood may be, how many great union-organizing movies have they made? If this isn't as good as it gets, it may be close.

Matewan?
How Green was my Valley?
Harlan County USA?

[Vic Sage]

also:

grapes of wrath
Reds
Billy Elliot
Hoffa
Newsies
Molly Maguires
The Pajama Game

and i would take MATEWAN, GRAPES OF WRATH, REDS, and BILLY ELLIOT over NORMA RAE. I'd actually take all of them except HOFFA over it.

[Vic Sage]

also:

SILKWOOD
BLUE COLLAR
F.I.S.T.
SOMETIMES A GREAT NOTION
BOUND FOR GLORY
NORTH COUNTRY
SALT OF THE EARTH

[Vic Sage]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: ...And I liked (really liked!) her tight t-shirts too.

HEY, that's GIDGET, SYBIL and SISTER BERTRILLE (a NUN, fer crissakes) you're talking about!
I don't care how tight her t-shirts get, that chick just ain't sexy; she was cute in her younger days, but never hot.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I know. But I suggest you give this aspect of the film another look, I think you'll find it doubly persuasive.

[Vic Sage]

alright, but only for scholarly purposes you understand.