Norma Rae (1979)

The first time I saw this film was at an advance screening when I was a film student, and director Martin Ritt was there to speak and answer questions. I remember that he seemed like a very down-to-earth, nice guy. He patiently answered the students' questions and explained why the story attracted him. Maybe some of the affection I have for the film is because of that original positive experience, but I've probably seen it at least a dozen times and it hasn't worn thin.

Some people may find some of the characters and situations lacking in depth, but for me the movie is chiefly about Norma Rae's transformation as she becomes passionately devoted to unionizing the mill workers and, secondly, her interesting friendship with Reuben. It succeeds brilliantly on both counts, largely because of Sally Field's amazing performance. The scene where she stands on the table with the "union" sign is a classic, and it's Field's raw emotion that draws you in. Her fear and anger, and the power she feels when her coworkers show their support, are so apparent and so real that I'm always deeply moved.

Fmovies: "Norma Rae" Sally Fields (Gidget, The Flying Nun, Forest Gump) is a woman who worked at the O.P.H. Hentley Textile Mill. The role is especially nice because it is a true story about a woman who took a stand against her employers who violated labor law regulations. The manufacturers were so flagrant in their violations that Norma Rae's father had arm pain, and asked for a break. He was made to wait. Actually the pain in the arm was a heart attack that killed him. Sad! The noise in the factory was so bad that everybody had to yell and wear ear protection. I am so glad I don't have to work in such a noisy place. I would lose my mind. I find that silence inspires me! Norma Rae joined the union and got the company to unionize by challenging the audience to fight for what they believe it is right. She did such a wonderful job that it won her an Oscar. Norma Rae was a single parent who marries Beau Bridges (The Fabulous Baker Boys). "Ruben", Ron Leibman (Night Falls on Manhattan, Friends) the man behind the organization of the unionization of the mill, and Norma had a great relationship in the movie. She appeared to be falling for him, as she stated:" he is in my head." But nothing really happened between the two of them besides the hard work of the unionization of the mill. The story is a very good and believable. I watched the movie when it came out and watched it again on television a couple of days ago. Her employers made her pay dearly for her standing for what she believes in. I identify with the character very much. I have been in similar situations many times, not because I am a whistle blower but because I tend to be altruistic. The music is great and also won an Oscar. I recommend this movie! Favorite Scenes: Norma skinny dipping with Ruben. Norma telling her kids about her past. Norma holding up the sign: Union, and all the employees turning their machines off one by one. That is fabulous! Made me cheer! When Ruben forces the employer to put signs which states the rights of the employees at the eye level so that workers could read them. Favorite quotes: Ruben: " If you were in the State Department we would be in a war." "Somewhere between law and charity flows a shadow." When Norma says good bye to Ruben, she blurts out ": I think you like me!" Maybe Sally was quoting the movie when she received her Oscar and said ": I think you like me. You really, really like me!"

A good acting vehicle for Sally Field, who did show her chops. She only occasionally overdoes the Southern accent. The plot is about union organizing in a Southern textile mill. Surprisingly they do not go too far in depicting management recalcitrance, not even portraying violence from them. Less surprisingly, they also ignore union violence and intimidation, a standard tactic. Well, the textile industry did unionize in the Seventies and Eighties, and it died in the Nineties. All those jobs are now in Guatemala and Bangladesh. Interestingly, the only real energy left in the union movement is in government workers, as they have no competition to hold back union excesses.

Norma Rae fmovies. I own a copy of this movie and I watch it at least twice a year. An intelligent story, without cookie-cutter characters. It still amazes and thrills me each time I see it. The fact that there was no forced romance thrust upon us, is also worth noting. Sally Field created a woman who is now part of movie history.

Although based on real events and a real person, "Norma Rae's" tale of corporate greed versus oppressed workers has been fictionalized for reasons of privacy. However, fictionalized or not, "Norma Rae's" power and influence continue since the U.S. textile industry has forever been branded in the minds of Americans as an outmoded industrial complex, whose windowless mills are filled with the deafening noise of hand-tended machines that are layered with cotton fibers and whose workers breathe in and permanently damage their lungs with stale air that is filled with cotton dust. Although those conditions certainly did exist, they no longer occur in that industry today. However, despite the modernization of textile manufacturing in the U.S. over the past couple decades, the image of the noisy, dusty mill that is depicted in the film remains as the general perception of a textile operation. Unfortunately, while modern textile mills are free of cotton dust and the noise levels have been reduced to the low hum of computers, textile workers like Norma Rae and the others portrayed in this film have also been replaced with robotics, lasers, and a few highly skilled technicians to monitor the computerized operations. While the unionization depicted in the film successfully raised wages and increased benefits, eventually those higher costs led to efforts to cut expenses through mechanization.

However, despite the demonizing of an industry, the film retains its power, and the story of Norma Rae's personal growth as a woman is probably even more memorable than the efforts to unionize one Southern textile mill. Sally Field inhabits the role of an unwed Southern mill worker with two children, and, as the film progresses, she slowly evolves from an aimless girl, who is used and abused by men, whether they be lovers or employers, into a mature woman who finds a depth and strength that helps her take control of her life and find the confidence to lead. Television viewers who only knew Field as the Flying Nun were surprised at her range and depth, although those who had taken the time to watch the television movie "Sybil" already suspected the breadth of her talent.

While Sally Field finally shed her Gidget and Flying Nun image with this film and certainly is the emotional core of the movie, she is well supported by a cast of pros, especially the two most important men in her life. Unfortunately, because Field is so outstanding, viewers will likely need a second viewing to appreciate just how good both Ron Leibman and Beau Bridges are in "Norma Rae." Ron Leibman as the assertive union organizer from New York is the man who awakens Norma's intellect and propels her into uncharted territory as a woman. Meanwhile, Beau Bridges as Norma Rae's gentle, understanding husband stands by his woman despite his not completely comprehending or appreciating the changes that are underway in his wife's character.

"Norma Rae" is an outstanding film, well directed by Martin Ritt, beautifully written by Frank and Ravetch, and performed with heart by Field, Leibman, and Bridges. Although the movie has probably stained the image of the U.S. textile industry for good, "Norma Rae" also established Sally Field as an actress of the first order and remains an engrossing human story of a woman's growth into maturity and her discovery of previously unrealized potential within herself.

Sally Field's stellar performance is the highlight of this terrific movie, but Ron Leibman was just as effective in my opinion. In fact, the whole cast does a fine job, so if you're looking for superb acting, then look no further. The film is good from start to finish, but a few wonderful moments towards the end make it seem even better than it already is. Perhaps slightly overlong, but overall a great movie.