Norma Rae

One of those rousing films in which a blue-collar normal Joe (or in this case perhaps we should say normal Joan) stands up against the big boys in the corporate office for what is right and just. Movies like "Erin Brockovich" wouldn't exist today if movies like "Norma Rae" hadn't existed first.

And "Norma Rae" is a lot easier to swallow, because it's done without all the Hollywood ritz and glamour. Director Martin Ritt specialized in making movies about blue-collar folks that looked like blue collar movies, and Sally Field, playing the factory worker who's sympathetic to an invading union organizer from the north and becomes his ace card in rallying the other workers, is a much better actress than Julia Roberts, and we're actually able to believe her in the role.

The image of Field standing up on a table silently holding up a placard that says "Union" has become indelible.

Grade: B+

I find it interesting to discover so many comments on a 26-year-old film. I guess it's a sign of a quality production if it's still touching people. From here in the heart of the disappearing textile industry, Norma Rae rings truer than true. The first time I saw the movie, it was like looking out the window of my three-room mill house and seeing my neighbors. When Normae Rae is in the bar discussing her husband's death, she was a carbon copy of one of my friends -- swigging beer and having sex to forget about the problems of life. The reaction of people to the union was so typical. Most people didn't and still don't want to hear anything about it, afraid it would lead to a shut-down.

Finally, a commentary on the 2004 review by jslack. For the most part, I agree with it. But not about Ron Leibman being either miscast or unattractive. I'm curious to know if jslack is a man or a woman. Of course, Leibman of 1979 is not classically handsome, but he has a bearing and charisma that is almost breathtaking. I can't imagine anyone else in the role. The point is his difference, that he's not the same as all the cookie-cutter good old boys. This is not an affair of bodies or even hearts. It's an affair of the minds.

Typical under-dog story that is so well-made that its success makes for a very memorable cinematic experience. The titled character (Sally Field in a super Oscar-winning part) tries to get her fellow textile workers to unionize in her small town, but there are consequences abound. A good supporting cast which includes Ron Leibman, Pat Hingle and Beau Bridges all add to Field's show-stopping performance. Field proved that she could handle delicate material and carry a film to cinematic history. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

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.