Take This Job and Shove It

Don't anybody get me wrong! This movie is one of the funniest, wildest movies I've seen in my life. And it is a classic with a capital C! Robert Hays of "Airplane" (1980) goes from an idiot who can't fly a plane to a tough but reasonable head brewery chief in "Take This Job And Shove It". And can he get the women here in this movie. Whoo! Barbara Hershey is the hottie to watch for. Lord, if I was Robert Hays' character, I'd be drooling like a hungry wolf over her. She was hot! Of course, the highlights of this movie are the music, the barroom scene where all the gang is playing football with a roll of toilet paper, and a couple of "giving the finger" scenes that when aired for network TV, are cruelly chopped out, yet I thought were quite funny at best.

David Keith plays the arrogant Harry, who really turns out to be a decent guy toward the film's end.

Tim Thomerson is the wild and smart-aleck country boy from hell Ray. The man drinks more beer and has a mean streak in him that sure can't be dealt with.

Art Carney does a fine job as Mr. Pickett, head of the beer company that Robert Hays is owner of the brewery. He's packed on a few pounds since his "Honeymooners" days, but you need not bother! Eddie Albert rounds out the cast in my opinion as the overbearing egotistical Mr. Ellison, who always wants something, including coffee. He is a big contrast from his days on "Green Acres" here. It makes one think if Arnold The Pig could handle such a domineering old fart like Ellison here.

Altogether, this is a great movie. Despite what anyone else would say, you can't turn down an offer to watch this movie, or would you just say "Take This Movie And Shove It"? I would say "Take This Movie And Watch It" and hopefully, you'll love it!

I sure watched it! And I loved it! (I still love it!)

I just watched this film not too long ago, mainly because I am a fan of Johnny Paycheck and David Allen Coe, but also because I heard it was a pretty good comedy from the 1980s. The acting is not very memorable at all, even Robert Hays didn't seem like he wanted to be there.

The writing must have been good enough, because I remember seeing a similar film from a few years later called Gung Ho with Michael Keaton and directed by Ron Howard. There's just a lot of similarities and story parallels for that not to be a coincidence, and just outright rewritten as a car plant instead of a beer plant.

The most memorable part of the whole film was the truck race with the Monster Truck called Bigfoot featured. That is a good reason to watch this movie, and the music, if you're into country music.

Witless film that doesn't live up to its title about tensions between labor and management. An embarrassing film for folks like Hershey, who went on to bigger and more respectable territory.

While Hays has certainly done better films, during his heyday (no pun), this one stands at about a C+. Perhaps 'Airplane' was one of his top, better ones, but heck -every actor has the right to "step down" into a smaller venue. He still pulls his own here. Okay - so Hershey isn't standing firm in a strong, fem role this time. But she also holds her own. And she's allotted moments where her true talent as an actress, comes out. That's the beauty of loving Hershey. Even in a very supportive role, she still paves her own.

For the most part - this film high-fives the typical, old-day blue-collar, Midwestern, parody; which for its time, was much appreciated. Just another example of the typical condescending, stuff-shirted Corp. puff attitudes. Here, David Keith (Harry) brilliantly portrays; alongside costar Thomerson (Ray), a feast-or-famine challenge. The game is on: workplace upgrades, threats of buy-out and the mgmt. changes - none of it for the better. Harry and Ray pull together, retaining the 'working man' dignity - and bravely shoot against the grain. Their portrayal is another example of the "worker" daring to confront the "big boys"; a common post blue-collared-ghetto movement of the time.

In the end (very decently directed, and out-laid) Hays (Macklin) wises up, realizing he; and his commadarie, were nearly side-lined by the very honchos who pretended to have his back.

I watched this film because I love the song, because I knew it took place in Iowa (where I grew up) and because I have always enjoyed movies that were entertaining without being condescending. Other than the fact that almost all the main characters sound like they live in Texas instead of Dubuque, Iowa, it's pretty much a harmless, fun, little-guy-beats-big-guy film. Robert Hayes is appropriately handsome & earnest, Barbara Hershey is appropriately girl-next-door-cute and angry/supportive. Bonus points for the monster trucks. A harmless way to spend a couple of hours, especially if you love beer. Don't miss Lacy J. Dalton & friends singing "You Can Count on Beer".