Plot & Details
Norma Rae finds Sally Field cast in the title role, a minimum-wage worker in a cotton mill. The factory has taken too much of a toll on the health of Norma Rae's family for her to ignore her Dickensian working conditions. After hearing a speech by New York union organizer Reuben (Ron Leibman), Norma Rae decides to join the effort to unionize her shop. This causes dissension at home when Norma Rae's husband, Sonny (Beau Bridges), assumes that her activism is a result of a romance between herself and Reuben. Despite the pressure brought to bear by management, Norma Rae successfully orchestrates a shutdown of the mill, resulting in victory for the union and capitulation to its demands. Based on a true story, Norma Rae is the film for which Sally Field won her first Oscar; an additional Oscar went to David Shire and Norman Gimbel for the film's theme song, "It Goes Like It Goes."
- MPAA Rating: PG
- Genre(s): Drama
- Run Time: 120min.
- Theatrical Release Date: 05/22/2005
- DVD Release Date: 04/17/2001
- Director(s): Martin Ritt
- Starring: Sally Field , Beau Bridges , Ron Leibman , Pat Hingle , Barbara Baxley
- Themes: Righting the Wronged,Whistleblowers,Work Ethics,Labor Unions,Fighting the System
- Tone: Humorous,Upbeat,Warm,Matter-of-Fact,Compassionate,Earnest,Rousing
- Keywords: alienation,courage,factory,factory-worker,family,labor [work],labor-relations,one-against-odds,striker,union [labor union],union-dispute
- Language: English
Awards
Academy Awards
| Year | Award | Category | Cast & Crew | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences | Best Actress | Sally Field | Won |
| 1979 | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences | Best Song | Norman Gimbel | Won |
| 1979 | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences | Best Picture | Alex Rose | Nominated |
| 1979 | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences | Best Picture | Tamara Asseyev | Nominated |
| 1979 | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences | Best Adapted Screenplay | Harriet Frank, Jr. | Nominated |
| 1979 | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences | Best Song | David Shire | Won |
| 1979 | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences | Best Adapted Screenplay | Irving Ravetch | Nominated |
Golden Globes
| Year | Award | Category | Cast & Crew | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Hollywood Foreign Press Association | Best Picture - Drama | Nominated | |
| 1979 | Hollywood Foreign Press Association | Best Screenplay | Harriet Frank, Jr. | Nominated |
| 1979 | Hollywood Foreign Press Association | Best Screenplay | Irving Ravetch | Nominated |
| 1979 | Hollywood Foreign Press Association | Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama | Sally Field | Won |
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