Norma Rae (1979)

Synopsis of Norma Rae

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." ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Theatrical Feature Running Time:

118 mins

Director(s):

Martin Ritt

Writer(s):

Irving Ravetch, Harriet Frank, Jr.

Producer(s):

Alex Rose, Tamara Asseyev

Theatrical MPAA Rating:

PG(Mild Violence, Violence, Adult Language, Adult Situations, Questionable for Children)

• 1979 - Cannes Film Festival - Best Actress
• 1979 - Cannes Film Festival - Grand Technical Prize
• 1979 - Hollywood Foreign Press Association - Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama
• 1979 - Los Angeles Film Critics Association - Best Actress
• 1979 - National Board of Review - Best Actress
• 1979 - New York Film Critics Circle - Best Actress

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