A young single mother and textile worker agrees to help unionize her mill despite the problems and dangers involved.A young single mother and textile worker agrees to help unionize her mill despite the problems and dangers involved.A young single mother and textile worker agrees to help unionize her mill despite the problems and dangers involved.
- Won 2 Oscars
- 12 wins & 6 nominations total
Lee de Broux
- Lujan
- (as Lee DeBroux)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe film is based on a real-life union organizing campaign at J.P. Stevens Mill in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina. Norma Rae is based on Crystal Lee Sutton. Reuben Warshowsky, the union organizer, is based on Eli Zivkovich, a 55-year-old former West Virginia coal miner. In 1974, thanks to the efforts of Sutton and Zivkovich, workers at J.P. Stevens Mill voted to join the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union. However, it took 10 years for the union to get a contract. Some real-life events are re-created verbatim in the movie, including Norma Rae holding up the "UNION" sign and the plant workers shutting down their machines, and Norma Rae waking up her children to tell them about her relationships with their fathers.
- GoofsWhen Norma Rae and Sonny are on their first date Sonny's hair is parted in the middle. When they leave the bar together with Reuben Sonny's hair is parted on the far right. It never appears that way again.
- Quotes
Norma Rae Webster: Forget it! I'm stayin' right where I am. It's gonna take you and the police department and the fire department and the National Guard to get me outta here!
- SoundtracksIt Goes Like It Goes
Music by David Shire
Lyrics by Norman Gimbel
Sung by Jennifer Warnes
Courtesy Arista Records
[Played during the opening and end credits]
Featured review
a documentary?
This film is in no way a documentary, but the filming style and plot line lend to its feeling so. Sally Field's acting in this movie is impeccable. She becomes Norma Rae. We see her fear, her disgust, her anger at the mill's treatment of its employees, and the passion she has for what she believes in. Although the best known scene from the movie is her standing at the mill with the "Union" sign, I believe the most memorable scene is towards the end when she talks to her children, telling them what to expect. The movie tends to turn away from her children, but this scene focuses in on her relationship with them. Beau Bridges is great, and the character of the Union leader (can't remember his name) is terrific. The sexual tension between Norma Rae and he is palpable. I strongly recommend this film to any Sally Field fans, or anyone interested in social issue films.
helpful•439
- evso
- Dec 30, 1999
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Language
- Also known as
- Norma Rae - Eine Frau steht ihren Mann
- Filming locations
- Opelika, Alabama, USA(Textile mill located on First Avenue Opelika, Alabama. It burned mostly to the ground in November 2018. The diner is located on Second Avenue right at the Golden Cherry Motel which is still open to this very day.)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $22,228,000
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $262,778
- Mar 4, 1979
- Gross worldwide
- $22,228,000
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