What's the AFI project, you ask? For more information, or if you just enjoy my bemused ramblings, read here:http://www.spout.com/blogs/pippin06/archive/2008/3/1/25756.aspx
Norma Rae is on the following AFI lists:
100 Years...100 Heroes and Villains (Norma Rae Webster is the #15 hero)
100 Most Inspiring Movies (#16)
This film also represents the fifth of nine Oscar-nominated dramas topping my Netflix queue, just in case you were keeping track.
Sally Field has always been one of those actresses that I enjoy watching in film (and even on TV, at least in Gidget). She may not be my favorite actress or even, necessarily, the most memorable one, but I have yet to see a bad film with her in it or, at least, a bad performance by her. I think I queued Norma Rae up because she has always been so consistent and because I knew this film was on the AFI lists it was on but also because I knew that the film would be enjoyable, good, even if not necessarily memorable. That is, after all, the kind of career and choices Ms. Field has elected and developed for herself over the decades. To wit, these were not baseless suppositions. Norma Rae was enjoyable because Field was enjoyable in it.
Field plays Norma Rae Webster, a character based upon a real-life heroine who fought to introduce a union into the southern cotton mill that proved to be the cornerstone employer of her small town and also exploited its workers to the point that it affected the health of her family and friends and took an incredible toll on their well-being. After listening to a speech by a New York union organizer named Reuben (Ron Leibman), Norma Rae decides to join his cause at the expense of her relationships with her parents, children, and new husband Sonny (Beau Bridges), who believes that his wife's activism and participation in these activities is really due to romantic interest in Reuben. Despite pressure and, frankly, outrageous tactics on the part of mill management, Norma Rae eventually orchestrates a successful shutdown of the mill and momentum for her cause, until an election for or against the union's existence in the mill is held.
This movie, as I earlier stated, was enjoyable due to a spunky and heartfelt performance by Sally Field as the title character. The story and screenplay in this film made much of the big city union organizer navigating through a sea of ignorant country bumpkins, which might have potentially been offensive in its particular execution. Yet, the fact that Field and Norma Rae had an openness about them that fueled their passion - in the story and in the performance - as much as it expanded the cause made her character relatable and endearing and the story engaging, even if a bit simplistic and predictable, all told.
The supporting performances were also good, particularly by Leibman. While some may regard this film as decidedly one-sided (pro-union) and may want to ascribe biases either way, the fact that he made his union organizer genteel and sophisticated if ultimately human and somewhat stereotypical made his character a perfect match for Norma Rae's feisty southern charms. Their relationship, though clearly filled with affection, was also a caring and equal friendship that transformed into the heart and soul of the story.
Coupled with the folksy song "It Goes Like It Goes" by Jennifer Warnes, Norma Rae, while no cinematic masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination and fairly ordinary in its execution, still managed to tell a convincing, heartwarming, and inspirational story about one woman's struggle to fight injustice without being manipulative or pandering too far one way or another. Furthermore, the ending was perfect, even if partially foregone. I guess what I'm saying is, there are worse ways to spend two hours of quality film-viewing time, and at least Norma Rae is one of those feel-good films with a universally applied message.
All in all, I liked Norma Rae. I shook my fist at those mean management types and threw my arms up in cheer of Norma Rae's tenacity. When I finished the film, I knew it would merit an 8 on the patented ratings scale for being very good but with minor flaws (considering the story slant). As to test, I don't think that it necessarily passes because it may not hold up to repeat viewings (or desire for such), but it's not to say that this film isn't worth its watch at least on one occasion. It is as inspiring as the AFI ranked it with an honest to goodness heroine that deserves her cheers and, as a character study, makes for a good story in general.