Blu-ray Review: ‘Norma Rae’ 35th Anniversary

NORMA RAE
Cast: Sally Field, Beau Bridges, Ron Leibman, Pat Hingle, Barbara Baxley, Gail Strickland, Morgan Paull, John Calvin, Noble Willingham, Grace Zabriskie
Director: Martin Ritt
Writers: Harriet Frank, Jr., Irving Ravetch
Studio: Fox Home Entertainment
Release Date: In stores now
Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Norma Mae Webster (Sally Field) works in a cotton mill for minimum wage in a place that is has horrible working conditions. After hearing a speech from Reuben Warshowsky (Ron Leibman), a union organizer, Norma wants to help unionize her work. She is passionate about this even though her husband Sonny (Beau Bridges) complains he’s not getting enough attention at home. Norma is confronted by her bosses and in a stand for what she believes in, takes out a piece of cardboard that has ‘union’ written on it, stand on her work station and holds it up. The rest of the workers stop working and all the machines have been shut off. So Norma is arrested but freed by Reuben. Even though Reuben seems to like Norma, she remains with her family. She fights to gets the work place unionized and ends up winning the battle.

The movie is based on Crystal Lee Sutton’s real life story as a textile worker in North Carolina, who fought to have her place unionized. ‘Norma Rae’ came out in 1979 and was nominated for four Oscars and won two for best original song and for Sally Field as best actress, for a career defining role. This is just an awesome movie. It still holds up today and is highly recommended.

You can pick up ‘Norma Rae’ 35th anniversary on Blu-ray now.

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