Erica Rae Heyzer
original movie poster for Norma Rae
Directed by	Martin Ritt
Produced by	Alexandra Rose Tamara Asseyev
Written by	Harriet Frank Jr. Irving Ravetch
Starring	Sally Field Beau Bridges Ron Leibman Pat Hingle
Music by	David Shire
Cinematography	John A. Alonzo
Editing by	Sidney Levin
Distributed by	20th Century Fox
Release date(s)	March 2, 1979
Running time	110 min
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	Unknown
Allmovie profile
IMDb profile

Norma Rae is a 1979 film which tells the story of a woman from a small town in the Southern United States who becomes involved in the labor union activities at the textile factory where she works. It stars Sally Field, Beau Bridges, Ron Leibman, Pat Hingle, Barbara Baxley, Gail Strickland and Noble Willingham. Martin Ritt (March 2, 1914–December 8, 1990) was an American director, actor, and playwright who worked in both film and theatre. ... Tamara Asseyev is an American film producer and writer. ... Sally Margaret Field (born November 6, 1946) is a two-time Academy Award winning American actress. ... Beau Bridges, (born Lloyd Vernet Bridges III on December 9, 1941 in Los Angeles, California), is an American actor. ... Ron Leibman (born October 11, 1937 in New York City, New York) is an American actor. ... Pat Hingle (born July 19, 1924) is an American actor. ... David Shire David Shire (born July 3, 1937) is an American songwriter and the composer of stage musicals and film and television scores. ... John Alonzo (born June 12, 1926 in Dallas, Texas, died March 13, 2001) was an American cinematographer who pioneered hand held work, lighting techniques and HD development during his career. ... Twentieth (20th) Century Fox Film Corporation (known from 1935 to 1985 as Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation) is one of the six major American film studios. ... is the 61st day of the year (62nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... // Events March 5 - Production begins on Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. ... Historic Southern United States. ... The Lawrence textile strike (1912), with soldiers surrounding peaceful demonstrators A trade union or labor union is an organization of workers who have banded together to achieve common goals in key areas such as wages, hours, and working conditions, forming a cartel of labour. ... For other uses, see Textile (disambiguation). ... Sally Margaret Field (born November 6, 1946) is a two-time Academy Award winning American actress. ... Beau Bridges, (born Lloyd Vernet Bridges III on December 9, 1941 in Los Angeles, California), is an American actor. ... Ron Leibman (born October 11, 1937 in New York City, New York) is an American actor. ... Pat Hingle (born July 19, 1924) is an American actor. ... Barbara Baxley (1 January 1923 - 7 June 1990) was an American actress. ... Gail Strickland (born on 18 May 1947 in Birmingham, Alabama, USA) is an American actress. ... Noble Willingham (August 31, 1931, in Mineola, Texas — January 17, 2004, in Palm Springs, California) was an American television and film actor. ...

The movie was written by Harriet Frank Jr. and Irving Ravetch, and was directed by Martin Ritt. It is based on the true story of Crystal Lee Jordan. It was marketed with the tagline "The story of a woman with the courage to risk everything for what she believes is right." Martin Ritt (March 2, 1914–December 8, 1990) was an American director, actor, and playwright who worked in both film and theatre. ...

It won Academy Awards for Best Actress in a Leading Role (Sally Field) and Best Original Song (for David Shire and Norman Gimbel for "It Goes Like It Goes"). It was also nominated for Best Picture and for Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium. The film was also nominated to the Palme d'Or (Golden Palm) at the 1979 Cannes Film Festival and Field was awarded Best Actress for her performance. Academy Award The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are the most prominent and most watched film awards ceremony in the world. ... Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. ... The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). ... David Shire David Shire (born July 3, 1937) is an American songwriter and the composer of stage musicals and film and television scores. ... Norman Gimbel is an Oscar- and Grammy-winning American lyricist of pop songs and movie themes. ... ©A.M.P.A.S.® The Academy Award for Best Motion Picture is one of the Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to artists working in the motion picture industry. ... The Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay is one of the Academy Awards, the most prominent film awards in the United States. ... Palme dOr The Palme dOr (Golden Palm) is the highest prize given to a film at the Cannes Film Festival. ... The Cannes Film Festival (French: le Festival de Cannes), founded in 1939, is one of the worlds oldest, most influential and prestigious film festivals. ... The Best Actress Award (French: Prix dinterprétation féminine) is an award presented at the Cannes Film Festival. ...

Plot summary

Norma is a minimum-wage worker in a cotton mill that has taken too much of a toll on the health of her family for her to ignore her Dickensian working conditions. After hearing a speech by New York union organizer Reuben, Norma Rae decides to join the effort to unionize her shop. This causes dissension at home when Norma Rae's husband Sonny 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 an election to unionize the factory, resulting in victory for the union and presumably capitulation for the demands. A union organizer (sometimes spelled organiser) is one type of employee or elected official of a trade union. ...

Main cast

Sally Margaret Field (born November 6, 1946) is a two-time Academy Award winning American actress. ... Beau Bridges, (born Lloyd Vernet Bridges III on December 9, 1941 in Los Angeles, California), is an American actor. ... Ron Leibman (born October 11, 1937 in New York City, New York) is an American actor. ... Pat Hingle (born July 19, 1924) is an American actor. ... Barbara Baxley (1 January 1923 - 7 June 1990) was an American actress. ... Gail Strickland (born on 18 May 1947 in Birmingham, Alabama, USA) is an American actress. ... Noble Willingham (August 31, 1931, in Mineola, Texas — January 17, 2004, in Palm Springs, California) was an American television and film actor. ...

External links

• Norma Rae at the Internet Movie Database
• Norma Rae at Allmovie

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