Cast and Crew: Martin Ritt (Director); Harriet Frank, Jr. and Irving Ravetch (Writers); Beau Bridges, Gail Strickland, Frank McRae, Bob Minor, Gregory Walcott

What It’s About: Norma Rae (Sally Field) is a single mother of two working at a textile mill along with her father Vernon (Pat Hingle) and her mother Leona (Barbara Blaxley).  Norma has a big mouth and a strong will, which gets her a reputation and a fair amount of trouble in small town Alabama.  When union organizer Reuben Warshowsky (Ron Liebman) arrives, Norma Rae is the first worker who joins and becomes the leading force in unionizing the mill.

Why Watch it Today?: March 8th is the 100th International Women’s Day, a global day celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future.  Norma Rae is (loosely) based on the life of Crystal Lee Sutton.  Sally Field won an Oscar for her performance, and the film was also nominated for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay.

Where to Get It:  Your local library, Netflix (Rental Only), or Amazon