Norma Rae (1979): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot
Norma Rae is a 1979 drama directed by Martin Ritt, starring Sally Field, Gail Strickland and Barbara Baxley. It runs 1 hour 54 minutes and earned $22.2 million worldwide. It won 2 Oscars, including Actress in a Leading Role and Music (Original Song). Critics gave it 91% on Rotten Tomatoes and 61 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.3/10.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 54m (114 min)
- Director
- Martin Ritt
- Genre
- Drama
- Original language
-
English - After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Norma Rae About?
The premise of Norma Rae without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
A textile mill worker, Norma Rae, discovers her strength and purpose after witnessing a labor activist's speech. Determined to improve working conditions and secure fair wages, she becomes a passionate advocate for unionization. Norma Rae's efforts to rally her coworkers face resistance from her family, her fiancé, and the mill's management, creating significant personal and professional challenges as she fights for a better future.
Norma Rae Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- labor movement
- labor union
- small town
- textile mill
- based on true story
- national film registry
- working class
- north carolina
- social issues
- f rated
- character name as title
- two word title
+38 more Show fewer
- ford pinto
- workplace drama
- social commentary
- loss of father
- feminism
- voting
- labor strike
- wedding
- beer
- factory
- working conditions
- single mother
- love
- marriage
- family relationships
- father daughter relationship
- mother daughter relationship
- platonic love
- jewish
- child born out of wedlock
- divorcee
- machinery
- brown lung disease
- deafness
- union organizer
- whistleblower
- labor relations
- fighting the system
- factory worker
- courage
- compassion
- alienation
- underdog
- silent treatment
- rally
- police escort
- motel
- missing finger
Norma Rae Cast
Sally Field leads the cast, with Gail Strickland and Barbara Baxley. Directed by Martin Ritt; 10 actors are credited in all.
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Director Martin Ritt
Also Starring in Norma Rae
· 6 moreMore from Martin Ritt
More films directed by Martin Ritt, best-rated first: Sounder, Hombre, Hud and Paris Blues.
Norma Rae Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave Norma Rae 91% on Rotten Tomatoes and 61 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.3/10.
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IMDb 7.3 /10
See on IMDb -
Rotten Tomatoes 91% Tomatometer
Popcornmeter 79%
See on Rotten Tomatoes -
Metacritic 61 Metascore
User score 7.4
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 72% User score
See on TMDB
Norma Rae Plot Summary
What happens in Norma Rae from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 14 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 2-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Norma Rae Wilson, portrayed by Sally Field, toils away at the O.P. Henley Textile Mill during the summer of 1978. As she enjoys lunch with her friend and fellow worker, Bonnie Mae (Gail Strickland), their conversation takes an uncomfortable turn. Bonnie Mae casually remarks on another friend’s impressive car, prompting a sharp, evasive response from Norma about recent events in her life. She is deeply concerned about her mother, Leona (Barbara Baxley), who suffers from severe hearing loss. Desperate for help, Norma takes her mother to the doctor, who can only provide a bleak outlook on her situation. As they grapple with personal hardships, Norma is reminded of the dire working conditions at the mill.
Full summary
The whole story of Norma Rae, scene by scene
Norma Rae Box Office
Norma Rae grossed $22.2 million worldwide.
Worldwide gross
$22.2M
- US & Canada
- $22.2M
Norma Rae Awards & Nominations
Norma Rae won 2 Oscars, including Actress in a Leading Role and Music (Original Song). Its biggest night was the Oscars 1980, with 2 wins from 4 nominations.
2 wins7 nominations2 ceremonies
-
Oscars 1980 2 wins · 4 nominations- Won Actress in a Leading Role – Sally Field
- Won Music (Original Song)
- Nominated Best Picture
- Nominated Writing (Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium)
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Golden Globes 1980 3 nominations- Nominated Best Motion Picture – Drama
- Nominated Best Performance in a Motion Picture – Drama (Actress) – Sally Field
- Nominated Best Screenplay
Norma Rae Trailers & Videos
2 videos: 1 trailer and 1 featurette.
- Featurette ABC Sunday Night Movie opening Norma Rae 1984
How Well Do You Know Norma Rae?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What profession does Norma Rae hold?
Cars in Norma Rae
22 cars on screen, including the 1974 Ford Pinto Runabout and the 1975 GMC C-15.
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1974 Ford Pinto Runabout Important role -
1975 GMC C-15 Important role -
1967 Dodge Polara Minor role -
1962 Ford 4000 Minor role
Norma Rae Also Known As
6 alternative titles, including “노마 레이” and “Norma Rae - Eine Frau steht ihren Mann”.
- Also known as
-
- 노마 레이
- Norma Rae - Eine Frau steht ihren Mann
- נורמה ריי
- 诺玛·蕾
- Норма Рей
- Норма Рэй
Seen Norma Rae?
Movies Like Norma Rae
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including North Country, Salt of the Earth and Made in Dagenham.
Norma Rae FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Awards
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings, awards and post-credit scenes of Norma Rae, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Norma Rae?
Norma Rae runs 1 hour 54 minutes (114 minutes).
When was Norma Rae released?
Norma Rae was released on March 2, 1979.
Who directed Norma Rae?
Norma Rae was directed by Martin Ritt.
More films by Martin Ritt Who is in the cast of Norma Rae?
Norma Rae stars Sally Field, Gail Strickland and Barbara Baxley, among 10 credited actors.
How much did Norma Rae make at the box office?
Norma Rae grossed $22.2 million worldwide.
How is Norma Rae rated?
Norma Rae has 7.3/10 on IMDb, 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, 61 on Metacritic and 72% on TMDB.
What awards did Norma Rae win?
Norma Rae won 2 awards from 7 nominations, including Actress in a Leading Role at the Oscars 1980.
Does Norma Rae have a post-credit scene?
No. Norma Rae has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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