Working Girl

The bold colored clothes, the high hair, and corporate excess treated in the film Working Girl captured the 1980's feel for the many commuters that labored into Manhattan every morning. The borough of Staten Island is the perfect backdrop for a working girl Tess (Melanie Griffith) trying hard to prove her worth in the Manhattan maze of office politics. Scenes of the Staten Island Ferry transporting Tess and thousands of other NYC workers creates a feeling that Tess is trapped by the commuter lifestyle that has defined her life. Griffith gives an uplifting performance as the Staten Island receptionist trying to make her mark in a corporate world driven by manipulation, power, and sexism. Two worlds are explored in the film; one is the $500 a week lifestyle endured by Tess's co-workers and friends and the other is the gilded and privileged society that her boss Kathreen Parker (Sigourney Weaver) lavishly enjoys. Director Nichols's excellent scene selections and wonderful camera work drive these 2 worlds in parallel and clashing courses. All of the lead actors and supporting cast are excellent in their roles and add to the realism of Nichols's direction. It is amazing to see actors like Alec Baldwin and Kevin Spacey in supporting roles. Harrison Ford is brilliant as the Wall Street power broker who helps Tess negotiate a deal that may or may not bring her happiness.

This movie simply is the best. It's very relatable and so much FUN 2 watch after all these years. I was born around the time this movie came out and this movie has so much more impact on me now then it did when i was a little kid. I totally relate to Tess but I'm just a male version and i know what its like to experience "The Glass Ceiling" effect at work. This film will have you screaming for the under dog all the way =) Simply the best and the Devil Wears Prada just doesn't compare.

It's a sad fact of life that many beloved films don't age well; what seemed funny in the 80s can seem trite and contrived two decades later. Mike Nichols' "Working Girl", thankfully, is NOT in that category...it is as bright, witty, and endearing today as it was when 'big hair' was in fashion, and the World Trade Center was the pinnacle of the New York City skyline.

The continuing appeal is due, in no small part, to the exceptional cast. Melanie Griffith, whose acting skills had been buried in minor 'nymphet' roles for a decade, seized the chance to finally display them, as a beautiful blue collar worker with the talent and drive to be much more. Signorney Weaver, equally good, has a field day as the manipulative, spoiled, 'silver spoon'-fed executive who arrogantly walks over everyone around her, making Griffith's decision to take advantage of an accident seem entirely justified. As the object of both women's desire, Harrison Ford, despite top billing, is really a supporting player to his two co-stars, but he fills the bill with a sweetness and charm that he seldom got to display in the Han Solo/Indiana Jones days. With the three leads in top form, and Mike Nichols at his most audience-friendly, the film had all the elements for an enduring classic.

If you haven't seen "Working Girl" lately, check it out again, not only for the leads, but as an opportunity to enjoy Joan Cusack's "Way-80s" take as Griffith's best friend, a young, slim Alec Baldwin as the less-than-faithful boyfriend (TRIVIA: Tom Clancy's first two 'Jack Ryan' actors, Baldwin and Ford, appear in this film), and watch for small but memorable performances by Oliver Platt and Kevin Spacey (who NEVER seems to age!) And enjoy Carly Simon's Oscar-winning anthem, "Let the River Run", as rousing as the film, itself.

This is a 'Cinderella' tale that doesn't lose it's charm!

A fun movie. You always see it on TV, but it's cut. Here's an opportunity to watch the original version. Very entertaining.

Working Girl is a fantastic, feel-good film. I enjoy it everytime I watch it. The acting is wonderful, the story is funny. Overall, its one of the best films of the 80's. I recommend this film to anyone and everyone!