28 replies to this topic

[SDG]

Looking for great films significantly preoccupied with depicting people at work or people as workers -- all kinds of work. Depictions can include dehumanizing or oppressive circumstances, but fundamentally the goodness and dignity of labor should be in view -- ideally seen in some way, at least implicitly, through a Christian cultural lens.

Great examples include:

• Le Fils (2002)
• How Green Was My Valley (1941)
• Modern Times (1936)
• The Tree of Wooden Clogs (1978)

These examples are basically concerned with manual labor and domestic work, but I'd be interested in examples depicting all kinds of work. (Not to say I wouldn't also want more films just like the ones above.)

Thoughts?

Edited by SDG, 11 February 2011 - 10:41 AM.

[Nick Alexander]

SDG, on 11 February 2011 - 10:39 AM, said:

Looking for great films significantly preoccupied with depicting people at work or people as workers -- all kinds of work. Depictions can include dehumanizing or oppressive circumstances, but fundamentally the goodness and dignity of labor should be in view -- ideally seen in some way, at least implicitly, through a Christian cultural lens.

Great examples include:

• Le Fils (2002)
• How Green Was My Valley (1941)
• Modern Times (1936)
• The Tree of Wooden Clogs (1978)

These examples are basically concerned with manual labor and domestic work, but I'd be interested in examples depicting all kinds of work. (Not to say I wouldn't also want more films just like the ones above.)

Thoughts?

Some films that come to mind (that may work in part):
The Big Kahuna
9 to 5
Jerry Maguire


ETA: Tucker (1987)
Hudsucker Proxy
The Apartment ??
Up In The Air

Edited by Nick Alexander, 11 February 2011 - 11:35 AM.

[Darrel Manson]

Hmmm. First thing that came to mind were some boxing movies: Rocky, MDB, The Fighter... Does On the Waterfront qualify as a boxing flick? I think sports films in general may lean this way.

Non-sports films:
Norma Rae
Bread and Roses
Matewan
Wall Street
Silkwood
The Insider
Thank You for Smoking
The Full Monty

[Gina]

His Girl Friday

[M. Leary]

The Navigators
Alamar is pretty much structured around their work routine.
Mac
The Big Kahuna

[SDG]

Some good suggestions here, everyone. I especially like Darrel's list.

I'm surprised to see The Big Kahuna crop up in both Nick and Mike's lists. I remember that film primarily for its notion that human transactions, including the particular transaction called evangelization or proselytizing, can devolve into a form of working interaction, salesmanship. I don't remember it as notably work-positive, although perhaps it is.

[Overstreet]

We had a thread recently about films about business, so that might have some good titles on it too. But I can't seem to find it at the moment...

UPDATE: Ahh, here it is.

Edited by Overstreet, 11 February 2011 - 12:01 PM.

[SDG]

I'm especially pleased with Darrel's suggestions of Norma Rae and Silkwood -- and Gina's intriguing suggestion of His Girl Friday, though being a contrarian skeptic on that film I'm not sure I agree -- because I don't want the focus to be all on sweaty guys. I want to highlight women at work too -- both in the workplace and in the home. That's one thing I love about The Tree of Wooden Clogs: It really celebrates the whole community at work, men, women, children. Any more women at work films? Including women working in the home films?

Edited by SDG, 11 February 2011 - 12:01 PM.

[J.A.A. Purves]

Lilies of the Field (1963)

Office Space (1999)

[J.R.]

Blue Collar

[Overstreet]

Rivers and Tides: Andy Goldworthy Working in Time

(and many other films in our thread on films about artists)

[SDG]

Overstreet, on 11 February 2011 - 12:38 PM, said:

Rivers and Tides: Andy Goldworthy Working in Time

(and many other films in our thread on films about artists)

Art is definitely in a different category, but thanks for making the point.

[Gina]

The Apartment . . . oh shoot, Nick Alexander beat me to it.
The original Cheaper by the Dozen (working in and out of the home)
Sweet Smell of Success
And how about The Remains of the Day? The employer/employee relationship may have a damaging lack of boundaries, but it's still an employment situation.

Isn't there a movie about Pierre and Marie Curie working together? With Greer Garson, I think?

[J.A.A. Purves]

Gina, on 11 February 2011 - 01:14 PM, said:

Isn't there a movie about Pierre and Marie Curie working together? With Greer Garson, I think?

Yep, just called Madame Curie (1943) ... which reminds me, that one, along with The Story of Louis Pasteur (1936) and Edison, the Man (1940) could all be said to be films that celebrate people who were passionate about hard work.

Edited by Persiflage, 11 February 2011 - 01:26 PM.

[Darren H]

I love this topic.

Sweetgrass
La Libertad
Salesman
The Long Gray Line
35 Shots of Rum
My Life to Live
Fast Food Nation
Counsellor at Law
Slacker
The 7 Up series
The Death of Mr. Lazarescu
The Last Detail
Still Life

And pretty much any film by Frederick Wiseman

[Gina]

Executive Suite
The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit

I haven't yet seen either all the way through, but I think they fit the bill.

Oh, and how about Desk Set?

Edited by Gina, 11 February 2011 - 02:57 PM.

[Overstreet]

Darren H, on 11 February 2011 - 02:47 PM, said:

The 7 Up series

Excellent!

Which inspires me to add:

Fast, Cheap and Out of Control

Edited by Overstreet, 11 February 2011 - 02:57 PM.

[Russ]

Primer, Days of Heaven and Munyurangabo.

Edited by Russ, 11 February 2011 - 03:35 PM.

[John Drew]

The Hudsucker Proxy

You know... for kids!

[Brian D]

I once read a review for United 93 praising it for, among many other things, doing an amazing job of depicting people in their everyday work mode (air traffic controllers, stewardesses, military personnel). When I watched this a second time last fall, I was able to see that this is true.