It’s been 30 years since Working Girl opened

Thanks, OP. That piece is basically a valentine to Mike Nichols, and amazing how everyone involved in the movie seemed to really enjoy their time working on it.

It remains one of my favorites, a movie of the 80s that feels like it could have been a movie of the 50s. Anytime I run across it on TV, I get sucked in all over again.

A couple of years ago, there was a thread here about those small moments in movies that you love, and that stick with you, and I mentioned a few from Working Girl:

[quote]After Tess sprays Kevin Spacey's sleazy business man with the champagne, she gets out of the limo...only to get sprayed herself by the traffic driving through puddles on the road.

[quote]Catherine gives Tess the Coco Chanel quote about dressing impeccably, and Tess asks how she looks. When Catherine responds "You look terrific. You might want to rethink the jewelry," she doesn't even look away from her computer screen. Love that.

[quote]When Tess and Jack are telling Catherine and Trask about the problems with the deal, they keep preventing the elevator door from closing, and you can hear the other people on the elevator groaning because these assholes are holding them up. Then when Trask jumps out of the elevator at the last second, after the doors close you hear the people inside the elevator start cheering. Always cracks me up.

It's one movie that is SO 80s.

Thanks, OP

Loved this.

That whore Griffin tried to seduce Alec Baldwin.

Carly Simon wrote the best score and song. Let the River Run for Working Girl is up there with Coming Around Again for the movie Heartburn. Both getting added to my various playlists.

Let the River Run would've been a great song to use in a Tampax commercial.

For r6.

The article didn’t mention two things that make me think it wasn’t written by a gay.

One is DL fave Lorraine Bracco was also up for Tess and two I’m surprised there was nary a mention of Sigourney making history by being the first to lose the Oscar twice in one night that year.

Thanks for posting, OP.

Interesting to learn about Carly's song almost not being used in the beginning. Thank God they didn't go with the Eagles.

I still love this film, but I am actually more sympathetic to Katherine than Tess. The way Trask spoke to Katherine at the end would never happen today. She would have sued and probably won.

My favourite film about identity theft!

More wisdom then can found in a college philosophy course; and contained in such a short statement

[quote] Sometimes I sing and dance around the house in my underwear. Doesn't make me Madonna. Never will.

What a wonderful piece--so much information in it!

Thanks, OP!

[quote]Let the River Run for Working Girl is up there with Coming Around Again for the movie Heartburn.

Not really.

[quote]I still love this film, but I am actually more sympathetic to Katherine than Tess. The way Trask spoke to Katherine at the end would never happen today. She would have sued and probably won.

To be fair, I don't think it was an entirely realistic ending for its day, either. I never bought that someone as competent as Katherine wouldn't have been able to pull together some bullshit story during that final showdown. But it was basically a modern day fairy tale, so you just go with it.

I can see having sympathy for Katherine, though. Even though she may have deserved being fired for stealing Tess' idea, for Tess to steal Jack too seemed over the top. Poor Katherine was ready to merge.

I rewatched this movie not that long ago and I had forgotten how grating I found Melanie Griffith's baby voice.

DON'T YO AGREE THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE A SUCCESS? - "The musical, with music & lyrics by Cyndi Lauper, is being produced by Robyn Goodman with a book by TV writer and playwright Kim Rosenstock (New Girl, Tigers Be Still)."

[quote]Sometimes I sing and dance around the house in my underwear. Doesn't make me Madonna. Never will.

The way she delivers that line! Cusack should have won that year.

R17: Another Cusack line from the movie that my firends and I quoted for years:

Cusack, after looking at some of Catherine's dresses:

"6 thousand dollahs? 6 THOUSAND? And it an't even leathuh"!

I loved Katherine’s answer to Tess questioning how she knows Jack will propose.

“I’ve indicated I’m amenable to a proposal. I’ve left June open on my calendar and I am me after all.”

great movie, great article. Leave it to Melanie Griffith being so candid about not knowing what Pygmalion was or wanting to fuck Alec Baldwin ( and then fucking her mentor on set). Classy!

It was kinda reactionary and anti feminist as I recall. Don't remember much except I liked Joan and sigourney. The lead actress was annoying whoever she was.

Great piece OP. Love the film, Joan Cusack is great R18

I also think Joan Cusack should've won the Oscar, she was wonderful.

I was a child in the 80s, but I remember when my parents took me into the city and seeing all the "Working Girls" from the outer boroughs on the street. They looked EXACTLY like Griffith, Cusack and all the other women you see in the film. It's a great time capsule of what the 80s in NYC really looked like.

THANK GOD I'M HERE!

I actually think the supporting characters in the movie are the best performances... Alec Baldwin and Joan Cusack were absolutely ace and it made me want to see a movie focusing more on Tess outside of work in Staten Island.

My favorite line is when Joan Cusack knocks on her boss's door and says, "You decent?" and gives that smile.

That's a gold mine. I've used that a lot of times on my bosses and they always howl with laughter.

My mom always used to knock on my door and ask if I was decent before she entered the room. Maybe it's just me - but that line is comedy gold for me.

It's asking for the taking

Come run with me now

The sky is the color of blue

You've never even seen

In the eyes of your lover

"The sky is the color of blue" r27, that's what they said on 9/11 LOL

I read in the link somebody posted above that they were seriously considering using "Witchy Woman" instead of Carly's song. They hadn't heard her song yet and were happy with the Eagles song. Can you imagine? Using "Witchy Woman" would have changed the whole tone of the movie!