Hopefully, later this month, we will all have some downtime to rest and gather our energy for the new year. When I have this type of downtime, there’s nothing I love more than hunkering down on the sofa with a bowl of popcorn, a diet Coke, and something good to watch on a streamer. In case you share this idea of a great afternoon with me, I thought I’d give you a few suggestions that will keep our workforce work top of mind while also providing satisfying entertainment.
Of note: there is a lot of good content about being in a workplace (e.g. The Office, Parks & Recreation, the movie Office Space) and much of that content does deal with the challenges (and hilarities) of workplaces! To keep my list shorter, I’ve selected the movies or shows which I think are more specifically tied to the topics – in the workplace, and out of it — workforce practitioners think about regularly.
1) Maid (Netflix): The blurb says “After fleeing an abusive relationship, a young mother finds a job cleaning houses as she fights to provide for her child and build them a better future.” This 10 episode Netflix show from 2021 does a realistic job of illustrating all the challenges which interfere with a person’s ability to secure and keep family-sustaining employment. And watching the acting of real life mother-daughter duo Andie McDowell and Margaret Qualley is a thrill.
2) Hidden Figures (Amazon and others, but for rent): This 2016 movie is closer to a workplace drama, but understanding the particular circumstances of each of the three NASA mathematicians profiled is a large part of this job-dropping, inspirational true story. The circumstances around the rest room are just one way the difficulties these women overcame are treated lightly (even humorously) and thus more digestibly. Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monae, and Taraji B. Henson nail it – a true all-star cast! It’s family-friendly too.
3) Nine to Five (Amazon and others, for rent): This 1980 comedy stars the incredible trio of Dolly Parton, Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda. For those too young to have seen this the first go around, it’s a fun romp about a workplace from the perspective of those without the power. I put it on the list not because of what they endure, but because of what they do when they actually put themselves into power.
4) Silkwood (Hulu): From IMDB: “A worker at a plutonium processing plant is purposefully contaminated, psychologically tortured, and possibly murdered to prevent her from exposing worker safety violations at the plant.” Yes, it is that compelling, particularly because Meryl Streep, Kurt Russell and Cher are the three leads, it’s directed by Mike Nichols, and the script is by Nora Ephron. This old movie (1983) was the first movie I remember seeing which respected the working person living in dire straits.
5) American Factory (Netflix): The blurb says “this Academy Award-winning documentary explores the cultural and economic tensions that arise when a Chinese billionaire reopens a factory in post-industrial Ohio.” I thought it was a really empathetic, but not sentimental, look at what happens when both work and power change due to global forces out of the control of each of us individually.
By the way, my very favorite movie of this type is Norma Rae. This 1979 movie, for which Sally Field won an Oscar for Best Actress, is about Norma becoming a union organizer to fight for better working conditions at her small town Southern textile plan. Norma is not a perfect person and oh, my, how I root for Norma to succeed at work and in her personal life! By the way, here’s an article from 2020: The Ongoing Relevance of Norma Rae. Sadly, I didn’t put it on the list because I couldn’t find anywhere you can actually watch it.
What did I miss?
And – here are a few additional ones on my list that I haven’t already seen. Tell me if they are worth it!
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- Queen Sugar (Hulu show from 2016 – 2022 about siblings managing their family’s sugarcane farm)
- The Pursuit of Happyness (2006 movie starring Will Smith)
- Joy (2015 movie starring Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper)
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