North Country (2005)

How sad is this?

Did you people see the same film I saw?

It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Sexual harassment wasn't a concern in the work place until 1984, when the first class action sexual harassment lawsuit was brought against the owners of a mine in Minnesota. This is the story told in the award winning film, North Country, which graphically shows the horrors these women had to face at work on a daily basis. Charlize Theron was amazing, portraying Josey Aimes, the woman who finally stood up and said enough is enough. Theron is the kind of actress who is usually overlooked because of the roles she takes. I had a difficult time judging what kind of an actress she really was until seeing her in the role of a lifetime. Portraying Aimes as realistically as possible, Theron really made the audience feel the struggle of a single mother, having to take a difficult job, just to put food on the table. We see how the harassment at work effected every aspect of her life and it actually changed my view on sexual harassment. As harsh as it sounds, I always viewed sexual harassment as a law created by people who were too serious and couldn't take a joke, but the story of Josey Aimes is no joke. No person, male or female, of any color, race, or sexuality, should ever have to face even half of what Aimes had to go through. This example is how you know that North Country is one amazing film, because any movie that can change a persons opinion on a subject, is worth it's weight in gold. Theron isn't the only gem in this film, as France McDormand also received an Oscar nomination for her role as a co-worker suffering from Lou Gehrig's disease. I also thought that Woody Harrelson deserved recognition for his portrayal of the attorney who represented the women. In 1984, there had never been a case like this, and for him to go out on a limb for something like this was truly special, and its reflected in his performance. From top to bottom this film is very solid, the cast is terrific, and the story is a historically accurate portrayal of sadly, a much overlooked moment in American judicial history. North Country is the kind of film that I truly believe every child should see before entering the work force for the first time. It is that powerful and also earns a spot on our list of must see movies!

Josey Aimes (Charlize Theron) is being questioned in court by the opposing counsel. She tells the story of her beating by her husband. It's 1989. She had run away with her two kids back to her parents in northern Minnesota. Her father Hank (Richard Jenkins) does not approve while her mother Alice (Sissy Spacek) is the quietly suffering type. They're both pushing her back to her husband Wayne. Glory (Frances McDormand) tells her about jobs at the iron mines with Pearson Taconite and Steel hiring. She and her kids would move in with Glory and her husband Kyle (Sean Bean). However, sexism is rampant at the company sometimes coming from the company itself. It's lewd jokes, groping and general anger. The men are not all happy. Jobs are scarce. Her father Hank works there, and also her former boyfriend Bobby Sharp (Jeremy Renner) who becomes her immediate supervisor.I know the film says it's inspired by a true story. I just find it so reminiscent of those Lifetime movies where everything goes wrong for these women. Sure there is an all star cast. In fact, Frances McDormand and Charlize Theron were nominated for Oscars. It just feels too Hollywood with supermodel Charlize Theron. I can't buy her as a miner, and I can't get fully into the movie. It would have been better with Michelle Monaghan as the lead. She has slightly more of a hot-every-woman vibe. Although she doesn't have the big name like Charlize.

North Country stars Charlize Theron as Josie Aimes. The film, based on a true story, centers on Josie who leaves her abusive husband with two small children and travels back to Minnesota to a small town where she grew up. Desperately needing a good paying job to support her family, and not be dependent on her mother and father, (played by Sissy Spacek and Richard Jenkins), her best friend Glory (Francis McDormand) talks her into applying for a position at a local iron mine. The iron mine is the best paying job in the area; however the downside is that the mine is predominately employed by chauvinistic men who aren't actually ready for women in the workplace. She and the other female employees are verbally abused, at times assaulted and continually sexually harassed, which ultimately drives Josie to seek legal help from attorney friend Bill White (Woody Harrelson). A class action lawsuit soon followed. The director of North Country, Niki Caro, very effectively shares a vivid image of the struggles and sadness of workplace harassment, (even in the late 80's), with regard to women who are trying their best to make ends meet in the face of difficulty or opposition. Along with workplace sexual harassment that occurred, work in general in an iron mine was visibly hard and extremely dangerous. Editing and cinematography did a great job of capturing these realities through various shots at the mine. Of particular interest to me was Josie's first day on the job and the slow motion shot of the blasting that occurred while she watched. This would certainly be intimidating for your first day on the job. The irony of North Country for me was that it reminded me of the film Disclosure (1994), which starred Michael Douglas and Demi Moore. Not because the plots were similar, (because they were exact opposite), but because the themes of both films were tied to workplace sexual harassment. North Country was very interesting to watch, although it touched a nerve. I found it especially troubling that this type of behavior would be allowed to occur in the workplace. I found it even more troubling that many of the men stood by and watched is happen because they either didn't care, or were fearful of what the others might think. In any event, Josie Aimes perseveres in the end, giving hope that there is always a civil remedy for what seems to be a hopeless situation.

Well, I first saw this movie back in 2006. Recently I realized I didn't remember a thing about it, maybe because I was too young when saw it, so I just saw it again.North Country is a good movie that involves many of the issues we have all around the world. Prejudice, sexism, intolerance, among others. Here it is easy to understand the maxim "if you want to test a man's character, give him power". It's quite easy to realize that too much power concentrated in one/few people is going to create problems and injustice.I found interesting the scene that Kyle talks to Sammy and explains him how wrong it is for him to hate his mother. Very good conversation over there. That's the famous "reverse psychology". Great movie overall.