Best Labor Day Movies
These are all great movies that happen in a work environment, or where "the job" is a central part of the film. If you're looking for a way to spend the holiday weekend, you can't go wrong here. ;-)
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- DirectorMike JudgeStarsRon LivingstonJennifer AnistonDavid HermanThree company workers who hate their jobs decide to rebel against their greedy boss.This is perhaps the MOST classic of "work" movies. I wonder if they had any clue they were making such a classic film when they were making the movie.
- DirectorSeth GordonStarsJason BatemanCharlie DayJason SudeikisThree friends conspire to murder their awful bosses when they realize they are standing in the way of their happiness.Wow! Jennifer Aniston manages to nab two of the top Labor Day movies.! ;-) Another trend is Kevin Spacey as a really unlikable jerk-of-a-boss. He's on this list several times.
- DirectorJames FoleyStarsAl PacinoJack LemmonAlec BaldwinAn examination of the machinations behind the scenes at a real estate office.This has an all-star cast with every single actor delivering a top-notch performance! Features Kevin Spacey as another unlikable boss on this movie list, not to mention Ed Harris, Al Pacino, Alec Baldwin, and Jack Lemmon, among others.
- DirectorKevin SmithStarsBrian O'HalloranJeff AndersonMarilyn GhigliottiA day in the lives of two convenience clerks named Dante and Randal as they annoy customers, discuss movies, and play hockey on the store roof.Kind of low-budget, but very entertaining and easy-to-relate-to for any working class schlub like myself. ;-) I especially like the down-to-earth, and often too-frank conversations the characters have throughout the movie.
- DirectorJohn WellsStarsBen AffleckChris CooperTommy Lee JonesThe story centers on a year in the life of three men trying to survive a round of corporate downsizing at a major company - and how that affects them, their families, and their communities.This shows the serious side of downsizing. A very real film for far too many people in this recent economy.
- DirectorSteven SoderberghStarsJulia RobertsAlbert FinneyDavid BrisbinAn unemployed single mother becomes a legal assistant and almost single-handedly brings down a California power company accused of polluting a city's water supply.Julia Roberts shows she can really act with this film. And Aaron Eckhart gets a chance to show his acting chops, too.
- DirectorColin HigginsStarsJane FondaLily TomlinDolly PartonThree female employees of a sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot find a way to turn the tables on him.Even the theme song by Dolly Parton is sort-of a classic, blue collar song.
- DirectorJohn JeffcoatStarsJosh HamiltonAyesha DharkerAsif BasraAfter his entire department is outsourced, an American novelty products salesman (Hamilton) heads to India to train his replacement.I thoroughly enjoyed the televison series based upon this foreign film, but was disappointed that it was cancelled after only one spectacular season.
- DirectorGeorge HuangStarsKevin SpaceyFrank WhaleyMichelle ForbesA young, naive Hollywood studio assistant finally turns the tables on his incredibly abusive producer boss.Here's another stellar appearance by Kevin Spacey as a boss from hell.
- DirectorJohn LandisStarsEddie MurphyDan AykroydRalph BellamyA snobbish investor and a wily street con artist find their positions reversed as part of a bet by two callous millionaires.Not only is this a great Labor Day movie, but it's a great Christmas movie, a great comedy, and simply a great movie... period.
- DirectorSydney PollackStarsTom CruiseJeanne TripplehornGene HackmanA young lawyer joins a prestigious law firm only to discover that it has a sinister dark side.This one's a bit hokey at times, but it's still an entertaining "workplace" film, featuring some of my favorite actors, such as Tom Cruise, Gene Hackman, Ed Harris, and Wilford Brimley.
- DirectorMike NicholsStarsMeryl StreepKurt RussellCherA 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.It's a bit of a chick flick, but it's also intriguing the first time around. And Meryl Streep is a great actress in almost anything she does.
- DirectorMartin RittStarsSally FieldBeau BridgesRon LeibmanA young single mother and textile worker agrees to help unionize her mill despite the problems and dangers involved.Another chick flick, but I think Sally Field won an Academy Award for her performance in this.
- DirectorJoel CoenEthan CoenStarsTim RobbinsPaul NewmanJennifer Jason LeighA naive business graduate is installed as president of a manufacturing company as part of a stock scam.The old-timey performances take a little getting used to, but in the end it's a very funny movie.
- DirectorSydney PollackStarsDustin HoffmanJessica LangeTeri GarrMichael Dorsey, an unsuccessful actor, disguises himself as a woman in order to get a role on a trashy hospital soap.I read the script for this in college, and most of my classmates agreed that it's amazing that this turned out to be a great movie (and probably proof of the genius of Sydney Pollack), since it was rather dry on paper. It's also a testament to a good cast of actors.
- DirectorBen YoungerStarsGiovanni RibisiVin DieselNia LongA college dropout, attempting to live up to his father's high standards, gets a job as a broker for a suburban investment firm which puts him on the fast track to success. But the job might not be as legitimate as it first appeared to be.This was more of a sleeper hit when it was released, but it has a clever script with spectacular performances by several of the principal actors, especially Giovanni Rabisi. And it's one of the few films Vin Diesel can actually be proud of having participated in (the other being Saving Private Ryan, in which Rabisi also appeared).
- DirectorJason ReitmanStarsGeorge ClooneyVera FarmigaAnna KendrickRyan's job is to travel around the country firing off people. When his boss hires Natalie, who proposes firing people via video conference, he tries to convince her that her method is a mistake.Like The Company Men, this is another film showing the harsh side of being on the negative end of job loss, but it still manages to be sympathetic to the hatchet man.
- DirectorMarc AbrahamStarsGreg KinnearLauren GrahamAlan AldaRobert Kearns takes on the Detroit automakers who he claims stole his idea for the intermittent windshield wiper.I always like Greg Kinnear. This is the first of two films on this list about the huge Ford corporation taking advantage of Labor. But judging by the fact that they apparently particpated in these films at least by allowing their logo to be used, I guess they've come to the conclusion that some of their past policies and behaviors were wrong.
- DirectorAnne FletcherStarsSandra BullockRyan ReynoldsMary SteenburgenA pushy boss forces her young assistant to marry her in order to keep her visa status in the U.S. and avoid deportation to Canada.My wife absolutley loves this film! I'm just a casual fan, but freely admit it's an entertaining comedy.
- DirectorChristine JeffsStarsAmy AdamsEmily BluntAlan ArkinIn order to raise the tuition to send her young son to private school, a mom starts an unusual business -- a biohazard removal/crime scene clean-up service -- with her unreliable sister.I was pleasantly surprised by the quirky story in this movie.
- DirectorMiguel ArtetaStarsJennifer AnistonJake GyllenhaalDeborah RushA discount store clerk strikes up an affair with a stock boy who considers himself the incarnation of Holden Caulfield.Whoa, Jennifer Anniston making yet another appearance on the list of best Labor Day films! This one's a serious performance by her, although the movie still has it's share of black humor in it.
- DirectorJonathan DemmeStarsTom HanksDenzel WashingtonRoberta MaxwellWhen a man with HIV is fired by his law firm because of his condition, he hires a homophobic-small time lawyer as the only willing advocate for a wrongful dismissal suit.I always thought this movie was over-rated, but it definitely qualifies as a good Labor Day movie. I think too often in this film Tom Hanks just looks blankly at the camera and allows the audience to project their own emotions onto his plain expression. Normally I really like Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington, and although this is still a decent film, the quality is a bit exaggerated.
- DirectorNiki CaroStarsCharlize TheronJeremy RennerFrances McDormandA fictionalized account of the first major successful sexual harassment case in the United States, Jenson vs. Eveleth Mines, where a woman who endured a range of abuse while working as a miner filed and won the landmark 1984 lawsuit.Perhaps another chick flick , since it focuses on a historic harrassment case. But Charlize Theron always does a great job, so it's a decent film.
- DirectorNigel ColeStarsSally HawkinsBob HoskinsAndrea RiseboroughA dramatization of the 1968 strike at the Ford Dagenham car plant, where female workers walked out in protest against sexual discrimination.Yet another feminist equal rights film, this time set in England. This is the second film that I referred to earlier, which is about the Ford automotive corporation.
- DirectorOliver StoneStarsCharlie SheenMichael DouglasTamara TunieAn impatient young stockbroker is willing to do anything to get to the top, including trading on illegal inside information taken through a ruthless, greedy corporate raider who takes the youth under his wing.
- DirectorAdrienne ShellyStarsKeri RussellNathan FillionJeremy SistoJenna is a pregnant, unhappily married waitress in the deep south. She meets a newcomer to her town and falls into an unlikely relationship as a last attempt at happiness.This is a thoroughly enjoyable movie, but Andy Griffith winds up being the real scene-stealer in this funny film. Jeremy Sisto is also very good. Of course, the main star, Keri Russell (later of The Americans is great).
- DirectorRob McKittrickStarsRyan ReynoldsAnna FarisJohn Francis DaleyYoung employees at ShenaniganZ restaurant collectively stave off boredom and adulthood with their antics.An exagerrated yet hilarious look at working in a restaurant.
- DirectorMike NicholsStarsMelanie GriffithHarrison FordSigourney WeaverWhen a secretary's idea is stolen by her boss, she seizes an opportunity to steal it back by pretending she has her boss' job.Even though this movie got several Oscar nominations, it was really over-rated. Still, as Labor Day movies go, it's a decent way to spend the holiday.
- DirectorSharon MaguireStarsRenée ZellwegerColin FirthHugh GrantBridget Jones is determined to improve herself while she looks for love in a year in which she keeps a personal diary.Another chick flick! This is actually a very good movie - the main reason it's so low on this list is because although the main character's work life is also a significant part of the plot, it takes a back seat to her love life. Remember, this is a list of Labor Day films, not romances!
- DirectorSean AndersStarsJason BatemanJason SudeikisCharlie DayDale, Kurt and Nick decide to start their own business but things don't go as planned because of a slick investor, prompting the trio to pull off a harebrained and misguided kidnapping scheme.This film isn't nearly as funny as the first one, but isn't that almost always the case with sequels? It's still worth a look.
- DirectorGregg ChampionStarsDabney ColemanMatt FrewerTeri GarrWhen a police detective thinks he is dying and learns that his life insurance pays out more if he dies in the line of duty, he tries to make that happen.A very amusing film, as long as you're not expecting an A-list, Academy Award winner. The main character is a cop about to retire from the force, when he gets bad news from his drug test that he's only got days to live. So he decides to get himself killed in the line of duty during his final months, so his family will be left with a better pension. He charges into danger and takes on criminals, but they all wind up surrendering (or missing him in shoot-outs), and he keeps earning praise as a hero, but he always survives. What he doesn't know is that his drug test was swapped in the lab with that of a bus driver, who begins cluelessly weaving all over the streets on his job. Can you tell yet that I like black humor?
- DirectorBill FishmanStarsJohn CusackTim RobbinsMary CrosbyA couple of creative losers accidently become big shots in the video music industry.John Cusack and Tim Robbins are remarkable in this very early film of theirs, as two music-video producers trying to break into the business.
- DirectorJay RoachStarsSteve CarellPaul RuddStephanie SzostakAfter he finds out that his work superiors host a dinner celebrating the idiocy of their special guests, a rising executive questions the merits of his invitation just as he befriends a man who would be the perfect guest.This film is silly and dorky to the point of eliciting groans as you watch it. Nevertheless, there are some very amusing moments. Steve Carell has done better (The Office; Little Miss Sunshine; The 40-Year Old Virgin) but he's also done worse (Evan Almighty).
- DirectorGreg CoolidgeStarsJessica SimpsonDane CookDax ShepardA slacker competes with a repeat winner for the "Employee of the Month" title at work, in order to gain the affections of a new female employee.In spite of a decent supporting cast of character actors, this is NOT a great movie, but it has it's funny moments here and there.
- DirectorNeil MandtStarsHenry ThomasScott ThompsonMark MetcalfAn aspiring director working as a lowly production assistant, conspires with his aspiring producer roommate to steal the reels of a mega budgeted film he's working on.Not that great a film, but memorable simply because an abused and overworked low-rung-on-the-totem-pole finally gets a chance to exact a little revenge on his abusive bosses.
- DirectorGerry CohenStarsEd O'NeillKatey SagalDavid GarrisonOn Labor Day, the gender roles are reversed when Al becomes the loafing one while he forces Peggy to prepare the backyard barbecue for his creation of the famous "Bundy Burgers." But one of the secret ingredients to them are the ashes of Marcy's dead aunt which was stolen by Kelly from the Rhodes house.This one's a TV episode, but it takes place on Labor Day Weekend, so it seemed appropriate to include it here.
- CreatorGreg DanielsRicky GervaisStephen MerchantStarsSteve CarellJenna FischerJohn KrasinskiA mockumentary on a group of typical office workers, where the workday consists of ego clashes, inappropriate behavior, tedium and romance.And here's a few TV series worth mentioning. The best of which is the American version of The Office.
- CreatorRicky GervaisStephen MerchantStarsRicky GervaisMartin FreemanMackenzie CrookThe story of an office that faces closure when the company decides to downsize its branches. A documentary film crew follow staff and the manager David Brent as they continue their daily lives.Here's a few TV series worth mentioning. Second best is the original British version of The Office, created by comedian Ricky Gervais.
- CreatorRobert BordenStarsBen RappaportAnisha NagarajanDiedrich BaderA manager is sent to India to oversee a staff of customer service representatives.Here's a few TV series worth mentioning. This came about a few years after the foreign film of the same name, which appeared higher up the list. It's a shame it didn't last longer - I love it!
- CreatorCameron CroweStarsCarla GuginoLuke WilsonImogen PootsA road crew helps with a rock band's major multi-city tour.Here's a few TV series worth mentioning. I'm not sure if this is going to be back next season, or if this was a one-off series, as it just wrapped up this summer of 2016. I certainly hope it continues, as it's my wife's and my favorite recent show. UPDATE: Sadly this series will NOT be returning. I recently heard a Ron White interview on the radio, where he said the series was not being renewed past it's first season, but he then he added that it was OK with him, since his character died off at the end of the first season anyway. LOL
- StarsMike RoweDavid M. BarskyDoug GloverFollows the exploits of Mike Rowe as he performs various dirty and dangerous jobs around the USA.Here's a few TV series worth mentioning.
- StarsBen DarkPeter SchmeichelJo Beth TaylorHosts Ben Dark and Jo Beth Taylor assume the roles of some the more hands on, obscure jobs which may not be for everyone, but are essential to everyday life.Here's a few TV series worth mentioning.
- CreatorMichael DavidoffBill RosenthalStarsFred SavageMaurice GodinYvette FreemanWhat do you do after graduating from university? Go to work. And that's exactly what Matt wants to do. He wants to climb the corporate ladder the old-fashioned way: by working.Here's a few TV series worth mentioning.
- CreatorAndrew GuerdatSteve KreinbergStarsWilliam RagsdaleHank AzariaJane SibbettThe four aspects of a man's personality help him get through different situations in life.Here's a few TV series worth mentioning.