Working Girl (1988)

Director:

Mike Nichols

Writer (WGA):

Kevin Wade (written by)

Release Date:

21 December 1988 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

For anyone who's ever won. For anyone who's ever lost. And for everyone who's still in there trying.

Plot:

When a secretary's idea is stolen by her boss, she seizes an opportunity to steal it back by pretending she has her boss's job.

Plot Keywords:

Boss | Secretary | Career | Pretending | Business

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 9 wins & 14 nominations

Cast

Harrison Ford	...	Jack Trainer
Sigourney Weaver	...	Katharine Parker
Melanie Griffith	...	Tess McGill
Alec Baldwin	...	Mick Dugan
Joan Cusack	...	Cyn
Philip Bosco	...	Oren Trask
Nora Dunn	...	Ginny
Oliver Platt	...	Lutz
James Lally	...	Turkel
Kevin Spacey	...	Bob Speck
Robert Easton	...	Armbrister
Olympia Dukakis	...	Personnel Director
Amy Aquino	...	Tess' Secretary
Jeffrey Nordling	...	Tim Rourke
Elizabeth Whitcraft	...	Doreen DiMucci
Maggie Wagner	...	Tess's Birthday Party Friend
Lou DiMaggio	...	Tess's Birthday Party Friend
David Duchovny	...	Tess's Birthday Party Friend
Georgienne Millen	...	Tess's Birthday Party Friend
Caroline Aaron	...	Petty Marsh Secretary
Nancy Giles	...	Petty Marsh Secretary
Judy Milstein	...	Petty Marsh Secretary
Nicole Chevance	...	Petty Marsh Secretary
Kathleen Gray	...	Petty Marsh Secretary
Jane B. Harris	...	Petty Marsh Secretary
Sondra Hollander	...	Petty Marsh Secretary
Samantha Shane	...	Petty Marsh Secretary
Julia Silverman	...	Petty Marsh Secretary
Jim Babchak	...	Jr. Executive
Zach Grenier	...	Jim
Ralph Byers	...	Dewey Stone Reception Guest
Leslie Ayvazian	...	Dewey Stone Reception Guest
Steve Cody	...	Cab Driver
Paige Matthews	...	Dewey Stone Receptionist
Lee Dalton	...	John Romano
Barbara Garrick	...	Phyllis Trask
Madolin B. Archer	...	Barbara Trask
Etain O'Malley	...	Hostess at Wedding
Ricki Lake	...	Bridesmaid
Marceline Hugot	...	Bitsy (as Marceline A. Hugot)
Tom Rooney	...	Bridegroom
Peter Duchin	...	Trask Wedding Orchestra
Maeve McGuire	...	Trask Secretary
Timothy Carhart	...	Tim Draper (as Tim Carhart)
Lloyd Lindsay Young	...	TV Weatherman
F.X. Vitolo	...	Tony
Lily Froehlich	...	Clerk at Dry Cleaner's
Michael Haley	...	Heliport Attendant (as R.M. Haley)
Mario T. DeFelice Jr.	...	Helicopter Pilot
Anthony Mancini Jr.	...	Helicopter Pilot
Suzanne Shepherd	...	Trask Receptionist
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Matthew Bennett	...	Rhumba Guy (uncredited)
George G. Colucci	...	Staten Island Ferry Commutor (uncredited)
Trish Cook	...	Staten Island Secretary (uncredited)
Priscilla Cory	...	Pretty Brunette Office Girl (uncredited)
Marilyn Dobrin	...	Cyn's Aunt (uncredited)
Kevin Fennessy	...	Trask Executive (uncredited)
Anita Finlay	...	Receptionist (uncredited)
Tom Sean Foley	...	Office Worker (uncredited)
Dean Regan	...	Hospital Orderly (uncredited)
Alison Wachtler	...	Petty Marshall Secretary (uncredited)

Directed by
Mike Nichols

Writing credits (WGA)
Kevin Wade		(written by)

Produced by
Robert Greenhut	....	executive producer
Laurence Mark	....	executive producer
Douglas Wick	....	producer

Cinematography by
Michael Ballhaus		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Sam O'Steen

Casting by
Juliet Taylor

Production Design by
Patrizia von Brandenstein		(as Patrizia Von Brandenstein)

Art Direction by
Doug Kraner

Set Decoration by
George DeTitta Jr.		(as George DeTitta)

Costume Design by
Ann Roth

Makeup Department
Joseph A. Campayno	....	makeup artist (as Joe Campayno)
Alan D'Angerio	....	hair stylist
J. Roy Helland	....	hair stylist
J. Roy Helland	....	makeup artist
Francesca Paris	....	hair stylist (uncredited)

Production Management
Todd Arnow	....	production supervisor
Timothy M. Bourne	....	assistant unit production manager
Robert Greenhut	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michael Haley	....	first assistant director (as Mike Haley)
Daniel M. Stillman	....	additional second assistant director (as Dan Stillman)
Nathalie Vadim	....	second assistant director
Carla Zackson	....	dga trainee

Art Department
Tim Galvin	....	assistant art director
Daniel K. Grosso	....	second set dresser (as Danny Gross)
Ken Kammerer	....	assistant property master
James Mazzola	....	property master
Tom McDermott	....	assistant property master
Arne Olsen	....	chief construction grip
Ron Petagna	....	construction coordinator (as Ronald J. Petagna)
Samara Schaffer	....	art department coordinator
Cosmo Sorice	....	stand-by scenic artist
James Sorice	....	master scenic artist
Dave Weinman	....	set dresser (as David Weinman)
Gerald DeTitta	....	set dresser (uncredited)
Frank Didio	....	head carpenter (uncredited)
Christopher Nelson	....	set dresser (uncredited)

Sound Department
Michael Bedard	....	cable person (as Mike Bedard)
Stan Bochner	....	supervising sound editor
Marko A. Costanzo	....	foley artist
Lee Dichter	....	sound re-recording mixer
Adam Fredericks	....	apprentice sound editor
Marshall Grupp	....	sound editor
Joseph Gutowski	....	assistant sound editor
Michael Jacobi	....	adr editor
Richard King	....	assistant sound editor (as Richard Q. King)
Les Lazarowitz	....	production sound mixer
Linda Murphy	....	boom operator
Susan M. Wagner	....	assistant sound editor (as Susan Wagner)
George A. Lara	....	foley mixer (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
John Alagna	....	opticals
Dick Rauh	....	opticals

Stunts
Natasha Buser	....	stunts
Jim Dunn	....	stunt coordinator
Frank Ferrara	....	stunt coordinator
Phil Neilson	....	stunts (as Philip G. Neilson)
Michael Russo	....	stunts (as Michael C. Russo)
Bronwen Thomas	....	stunts
Vic Armstrong	....	stunt double: Mr. Ford (uncredited)
Shawn O'Neil	....	stunt driver (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Florian Ballhaus	....	first assistant camera
Gary Childs	....	camera operator: Wescam camera
Jerry DeBlau	....	best boy electric
John W. DeBlau	....	gaffer (as John DeBlau)
David M. Dunlap	....	camera operator (as David Dunlap)
Neil Fallon	....	video playback operator
Brian Fitzsimons	....	best boy grip
Dennis Gamiello	....	key grip
Bobby Mancuso	....	second assistant camera (as Robert Mancuso)
Andrew D. Schwartz	....	still photographer (as Andy Schwartz)
Steve Wright	....	camera trainee
David Satin	....	computer/video engineer (uncredited)
Lance Shepherd	....	electrician (uncredited)
Robert Shepherd	....	electrician (uncredited)

Casting Department
Judie Fixler	....	additional casting
Ellen Lewis	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
David Dumais	....	wardrobe: men
Gary Jones	....	assistant costume designer
Melissa Stanton	....	wardrobe: women
Mila Vyborny	....	wardrobe shopper
Andrea Wallace	....	wardrobe shopper

Editorial Department
Kris Cole	....	assistant editor
Bob Hagans	....	color timer
Richard Nord	....	assistant editor

Music Department
James Flatto	....	assistant music editor
Rob Mounsey	....	music scorer
Patrick Mullins	....	music editor
Carly Simon	....	song: music and lyrics by

Transportation Department
Tom O'Donnell Jr.	....	transportation captain (as Thomas J. O'Donnell Jr.)
Louis Volpe	....	transportation co-captain

Other crew
Cyd Adams	....	production assistant
John Alagna	....	titles
Mary Bailey	....	script supervisor
Jan Sebastian Ballhaus	....	production assistant (as Sebastian Ballhaus)
Richard Baratta	....	location manager
Nicholas Bernstein	....	location assistant
Jerry Caron	....	production assistant (as Gerry Caron)
Al Cerullo	....	helicopter pilot
Ken Gerber	....	location assistant
Hannah Green	....	production assistant
Amy Herman	....	location assistant
Thomas A. Imperato	....	production auditor (as Thomas Imperato)
Ingrid Johanson	....	production coordinator
Michael Kelem	....	gyrosphere aerial operator
Maureen Kleinman	....	assistant production coordinator
Susan MacNair	....	assistant: Mike Nichols
Brian Mannain	....	studio manager
Eric Myers	....	unit publicist
Jan Nizen	....	assistant production auditor
Sabrina Padwa	....	assistant: Mike Nichols
Dick Rauh	....	title designer
Helen Robin	....	assistant: Robert Greenhut
John Saffir	....	production assistant
Scott Schaffer	....	craft service
Caroline Thompson	....	assistant: Douglas Wick
Pamela Thur	....	location assistant
Libby Titus	....	production assistant
Gilbert S. Williams	....	production assistant (as Gil Williams)
Joyce P. Fields	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Linda Marshall-Smith	....	location assistant (uncredited)
Ari Taub	....	assistant locations (uncredited)
Tom Tumminello	....	parking coordinator (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (1988) (USA) (theatrical)
• Finnkino (1989) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Fox Film (1989) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Lucernafilm - Beta (1991) (Czechoslovakia) (theatrical)
• FS Film Oy (2006) (Finland) (DVD)
• Fox Network (1991) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Gativideo (1989) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1994) (2002) (2007) (Finland) (TV)
• Oy Europa Vision AB (1989) (Finland) (video)

Other Companies

• Arista Records  soundtrack
• David Sharp's Totally Looped Group  vocal effects
• J.G. Films  negative cutting
• Optical House, The  titles and opticals
• PMK Public Relations  publicity
• Reeltime Creative  trailer music
• Sound One Corporation  post-production facilities
• Todd Thaler Casting  additional casting

Also Known As:

Runtime:

113 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:S | France:U | Peru:14 | Singapore:NC-16 | Sweden:Btl | UK:15 | USA:R (Certificate N° 29266) | West Germany:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Canada:14+ (Ontario) | Iceland:L

Filming Locations:

Vernon Valley Great Gorge Ski Resort, New Jersey, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Harrison Ford got his famous scar by crashing into a pole on Laguna Canyon Road in Laguna Beach, CA. He was a player at the Laguna Playhouse at the time and got a "rush stitch job" at South Coast Hospital in Laguna Beach. In the movie, his character says that he was piercing his ear as a teen, and fainted and hit his chin on the toilet. See also: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989).

Goofs:

Continuity: When Catherine is getting off of the helicopter, she first is waving from it and the blades are still spinning. Then when Tess goes to help her out of the helicopter the blades have stopped spinning. (There is no way that they would have stopped so fast.)

Quotes:

Tess McGill:[Mick has bought Tess some lingerie for her birthday] Y'know, Mick, just once I could go for like a sweater or some earrings... something that I could actually wear outside of this apartment?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Happy Endings: The Marry Prankster (#3.12)" (2013)

Soundtrack:

The Lady in Red

A dated but enjoyable satire

Watching Working Girl ten years after its release, it's hard not to dismiss it as a dated satire of the corporate world of the 1980's. At the same time, that's part of the movie's charm. Even though ten years has made the costumes, hair, and production design irritating, the charm and intelligence of Mike Nichols' Cinderella story still shine through. As does the quality of the performances, which are also revealing a decade later. Harrison Ford makes a perfectly likable romantic lead while Alec Baldwin and Kevin Spacey offer amusingly smarmy comic performances. But the actresses walk away with the movie. Joan Cusack is hilarious in a scene-stealing turn as a Staten Island secretary, and Sigourney Weaver is great as a shrewd and conniving career woman. The brilliance of Weaver's performance is how slyly and genuinely she plays her villianous character, often decieving the audience as she decieves the characters in the movie. And finally there is Melanie Griffith who gave a star-is-born performance as the big-haired secretary who falls in love with Ford's merger specialist and smartly climbs her way up the corporate ladder after Weaver stabs her in the back. Griffith earned an Oscar nod for this performance (as did Cusack and Weaver for theirs) and it's a testament to how funny, sexy, and wonderful she is in the part that even after numerous flops and odd career moves, she's still a well-known movie star ten years later (For an opposite side at this scenario look at Jennifer Beals in Flashdance or Jennifer Grey in Dirty Dancing, both of whom became big stars and then fell off the face of the earth). Nichols' direction is smart, as is Kevin Wade's clever screenplay, and the light and funny romantic comedy leads up to a surprisingly suspenseful and enormously satisfying climax. All-in-all, a satisfying and amusing entertainment.