6.8/10
50,226
144 user 51 critic

Working Girl (1988)

Trailer
0:29 | Trailer
When a secretary's idea is stolen by her boss, she seizes an opportunity to steal it back by pretending she has her boss' job.

Director:

Mike Nichols

Writer:

Kevin Wade
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Popularity
4,046 ( 521)
Won 1 Oscar. Another 8 wins & 17 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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 James Lally ... Turkel
Kevin Spacey ... Bob Speck
Robert Easton ... Armbrister
Olympia Dukakis ... Personnel Director
Amy Aquino ... Alice Baxter
Jeffrey Nordling ... Tim Rourke
Elizabeth Whitcraft Elizabeth Whitcraft ... Doreen DiMucci
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Storyline

Tess McGill is a frustrated secretary, struggling to forge ahead in the world of big business in New York. She gets her chance when her boss breaks her leg on a skiing holiday. McGill takes advantage of her absence to push ahead with her career. She teams up with investment broker Jack Trainer to work on a big deal. The situation is complicated after the return of her boss. Written by Sami Al-Taher <staher2000@yahoo.com>

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

...Her Time Has Come See more »

Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Certificate:

14+ | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Emmy, Grammy and Tony award winner Cyndi Lauper is currently working on a musical version of the movie. Her second musical after the highly acclaimed "Kinky boots". See more »

Goofs

When Tess and Jack are walking in to see Mr Trask for the Monday morning meeting, you can see the dolly rig reflected in the gold plaque at the bottom of the stairs, just after they pass by. See more »

Quotes

Katherine Parker: Never burn bridges. Today's junior prick, tomorrow's senior partner!
See more »


Soundtracks

Straight from the Heart
Written by Greg C. Jackson
Performed by The Gap Band
Courtesy of Total Experience Records/Lonnie Simmons
See more »

User Reviews

 
Career Women with Big Ideas and Even Bigger Hair
27 July 2008 | by evanston_dadSee all my reviews

A pure fantasy served up by Mike Nichols, but a vastly entertaining one.

Melanie Griffith is the secretary with massive hair who pretends to be a corporate business woman when her boss is layed up with a broken leg. The catch is, she finds out she's pretty good at it, and things get complicated when she ends up spearheading a business deal and falling in love with her key partner (Harrison Ford), all the while trying to keep what she's doing from her boss (Sigourney Weaver). It's the kind of movie that could just as easily have been made as a screwball comedy in the 1940s, perhaps with Barbara Stanwyck in the lead role.

The film is a classic in its own small way, one of the best comedies to emerge from the 1980s. Griffith is matched well with her role, so her limitations as an actress don't draw too much attention to themselves. But it's Weaver who steals the show as Griffith's imperious boss. She's a riot as a confident and powerful career woman from hell. And Joan Cusack steals a few scenes of her own as Griffith's best friend and fellow secretary, who sports hair as big as Griffith's and a Joisy accent to boot.

Nichols knows how to direct a comedy so that the funny bits speak for themselves.

Grade: A


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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 December 1988 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

Quand les femmes s'en mêlent See more »

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Box Office

Budget:

$28,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,718,485, 26 December 1988

Gross USA:

$63,779,477

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$102,956,984
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox See more »
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Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See full technical specs »

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