Norma Rae

Ain't no miracle bein' born

People doin' it every day

Ain't no miracle growin' up

People just grow that way

So it goes like it goes

Like the river flows

And time, it rolls right on

And maybe what's good

Gets a little bit better

And maybe what's bad gets gone

Bless the child of a workin' man

She knows too soon who she is

And bless the hands of a workin' man

He knows his soul is his

So it goes like it goes

Like the river flows

And time, it rolls right on

And maybe what's good

Gets a little bit better

And maybe what's bad gets gone

Yeah, it goes like it goes

Like the river flows

And time keeps rollin' on

And maybe what's good

Gets a little bit better

And maybe what's bad

Gets gone

That's all you're eating

for lunch? An apple?

I'm dieting.

I got to keep my strength up.

I put these preserves up myself.

Sunday, Russell and I put up

over 60 quarts of peaches.

What did you do over

the weekend, Norma?

I soaked my feet.

I saw you in town Sunday.

Your friend drives

a mighty big car.

If you'd looked on the motel

register, you'd seen my name, too.

It's none of m business.

Mama, you haven't opened

up your sack yet.

Mama, aren't you hungry?

Mama?

Mama, you feeling all right?

Mama?

Mama, can you hear me?

Mama?

Mama!

Mama, come on. Come on.

She didn't hear one word I said!

You know that happens.

Well, it doesn't happen to my mama!

It'll pass off.

It's just temporary.

That makes it OK!

She's only deaf all day!

She can get another job.

What other job in this town?

I'll give her a note.

They'll send her home.

Come on, Mama.

They don't care anything about you.

You all right out there?

I'm fine.

You're going to get all bitten up.

I'll be in. Just a minute.

Well...

I'm going to let this pot soak.

There's one soaking from breakfast.

Now it's got company.

Hey, you kids.

10 more minutes of this junk,

then do your homework.

I did it.

Unsatisfactory in

lettering and reading,

and your numbers aren't too good.

You haven't done much homework.

- Shh!

- Shush! I'll shush you.

What are you getting fixed up for?

I'm going into town.

What do you need in town?

Things.

OK. I'll drive you in.

You got Bonanza on next.

I'll miss that. It's

the same every week.

I'm going to J.C. Penney's,

buy myself some panties and a white

cotton brassiere, size 32-B.

If you want to sit outside

the dressing room

and have the ladies look

at you, then come on.

No, ma'am.

You coming straight back?

No.

I'm going to the drugstore,

buy myself some Kotex pads

and a Cosmopolitan magazine.

Mm-hmm. Then you coming home?

Yeah. I'll be so tired

from all the excitement,

I'll be coming home.

Hi.

Mr. Witchard?

That's right. Vernon Witchard.

Who are you?

My name is Reuben Warshovsky.

Warshovsky. What kind

of name is that?

The kind you have to spell for

telephone operators and headwaiters.

What do you want?

I'd like a room with a mill family.

What for? We got a hotel,

a motel with 36 rooms.

I want to get to know

some mill hands.

Why is that?

I'll tell you.

I just got into town

about an hour ago.

Hi. How are you?

Right away, the police chief

was saying, "Who are you?"

So I told him I'm a

labor organizer.

I've come to put a union in

the OP. Henley Textile Mill.

He said, "The hell you are, boy!"

He was dead right.

You people are Communists,

agitators, crooks, or Jews,

or all four rolled together.

You make folks lose their jobs,

get their heads busted...

Excuse me, sir.

How much do you make an hour?

I make $1.33 a frame.

When was your last

cost-of-living raise?

I haven't had that.

With today's inflation,

that makes you a schlemiel.

You calling me some kind of name?

You're underpaid.

You're overworked.

They're shafting you right

up to your tonsils.

You need me, sir.

If you run real fast,

you'll get to your car

before my dog bites you.

We ain't even got a dog.

You don't need one.

Hey. How you doing?

Do you have any vacancies?

Yes.

Hi.

Hey.

Friendly little town you got here.

So far I've been told

to shove off, get off, and go away.

Oh, it's OK.

Make sure they spray

your room for roaches.

You got roaches down here?

I'm very familiar with roaches.

Do you have a room with a view?

You got the back alley

or the parking lot.

Which?

Back alley or parking lot?

Give him 31, Alston.

Can't hear the drunks

from in there.

I'll be back this way next

Wednesday after dinner.

I'm having dinner

with my wife's folks.

Tonight was the last time, George.

You don't say, Norma Rae.

Well, now, isn't that

a surprising turn?

No. Been coming on for some time.

You know something funny?

I didn't notice it.

Didn't you get your steak dinner

and your box of pralines?

Didn't you come three times in

a row in that bed over there?

I wasn't counting.

Ha ha ha!

Well, well, well.

Looks like I don't know what it

takes to satisfy you these days.

It just doesn't sit well

with me anymore, George.

You got your wife, your

two kids in high school.

There's a lot of gossip.

I got my two kids.

I don't know.

It just doesn't make me feel good.

You're here to make me feel good.

I'm not trotting down here anymore.

Why, you hick.

You got dirt under

your fingernails.

You pick your teeth

with a matchbook.

What the hell are you

good for, anyway?

You come outta that factory,

you wash under your armpits,

you come on down here and

spread your legs for a poke,

and you're dumping me?

I heard a hell of a thump.

That was me, getting

throwed across the room.

I have some ice for that.

Sit down. Please.

You look all shook up.

Here, put this on.

I thought everybody down

South was Ashley Wilkes.

You lie down with

dogs, you get fleas.

Does this look broken to you?

Go like this.

No, I don't think so.

Do you want aspirin?

No, thanks.

Band-Aid? Valium?

You're a whole drugstore.

I'm a mild hypochondriac.

Keep that on it.

Ohh.

Me and men.

I ought to learn to say

no right from the start.

But if it wasn't men, I don't

know what it would be.

You got a lot of books.

I'm terrified I'll wake up

in a motel room one morning

and have nothing to read

but the phone book.

She got big eyes.

Yeah, got a big brain, too.

What's her name?

Dorothy Finkelstein.

She's a hotshot labor

lawyer out of Harvard.

She must be your girlfriend if

you haul her picture around.

We sleep together

on Sunday mornings

and read The New York Times.

I guess that makes

her my girlfriend.

Hey.

- I'm Norma Rae Wilson.

- Reuben Warshovsky.

Nice meeting you.

My pleasure. Keep

that on your nose.

I'm sorry about my daddy.

He got a short fuse.

My credentials keep me

out of a lot of places.

But once in a while,

someone puts me in

their best bedroom

and treats me like a cousin.

- Ha ha ha!

- What?

That sure as heck

wouldn't be my daddy!

You a Jew?

I beg your pardon?

Are you a Jew?

Born and bred.

I never met a Jew before.

How you doing?

I heard you all had horns.

Circumcised, yes. Horns, no.

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