Working Girl

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Working Girl

R

Released Dec 21, 1988

1h 53m

Romance

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

83%

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48 Reviews

67%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

Savvy New York City receptionist Tess McGill (Melanie Griffith) gives her conniving boss, Katharine Parker (Sigourney Weaver), an excellent business tip, but Katharine simply steals the idea without giving due credit to her secretary. After Katharine winds up in the hospital with an injured leg, Tess decides to exact revenge. Pretending to be her boss, Tess initiates a major deal with an investment broker (Harrison Ford) -- but things turn ugly after Katharine finds out what Tess has been up to.

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Critics Consensus

A buoyant corporate Cinderella story, Working Girl has the right cast, right story, and right director to make it all come together.

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Sara Michelle Fetters

MovieFreak.com

Whether intentional or not, Wade composed a story of metamorphosis and rebirth that transcends gender stereotypes.

Rated: 4/4

Jan 25, 2024

Full Review

David Denby

New York Magazine/Vulture

Just as most of us would agree that it's better to be the boss than a secretary, it's also better to be slick than dull. Shallow at it is, Working Girl is the most entertaining American comedy of 1988.

Aug 4, 2022

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Richard Corliss

TIME Magazine

How will the working class be educated to survive and thrive in the computer age? This intoxicating movie has an answer: let her strut her outer-borough wisdom from Wall Street to the Pacific Rim. Watch her fatten portfolios as she melts hearts.

Jan 13, 2010

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Zita Short

InSession Film

If Mike Nichols had just stayed in his lane, we wouldn’t have gotten something that was so lightweight and ineffective.

Feb 3, 2023

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Rene Jordan

El Nuevo Herald (Miami)

Elegant, sophisticated, frigid, and hot. A nostalgic reminder, between champaign and vision, of the fine delusions of Carey Grant, Irene Dunne, and Myrna Loy in the thirties. [Full review in Spanish]

Jun 15, 2022

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Nicholas Bell

IONCINEMA.com

A buoyant, emotionally gratifying underdog story, one that manages to be touching despite any of its minor follies

Rated: 4/5

Oct 29, 2020

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Horror fan 4

A great movie filled with outstanding performances. Tim Treakle

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/19/25

Full Review

Tracey P

Nowadays the clothes, etc, seem rather dated but don’t let that fool you. With heavyweights like Harrison Ford & Sigourney Weaver that in itself should say something. It’s a good storyline about Melanie Griffith’s trying to climb up the promotion ladder with a degree & good acumen. It’s only by bending the rules that she finally gets ahead to achieve something. H Ford has a lovely character to play with & S Weaver is eventually the bad guy. Good casting also with periphery characters from Joan Cussack & Alec Baldwin. It’s a good film after a bad day to lighten the mood and one of my long term favourites.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/04/25

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Meg F

Such a fabulous ‘80’s classic! And the HAIR! Just so fun

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/05/24

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Leaburn O

Girls need to support each other. Watched on DVD.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

08/11/24

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Uynga U

classic and enjoyeble

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/24/24

Full Review

Munkhjargal A

I am very grateful to the director for showing the problems of not trusting each other, cheating on the people you trust, etc. in this movie. Thank you for choosing the roles of the actors who played in it

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/22/24

Full Review

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Mike Nichols

Director

Melanie Griffith

Tess McGill

Harrison Ford

Jack Trainer

Sigourney Weaver

Katharine Parker

Alec Baldwin

Mick Dugan

Joan Cusack

Cyn

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Synopsis

Savvy New York City receptionist Tess McGill (Melanie Griffith) gives her conniving boss, Katharine Parker (Sigourney Weaver), an excellent business tip, but Katharine simply steals the idea without giving due credit to her secretary. After Katharine winds up in the hospital with an injured leg, Tess decides to exact revenge. Pretending to be her boss, Tess initiates a major deal with an investment broker (Harrison Ford) -- but things turn ugly after Katharine finds out what Tess has been up to.

Director: Mike Nichols
Producer: Douglas Wick
Screenwriter: Kevin Wade
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Production Co: 20th Century Fox
Rating: R
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 21, 1988, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 1, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $62.2M
Runtime: 1h 53m
Sound Mix: Surround

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