Tss5078 Sexual harassment wasn't a concern in the work place until 1984, when the first class action sexual harassment lawsuit was brought against the owners of a mine in Minnesota. This is the story told in the award winning film, North Country, which graphically shows the horrors these women had to face at work on a daily basis. Charlize Theron was amazing, portraying Josey Aimes, the woman who finally stood up and said enough is enough. Theron is the kind of actress who is usually overlooked because of the roles she takes. I had a difficult time judging what kind of an actress she really was until seeing her in the role of a lifetime. Portraying Aimes as realistically as possible, Theron really made the audience feel the struggle of a single mother, having to take a difficult job, just to put food on the table. We see how the harassment at work effected every aspect of her life and it actually changed my view on sexual harassment. As harsh as it sounds, I always viewed sexual harassment as a law created by people who were too serious and couldn't take a joke, but the story of Josey Aimes is no joke. No person, male or female, of any color, race, or sexuality, should ever have to face even half of what Aimes had to go through. This example is how you know that North Country is one amazing film, because any movie that can change a persons opinion on a subject, is worth it's weight in gold. Theron isn't the only gem in this film, as France McDormand also received an Oscar nomination for her role as a co-worker suffering from Lou Gehrig's disease. I also thought that Woody Harrelson deserved recognition for his portrayal of the attorney who represented the women. In 1984, there had never been a case like this, and for him to go out on a limb for something like this was truly special, and its reflected in his performance. From top to bottom this film is very solid, the cast is terrific, and the story is a historically accurate portrayal of sadly, a much overlooked moment in American judicial history. North Country is the kind of film that I truly believe every child should see before entering the work force for the first time. It is that powerful and also earns a spot on our list of must see movies!

katinka1969 Overall I found that this film was a bit too Hollywood for my liking, especially the about-turn in the father's regard for his daughter. Plus Charlize Theron, though a terrific actress, looked way too beautiful, luminous, clear-skinned etc. to convincingly play an overwrought mother of two who'd been regularly beaten by her ex-husband.Having said this, I think the reviewers who slam it as being out of date, irrelevant etc. are missing an important point. Films about subjects such as this are in my view essential to remind us of just how far we've come in terms of equality in the workplace and in life generally. The 80s is still a relatively recent decade, which makes it even more horrifying that this type of abuse was at best ignored, at worst encouraged. Add to that the fact that all of the episodes in this film happened in real life, and there were apparently scores of others that could not be included, given the constraints of a two hour film. It is very easy to forget that many of the rights and privileges we enjoy today were hard-won, often by horribly oppressed people who had little more than sheer determination driving them to take on the seemingly untouchable powers-that-be.

carte101 North Country stars Charlize Theron as Josie Aimes. The film, based on a true story, centers on Josie who leaves her abusive husband with two small children and travels back to Minnesota to a small town where she grew up. Desperately needing a good paying job to support her family, and not be dependent on her mother and father, (played by Sissy Spacek and Richard Jenkins), her best friend Glory (Francis McDormand) talks her into applying for a position at a local iron mine. The iron mine is the best paying job in the area; however the downside is that the mine is predominately employed by chauvinistic men who aren't actually ready for women in the workplace. She and the other female employees are verbally abused, at times assaulted and continually sexually harassed, which ultimately drives Josie to seek legal help from attorney friend Bill White (Woody Harrelson). A class action lawsuit soon followed. The director of North Country, Niki Caro, very effectively shares a vivid image of the struggles and sadness of workplace harassment, (even in the late 80's), with regard to women who are trying their best to make ends meet in the face of difficulty or opposition. Along with workplace sexual harassment that occurred, work in general in an iron mine was visibly hard and extremely dangerous. Editing and cinematography did a great job of capturing these realities through various shots at the mine. Of particular interest to me was Josie's first day on the job and the slow motion shot of the blasting that occurred while she watched. This would certainly be intimidating for your first day on the job. The irony of North Country for me was that it reminded me of the film Disclosure (1994), which starred Michael Douglas and Demi Moore. Not because the plots were similar, (because they were exact opposite), but because the themes of both films were tied to workplace sexual harassment. North Country was very interesting to watch, although it touched a nerve. I found it especially troubling that this type of behavior would be allowed to occur in the workplace. I found it even more troubling that many of the men stood by and watched is happen because they either didn't care, or were fearful of what the others might think. In any event, Josie Aimes perseveres in the end, giving hope that there is always a civil remedy for what seems to be a hopeless situation.

rbrb Inspired by actual events, a mother of two out of necessity goes to work as a miner, but is met with outrageous and disgraceful discrimination and harassment because of her gender. With all the odds stacked against her, can she win a court case against her employers?The lead actress Charlize Theron, must surely be the best dramatic performer in the States at the moment. She is stunning and outstanding in her role.The production is first class and one can almost feel, taste and touch the mining community in the way the film is presented. The whole movie has a ring of authenticity about it and every single player gives a full throttle believable portrayal.This picture had me engrossed from start to finish:Hence deserves top or near top marks:9/10