meaning of ending
Im confused about the ending. Does Nichols want us to be happy shes achieved her dream, or is he making the point she has become another boxed in office worker like thousands of others?
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MovieChat Forums > Working Girl (1988) Discussion > meaning of ending
I took it to mean she accomplished her goal and now she was at the start-gates to starting a great career. Warren tells her her position would be entry-level so shes at the start-gates and with hard work and ability she will be a success.
shareI think he wants us to be happy she achieved her dream and also recognize that Tess is just one of many success stories. It says it all in the tag line if you look at the movie poster: "For anyone who's ever won. For anyone who's ever lost. And for anyone who out there still trying." Although in order to make that dream a reality, Tess did have to bend some of the rules to get/make the breaks that she got (and fight fire with fire). That's the hard truth unfortunately and some may not like it but this is the world we live in. I love this movie. I watch it when I'm looking for a little inspiration and motivation.
Those really ARE blueberries, ma'am
I tried wading through the followups to this thread but they got so repetitive, all of them defending or criticizing Tess's behavior.
Listen: it's call "beating them at their own game."
Tess does a lot of the same things here nemesis Ms. Barker does - BUT Tess is the UNDERDOG! She employs Barker's same despicable tactics but when Tess wins, the audience cheers because not only has the deck been stacked against her, she also usurps the villainess.
Furthermore, Ms. Barker seems to simply ENJOY being despicable, while Tess is FORCED to be despicable in order to survive. Other than that, Tess is "true" - and she demonstrates that in the last scene when she shows much genuine compassion for her "secretary."
Common Hollywood scenario/formula/plot.
"Don't call me 'honey', mac."
"Don't call me 'mac'... HONEY!"
No one is "forced" to be despicable unless they are being threatened with a weapon, come on. And Tess if far from "true;" she's a fake and it shows.
Her "compassion" for her secretary stretches only as far as her secretary stays servile "beneath" her.
I do agree that Katharine was awful and deserved her come-uppance, but Tess was no better.
I say Cyn was the real hero of the film.
Tess' assistant was kind of cute
You said earlier in the thread (a couple of years ago) that Tess stole the idea for the radio acquisition from a tabloid article. That wasn't true.
She got the inspiration for the idea from Trask's daughter helping a fund raising event being organized by a radio personality at the same time that Trask's daughter had her picture in the paper for her upcoming wedding.
Neither of these had anything to do with Trask's company acquiring a radio station or a radio network. It was only how Tess put the two ideas together: Trask, radio. Trask, radio.
Her "compassion" for her secretary stretches only as far as her secretary stays servile "beneath" her.On the contrary, she raised the secretary to her own level as much as she could.
"Don't fetch me coffee unless you're getting some for yourself."
She didn't tell the secretary how to dress or how to lie to people (by saying that she was in a meeting if she was on the phone). She didn't need to be reminded that she should ask the secretary to call her "Tess" (which is what Catherine needed).
Her opening discussion with the secretary was the exact opposite of Catherine's opening discussion with her when she started working for Catherine.
This was so blatantly obvious that I'm wondering why you have a chip on your shoulder about Tess.
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This was so blatantly obvious that I'm wondering why you have a chip on your shoulder about Tess.
Because that poster is effing nuts and has some kind of weird obsession about that character. Read the many diatribes about Tess--believe me, they go on for quite a bit!
Just ignore the crazy unmedicated one, you'll stay saner :) share
Thanks - I've seen a few of the diatribes about Tess from that person.
Weird obsession indeed!
I think you're wrong. At the time the movie came out (1988) was way before the tech boom made everybody entrepreneurs and working for themselves. You had "bosses" and "workers" and very rarely did you have a "worker" become a "boss". A worker had no say so in who they worked for. Your boss told you what to do (no matter how uncomfortable, inefficient, or sleazy it was). If you look at "Mad Men" you see how male bosses treated female secretaries. In the 80s, it got worse because female bosses acted like the males but 10x worse just to prove they can do the job.
It was a cinderella story for the workers. Remember the toast Jack and Tess had at the networking event: Jack: power to the people. Tess: the little people.
I took it as both. Kind of sad, really.
Snakes. Why'd it have to be snakes?
I think dodrade might be referencing the pullback from the office building. I dont think it's as literal as boxed in, but a bookend to the opening scene. The opening scene with the same music zooming into the story and situation of Tess. Then at the end, pulling back and out of her life.
Granted it's a small change and small office, but I dont think it was implying too much more about the rat race (although it's pretty clear there's a fair amount of cyncism about office life in the movie.)
(also, it's NYC. a city of tiny boxes)
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