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THE REWATCHABLES · June 9, 2025

Working Girl

A 1988 romance / comedy / drama movie directed by Mike Nichols—and decision no. 59 in the Hanks–Cruise tape.

RomanceComedyDrama1980sDirected by Mike Nichols
Working Girl1988MOVIE

ON THIS EPISODE

Podcast episode#398No. 409 overall
Movie year19881980s release
Tomatometer85%No. 49 of 128 tracked
Metacritic73View score
Roger Ebert4/4Original star rating
State of the raceHanks led by 532–27 · 0 ties

FROM THE CONVERSATION

What they said about the movie

The episode argues that Working Girl is a defining late-80s movie: a smart, stylish workplace Cinderella story with romance, class mobility, and female professional ambition all running together. The hosts praise Melanie Griffith’s performance, Mike Nichols’ direction, Harrison Ford’s charisma, and Carly Simon’s song, while also noting the movie’s absurd premise and its very 80s look and workplace culture.
Based only on this episode’s transcriptTimes approximateSpeakers were clearly identifiedExplore the connections
In this conversation
Bill SimmonsAmanda DobbinsJoanna RobinsonCraig Horlbeck

WHY IT WORKS

What made it rewatchable

  1. 01Melanie Griffith’s performance is seen as the movie’s engine: vulnerable, smart, funny, and believable as Tess. About 8 min
  2. 02The film captures a vivid late-80s New York workplace world, from Wall Street culture to office fashion and technology. About 8 min
  3. 03The Harrison Ford/Tess meet-cute and their chemistry are repeatedly singled out as a great rewatchable stretch. About 56 min
  4. 04The Carly Simon song and the opening/ending New York montage give the film emotional lift and iconic rewatch value. About 48 min
  5. 05Mike Nichols’ direction is praised for making the movie feel lived-in, character-driven, and rooted in real conversation. About 32 min

WHAT DID NOT WORK

Their main criticisms

  1. moderateThe premise is absurd: Tess effectively pulls off a major deal while impersonating her boss, and nobody seems to notice. About 2:00
  2. minorJack Traynor can feel creepy or sleazy early on, especially with the quick escalation and tequila routine. About 1:12 · medium confidence
  3. minorSome gender- and consent-era behavior has aged poorly, including workplace harassment, secrecy, and how relationships progress. About 2:00
  4. moderateA few plot details strain believability, including Catherine’s post-injury mobility and the speed of the romance/proposal. About 2:16

SCENES THEY KEPT COMING BACK TO

Standout moments

Favorite

Opening credits and New York ferry montage

The Statue of Liberty, ferry, skyline, and Carly Simon song create a defining first impression.

Opening minutes
critical

Kevin Spacey in the limo

The creepy limo scene with cocaine, porn, and harassment is remembered as bizarre and darkly prophetic.

About 8 min
positive

Tess and Catherine in the office

The early office exchanges establish class contrast, ambition, and Catherine’s icy boss persona.

About 8 min
Favorite

Bar meet-cute between Tess and Jack

The initial flirtation, tequila order, and costume contrast are singled out as a great rom-com setup.

About 56 min
positive

Office shirtless change / office cheering

Jack changing his shirt in the office while women cheer is played as charming and funny.

About 1:28
positive

Wedding / luau party

The themed wedding is treated as a peak 80s set piece with great clothes, drinks, and energy.

About 1:36
mixed

Bedroom nightcap scene

The late-night scene with a passed-out Tess and Jack’s awkward caretaking is funny but morally odd by modern standards.

About 1:36
positive

Final office / assistant handoff

The ending reassures viewers that Tess has learned how to lead and that the movie closes on her professional growth.

About 1:52

WHERE THEY DISAGREED

The biggest debates

They agreed About 2:00

Does the movie’s absurd premise still work?

Bill Simmons

It is fundamentally absurd that Tess can impersonate her boss and pull off the deal.

Amanda Dobbins

The movie earns the absurdity because the performances and filmmaking make it feel true.

They partly agreed About 1:12

Is Jack Traynor creepy or charming?

Bill Simmons

He comes on too strong early and has sleazy energy.

Joanna Robinson

He is ultimately a supportive rom-com lead with charm and chemistry.

They partly agreed About 8 min

Who should have won Best Actress in 1988?

Amanda Dobbins

Melanie Griffith is a stronger and harder performance than Jodie Foster’s in The Accused.

Bill Simmons

Foster’s win was understandable because of the award-season context, though Griffith was great.

They left it as a friendly argument About 2:16

Should Tess be seen as the villain?

Bill Simmons

Tess steals her boss’s man and job and the movie is built on that theft.

Amanda Dobbins

Tess is responding to Catherine’s theft of her idea and lying; the boss is the one in power.

They agreed About 2:08

How should the rom-com genre be ranked across eras?

Craig Horlbeck

Older rom-coms were edgier and more star-driven than current ones.

Bill Simmons

The genre has weakened in the streaming/social-media era because it is less original and less star-centered.

13 People discussedActors, directors, writers, and producers
very favorableMelanie GriffithAmanda Dobbins: Praised as perfect casting and the core reason the movie works; her Tess performance is called layered and believable. About 8 min favorableSigourney WeaverBill Simmons: Viewed as a chilly, stylish, intimidating supporting force whose performance gives the movie tension. About 16 min very favorableHarrison FordBill Simmons: Praised as effortlessly charismatic and funny in a rare rom-com role; his wardrobe and star presence are emphasized. About 48 min very favorableMike NicholsJoanna Robinson: Lauded for directing people and dialogue with realism, especially in female-centered stories. About 32 min
very favorableCarly SimonAmanda Dobbins: Her song and score are praised as essential to the movie’s identity and emotional lift. About 48 min
favorableJoan CusackBill Simmons: Praised as excellent comic support and a strong Oscar nomination, even if the part is small. About 8 min neutralKevin SpaceyBill Simmons: Mentioned as the creepy office guy in a scene that the hosts read as eerily foreshadowing later scandals. About 8 min
favorableDiane SawyerJoanna Robinson: Referenced as Mike Nichols’ great love and part of the context for his late-80s life. About 40 min · medium confidence
mixedDemi MooreCraig Horlbeck: Raised as an early casting possibility, but treated as a very different version of the movie. About 2:00 · medium confidencefavorableMeryl StreepJoanna Robinson: Mentioned as part of Nichols’ larger female-led filmography and as a useful comparison for strong, restrained performances. About 40 min · medium confidencefavorableJodie FosterBill Simmons: Used as the Oscar rival that beat Melanie Griffith in a very competitive year. About 8 min neutralGeena DavisBill Simmons: Mentioned in the Oscar/casting discussion around The Accidental Tourist and as a star who could have been in the film’s orbit. About 2:00 · medium confidence
favorableAnn RothAmanda Dobbins: Cited as the costume designer whose work strongly shapes the movie’s look. About 1:44
12 Conversation takesSpeakers shown only where the transcript identifies them
Amanda DobbinsLoved it

Working Girl as a cultural artifact

Says the film is more than a romantic comedy: it is a landmark artifact, Cinderella story, and 80s snapshot.

Opening minutes
Joanna RobinsonLoved it

Working Girl as a top-five 80s movie

Argues it belongs in any 80s time capsule because it captures the decade’s style, ambition, and city life.

Opening minutes
Bill SimmonsLiked it

Women at work in 80s movies

Sees the movie as part of a broader era of workplace films that taught viewers how professional women were supposed to look and act.

About 8 min
Joanna RobinsonLoved it

Melanie Griffith

Says Griffith is ideal casting because she is vulnerable, sexy, determined, and believable as Tess.

About 8 min
Bill SimmonsLoved it

Harrison Ford

Calls Ford one of the most universally liked movie stars ever and a huge part of the film’s appeal.

About 1:12
Joanna RobinsonLoved it

Mike Nichols

Frames Nichols as a master of people, dialogue, and female-centered movies with lived-in realism.

About 32 min
Bill SimmonsLoved it

Meet-cute at the bar

Treats the first Tess/Harrison Ford encounter as a classic, highly rewatchable romantic-comedy moment.

About 56 min
Joanna RobinsonLoved it

Opening and ending New York montage

Says the city shots and the song make the opening one of the movie’s best hooks.

About 48 min
Bill SimmonsMixed

The film’s premise

Admits the setup is absurd but says the movie works because the execution is so strong.

About 2:00
Craig HorlbeckMixed

Modern rom-coms

Argues newer romantic comedies feel safer, more polished, and less edgy than 80s/90s examples.

About 2:08
Bill SimmonsMixed

Jack Traynor

Says Jack starts off a little creepy and sleazy before settling into the charming supportive role.

About 1:12
Amanda DobbinsLiked it

Sigourney Weaver

Likes Weaver as an ice-queen antagonist whose performance becomes more revealing and human as the film goes on.

About 16 min
5 ThemesThe larger ideas in the discussion

Class mobility and aspiration

The film is treated as a Cinderella story about a working woman trying to cross class and office hierarchies.

About 8 min

Women in the workplace

The hosts frame the film as part of a late-80s wave of movies about professional women navigating male-dominated offices.

About 8 min

Late-80s New York/Yuppie culture

The movie is used as a snapshot of Wall Street-era ambition, limo culture, business travel, and conspicuous consumption.

About 8 min

Performance as character construction

The episode emphasizes how Griffith, Weaver, and Ford use style and demeanor to define their roles.

About 8 min

Rom-com evolution

The hosts argue that Working Girl helped define an edgier, smarter kind of romantic comedy that later films borrowed from.

About 16 min
21 Facts and referencesProduction notes and other movies mentioned

Production note

Melanie Griffith was reportedly under substance-abuse pressure during production, and production was reportedly shut down at least once.

About 16 min

Production note

The film received six Academy Award nominations and won only for Carly Simon’s song.

About 40 min

Production note

Griffith’s body of work is discussed as peaking with Working Girl, then declining through the 1990s.

About 24 min

Production note

The movie’s screenplay came from Kevin Wade, inspired by seeing career women in New York with sneakers and high heels.

About 40 min

Production note

A proposed opening set to the Eagles’ 'Witchy Woman' was rejected in favor of Carly Simon’s song.

About 2:16

Production note

Sandra Bullock starred in the 1990 NBC Working Girl TV series.

About 2:00

Production note

George H.W. Bush reportedly screened Working Girl during his first week as president and warned guests about 'dirty parts.'

About 2:00 · medium confidence

Pretty Woman

Used as a comparison for Cinderella-story borrowing and to argue it owes something to Working Girl.

About 8 min

Devil Wears Prada

Cited as a later film that clearly borrows DNA from Working Girl’s workplace and fashion dynamics.

About 8 min

Broadcast News

Mentioned as another important late-80s movie about professional women and media/workplace culture.

About 8 min

Baby Boom

Used as a parallel late-80s workplace/women’s life movie and as a potential double feature.

About 8 min

9 to 5

Referenced as an earlier workplace comedy about harassment and women’s labor conditions.

About 8 min

The Accused

Referenced in the Oscar comparison that pitted Jodie Foster against Melanie Griffith.

About 8 min

Fatal Attraction

Mentioned as another late-80s film about professional women and domestic/work tension.

About 8 min · medium confidence

The Graduate

Used to frame Mike Nichols as a major director of defining 60s American cinema.

About 32 min

Rain Man

Discussed as the Best Picture winner that beat Working Girl at the Oscars.

About 40 min

Dangerous Liaisons

Named as a strong Oscar competitor and a movie the hosts love.

About 40 min

Ghostbusters

Referenced as part of Sigourney Weaver’s run of major 1980s roles.

About 16 min

Aliens

Referenced as Weaver’s breakout action-star role.

About 16 min

The Accidental Tourist

Mentioned in the 1988 Oscars/casting discussion involving Geena Davis.

About 40 min · medium confidence

Working Girl (NBC series)

Cited as an example of the late-80s/early-90s habit of turning films into TV shows.

About 2:00
11 Running jokes and short linesRecurring bits captured from the conversation

Arbitrage confusion

They repeatedly joke that nobody knows what arbitrage means while discussing Wall Street culture.

About 8 min

'Sleazoid' vocabulary

The word 'sleazoid' becomes a recurring shorthand for office creeps and 80s behavior.

About 8 min

Melanie Griffith puffy-face detection

The hosts joke about spotting which scenes were shot after Griffith’s late nights and talk about her red eyes/puffy face.

About 16 min

Tequila gold

Jack’s tequila order becomes a bit about how dangerous and 80s the drink felt.

About 56 min

'Bony ass'

They repeatedly reuse the movie’s insult phrase about a woman’s 'bony ass' as a memorable bit of dialogue.

About 2:00 · medium confidence

Hard copy / Dictaphone / no cloud

They contrast the movie’s physical memo-taking with modern phone/cloud workflows.

About 1:52

Amanda Dobbins

“perfect romantic comedy, but more than”
Opening minutes

Bill Simmons

“I have a head for business and a bod for sin”
About 56 min

Bill Simmons

“who the fuck died and made you Grace Kelly”
About 1:36

Bill Simmons

“You can’t just order me”
About 1:36

Joanna Robinson

“Today's junior prick. Tomorrow's senior partner.”
About 2:00

MAKE IT A MOVIE NIGHT

Where to watch

UNITED STATES

Checking where Working Girl is available…

WHAT TO WATCH NEXT

Movies to watch before and after.

Three movies to watch before Working Girl, and three to watch next.

Finding six movies…Three to watch first and three to watch next.
Includes a Rewatchables episodePosters from TMDB.

ON THE MIC

3 voices made the call

Bill Simmons headshotBill Simmons125 tracked appearances · 56 H / 64 C / 5 ties
Amanda Dobbins headshotAmanda Dobbins4 tracked appearances · 3 H / 1 C
Joanna Robinson headshotJoanna Robinson9 tracked appearances · 7 H / 2 C

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