The Best Movies to Watch on Labor Day

3 min readOne of the best lines in 9 to 5 occurs when Dolly Parton, as secretary Doralee Reynolds, tells her corrupt boss that she carries a gun in her purse. “Up to now, I've been forgiving and forgetting because of the way I was brought up,” she says. “But I'll tell you one thing: If you ever say another word about me or make another indecent proposal, I'm gonna get that gun of mine and I'm gonna change you from a rooster to a hen with one shot!”Now, I’m not advocating that Labor Day is about threatening your boss with a gun. But during the one day on the calendar when workers finally get to lift up their feet and enjoy a day off for once, you’re allowed to fantasize about whatever you want. And if you’re looking for a way to pass the time with a good film, well, we found nine Labor Day movies below about workers’ rights that just might make you feel like you’re not the only one clocking in day in and day out.9 to 5If you haven’t already rewatched the Dolly Parton classic following her death last week, there’s no being late to the party with 9 to 5. The office comedy, which also stars Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, follows three secretaries who fantasize about different ways to get even with their sexist vice president, played by Dabney Coleman.Watch NowModern TimesSilent film star Charlie Chaplin says goodbye to his slapstick persona, the Little Tramp, in this 1936 film about struggling to work in a modern world. He fumbles around on an assembly line and onto the conveyor belt. He works a giant machine full of levers and gears that stretch him out and knock him on his ass, and he proves that some gags just never get old.Watch NowNewsiesApologies, Mr. Hearst, but the newspaper business is taken to task in this 1992 musical about newspaper hawkers who fight wage cuts. The film, starring a young Christian Bale, and features Bill Pullman, Ann-Margret, and Robert Duvall, as the newsboys sing and dance through a strike against the paper.Watch NowOffice SpaceAfter computer programmer Peter Gibbons (Ron Livingston) is accidentally hypnotized into a state of bliss, the disgruntled and bored employee simply decides that he doesn’t want to come into work anymore. The hit workplace comedy created by the King of the Hill and Beavis and Butt-Head co-creator also stars Jennifer Aniston, Stephen Root, and Gary Cole.Glengarry Glen RossFour real estate salesmen compete to keep their jobs when they’re told two of them will be fired in this acclaimed drama starring Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Alec Baldwin, Alan Arkin, Kevin Spacey, Ed Harris, and Jonathan Pryce. The film is based on a David Mamet play, which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1984.Watch NowBlue CollarBlue Collar is an early drama by Taxi Driver writer Paul Schrader, who would go on to direct Mishima, First Reformed, Master Gardener, and many other acclaimed films about disgruntled people who question the meaning of life in their various professions. This 1978 film starring Richard Pryor, Harvey Keitel, and Yaphet Kotto follows auto workers who pull off schemes such as tax evasion and theft just to try to make ends meet.Watch NowThe Wages of FearFour truck drivers are hired by an American oil company to transport highly flammable nitroglycerin over rough mountain roads in this 1953 French thriller. One false move and their vehicle will be blown sky high. The film was remade in 1977 under the title Sorcerer with Roy Scheider and The Exorcist director William Friedkin; the remake also follows a dangerous journey to transport explosive materials.Watch NowNorma Rae Sally Field stars in this blue-collar film about trade unions and workers’ rights at a textile factory. Directed by Hud’s Martin Ritt, the film opens with footage of factories shot in documentary style and on location at a mill in Opelika, Alabama. And if you’ve seen the iconic image of Field’s character holding up a sign that reads “UNION,” then you’re already on your way to seeing Norma Rae.Watch NowClockwatchers9 to 5 walked so that Clockwatchers could run. This indie hit brought together Parker Posey, Toni Collette, Lisa Kudrow, and Alanna Ubach as four temp workers at a credit company who are accused of stealing office supplies. One of the realest lines from the film is when Parker Posey’s character says, “The only real challenge with this job, is trying to look busy when there's nothing to do.”