What The Critics Say

"North Country makes no apologies for its feminist approach to the material, but it would be hasty to write it off as a simple exercise in ‘male bashing’. It is complex and mature in its approach. Caro is clearly a great directing talent and has confidently fashioned a film as compelling as it is relevant. Unfortunately, it rings all too true. FOUR STARS" Megan Spencer SBS THE MOVIE SHOW "May be a simplistic account of a hard-won battle, but it will have audiences cheering." Jack Mathews NEW YORK DAILY NEWS "Director Niki Caro was a critical darling for her first feature, "Whale Rider", and her Hollywood debut confirms a legitimate talent." Marc Mohan OREGONIAN "A thought-provoking rather stirring film, North Country is a rare occasion when the most well-oiled performance bus in town crashes head on with a well-tuned story." Clint Morris WEBWOMBAT "Theron's acting goes beyond cosmetics as she once again gets into the head of the unchaste heroine she portrays and gives a winning performance." Dennis Schwartz OZUS' WORLD MOVIE REVIEWS "North Country delivers an emotional wallop and a couple of performances worthy of recognition come award time." Ruthe Stein SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE "It’s a memorable and touching portrayal of a certain kind of woman who is vital and determined instead of neurotic and victimized." Rex Reed NEW YORK OBSERVER

The Lois Jenson Story

In the tradition of A Civil Action and Erin Brockovitch, Class Action is a story of intrigue and injustice as dramatic as fiction but all the more poignant because it is true. In the coldest reaches of northern Minnesota, a group of women endured a shocking degree of sexual harassment-until one of them stepped forward and sued the company that had turned a blind eye to their pleas for help. Jenson vs. Eveleth Mines, the first sexual harassment class action in America, permanently changed the legal landscape as well as the lives of the women who fought the battle. In 1975, Lois Jenson, a single mother on welfare, heard that the local iron mine was now hiring women. The hours were grueling, but the pay was astonishing, and Jenson didn't think twice before accepting a job cleaning viscous soot from enormous grinding machines. What she hadn't considered was that she was now entering a male-dominated, hard-drinking society that firmly believed that women belonged at home-a sentiment quickly born out in the relentless, brutal harassment of every woman who worked at the mine. When a group of men whistled at her walking into the plant, she didn't think much of it; when they began yelling obscenities at her, she was resilient; when one of them began stalking her, she got mad; when the mining company was unwilling to come to her defense, she got even.

From Jenson's first day on the job, through three intensely humiliating trials, to the emotional day of the settlement, it would take Jenson nearly twenty-five years and most of her physical and mental health to fight the battle with the mining company. But with the support of other women miners like union official Patricia Kosmach and her luck at finding perhaps the finest legal team for class action law, Jenson would eventually prevail. Clara Bingham and Laura Leedy Gansler take readers on a fascinating, page-turning journey, the roller-coaster ride that became Jenson vs. Eveleth and show us that Class Action is not just one woman's story, it's every woman's legacy.
Case Notes: In October 1984, Jensen mailed a complaint to the Minnesota Human Rights Department outlining the problems she experienced. A week later her car tires were slashed in retaliation. The state requested that Ogelbay Norton Co, a Cleveland, Ohio-based part-owner of the mine, pay US$11000 to Jenson in damages, but the company refuses. Jenson quits working at the mine in January 1992 and shortly after is diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. In December 1992 in front of Judge Richard Kyle in St Paul Minnesota, a liability trail commences. In June 1993 he orders the company to educate all employees about sexual harassment. On November 7th 1994 one of the original plaintiffs, Pat Kosmach, dies. In 1996 in the first trail each of the women are awarded a settlement of US$10000. The payout was appealed and a new trail was ordered. In 1998, on the eve of the new trial by jury trial, the women settled out of court with Eveleth for a total of US$3.5 million. In the end Eveleth paid more than US$15 millions dollars in legal fees and settlements.
With thanks to Knopf Publishing Group, wikipedia and Sexual Harassment Support USA The Inside Story

"North Country is one of those movies that stir you up and make you mad, because it dramatizes practices you've heard about but never really visualized." Roger Ebert CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

After attending the premiere of the film, "North Country", Lois Jenson said, "They have made a very good film. It's a story that compresses 20 years of stuff, and the characters are composites of several of us. But the sexual harassment depicted was true. They captured the emotions very well, and overall I think it's an incredibly powerful film that will be around a long time." The story of Louis Jensen's fight for equality and justice is not a pretty one. Jensen and the women who joined the class action were the subject of intense personal and medical scrutiny. They would have to endure three trials, the death of a fellow plaintiff and the airing of their personal lives. It all started when Jensen took a job at the Eveleth iron mine in northern Minnesota's Iron Range. Here she worked "grueling hours cleaning soot from huge grinding machines, and, along with her fellow female co-workers, endured brutal sexual and gender harassment from the men who believed women should remain at home and not compete with men for scarce jobs." "This isn't a story in which all the men are evil and all the women are good because I know that's not the case; that would be a huge disservice to the complexities of human relationships," says director Niki Caro. "There are instances here in which both men and women behave appallingly and others in which they show great compassion. This is one of the reasons why I found the project so interesting and honest." But before the project could go ahead she had to convince Lois Jenson the subject would be handled correctly. Jensen says she "was initially very resistant to being involved with the film, believing that Hollywood would exploit, cheapen, or over-simplify the story. However, the director, Niki Caro ["Whale Rider"], eventually won her over." In the film, the main character, single mother of two, Josey Aimes, is played by acclaimed actress Charlize Theron. Her character is just one of the many who drive the film along. "The dynamics of the characters really drive the story," says Caro. "Josey's difficult relationship with her father, her father's initial rancor towards her and then his gradual comprehension of what things are like from her side; Josey's struggle as a single mother, and in particular with her teenage son who suffers the fallout of her lawsuit from the other kids at school; her friendship with the other women and their growing opposition to her once she decides to take on the establishment; and the tense interplay between Josey and Bobby Sharp. There's a lot of electrical current that passes between these people." Prominent in the film is the private life of Josey which is continually flushed out in an attempt to discredit her. "I see it as two stories unfolding concurrently," screenwriter Michael Seitzman notes. "One is about a woman going to work in the iron mines and the men who don't want her there. The other is about a woman coming to terms with her past, and how that affects her family and her future." When it came to casting the role of Josey, director Caro says there was only one actress for the role. "It was truly no contest," she said. "I wanted Charlize in this role. She proved to be a real collaborator, completely invested in telling the story." Fate would play its part in getting Theron the role after the actress saw the film, "Whale Rider". "I asked my agent to try setting up a meeting with her for whatever she was doing next and then, unbelievably, five days later I got the call for North Country," Theron related. "I was ecstatic. I've been completely overwhelmed and inspired by the whole experience; there isn't a word in the dictionary to explain how it felt for me to be a part of this picture." As in "Monster", it is the transformation and emotional handling of her character that once again is impressive. And it seems Theron has great respect for Niki Caro. "What I like about Niki's direction is that she doesn't complicate anything that doesn't need to be complicated," Charlize says. There is something beautiful in the simplicity of her style; the way she sees the world and people in general, and these people and their struggles in particular and how she taps into that. She understands that it all comes down to wanting to keep your head above water. I came into this project with enormous respect for her and that respect has only grown." Academy Award winning co-star Frances McDormand agrees. "For me, this is a movie about human dignity," McDormand says [emphasizing human over female]. "Niki Caro is a smart person and an incredibly insightful filmmaker. I can trust that her storytelling comes from an original place, as opposed to a sappy, sentimental one, and that she would make this a story about people, not just women." "North Country" is a solid piece of storytelling and one that many viewers will find both a fascinating and satisfying experience. One which will, thanks to Theron and the cast, stay in the mind, long after the film has finished.
Footnote: After settlement was announced Judge Donald Lay wrote, "It should be obvious that the callous pattern and practice of sexual harassment engaged in by Eveleth Mines inevitably destroyed the self-esteem of the working women exposed to it. The emotional harm, brought about by this record of human indecency, sought to destroy the human psyche as well as the human spirit of each plaintiff. The humiliation and degradation suffered by these women is irreparable. Although money damage cannot make these women whole or even begin to repair the injury done, it can serve to set a precedent that in the environment of the working place such hostility will not be tolerated." Cast & Crew Bytes "NORTH COUNTRY" stars .......
Charlize Theron ["The Curse of the Jade Scorpion", "Waking Up In Reno", "Monster" and "The Life and Death of Peter Sellers"]; Academy Award ® and Golden Globe winner Sissy Spacek ["Coal Miners Daughter", "Crimes of the Heart", "In The Bedroom" and "The Ring Two"]; Screen Actors Guild and L.A. Film Critics Association Award winner Frances McDormand ["Fargo", "Wonder Boys", "Almost Famous", "Laurel Canyon" and "Something's Gotta Give"]; Sean Bean ["In the Border Country", "Troy", "National Treasure" and "The Island"]; Academy Award ® nominee Woody Harrelson ["White Men Can't Jump", "Money Train", "Edtv", "Anger Management" and "After the Sunset"]; Jeremy Renner ["National Lampoon's Senior Trip", "Paper Dragons", "Monkey Love" and "S.W.A.T."]; Rusty Schwimmer ["Twister", "Amistad", "Edtv" and "The Perfect Storm"]; Linda Emond ["God's Will", "Pollock", "City By The Sea" and "Dark Water"]; Michelle Monaghan ["Unfaithful", "The Bourne Supremacy", "Constantine", "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" and "Mr. & Mrs. Smith"] and Richard Jenkins ["The Man Who Wasn't There", "Sins of the Father", "Fun With Dick & Jane" and "Rumor Has It"] as Hank Aimes.
"NORTH COUNTRY" was .......
directed by Niki Caro ["Sure To Rise", "Memory & Desire" and "Te kaieke tohora" aka "Whale Rider"]; screenplay by Michael Seitzman ["Farmer & Chase" and "Here On Earth"]; original story by Clara Bingham ["Class Action"] and Laura Leedy Gansler ["Class Action"]; costume design by Cindy Evans ["Memento", "Laurel Canyon", "Along Came Polly" and "Lords of Dogtown"]; production design by Richard Hoover ["Dead Man Walking", "Cradle Will Rock", "Girl, Interrupted" and "The Mothman Prophecies"]; edited by David Coulson ["A Death in the Family", "User Friendly", "Desperate Remedies" and "Te kaieke tohora"]; cinematography by Chris Menges ["The Killing Fields", "The Pledge", "Dirty Pretty Things" and "The Good Thief"] with original music by 2005 Anthony Asquith BAFTA Award and 2004 Clarin Award winner Gustavo Santaolalla ["The Insider", "21 Grams", "The Motorcycle Diaries" and "Brokeback Mountain"]. What It's All About

"North Country works as a portrayal of social injustice, yet it also works as a compelling character portrait. One of the best and most powerful pictures of the year." Mike McGranaghan AISLE SEAT

Fed up after her last beating Josie Aimes, mother of two returns to her hometown in Northern Minnesota. Wanting to support herself, son Sammy and daughter Karen, Josie is encouraged by her old friend Glory to take a job at the local open cut mine. Highly unionized, the mine has until recently been a male only domain. The women who take jobs at the mine get a mixed reception. Some men question the women's right to take jobs fearing that maybe one day, they will lose out to a woman. The women get no special treatment when it comes to which jobs they will do. Josey is prepared to work hard but what she and the other women are not prepared for is the sexual harassment they receive on the job. To make matters worse, Josey works with her father. A father who has never forgiven her for becoming pregnant as a teenager. Away from the mine Josey's private life becomes public property. Even her son Sammy starts believing she is a 'slut'. Eventually it becomes too much for her and she decides to approach the mines owner. He offers her a quick solution. The mine will waive the two weeks notice normally required and she can quit straight away. Josey Aimes isn't a quitter and returns to the mine. When she's attacked by a fellow worker Josey approaches lawyer Bill White. She wants to take the company to court. The other women are afraid to speak out so she'll have to go it alone and sue for sexual harassment The Verdict "Both Charlize Theron and Francis McDormand are up for Oscar's at the 2006 Academy Awards ® and it's not hard to see why. Theron and McDormand, already Oscar ® winners ["Monster" & "Fargo" respectively] give powerhouse performance in "North Country". Based loosely on the book "Class Action: The Story of Lois Jensen and the Landmark Case That Changed Sexual Harassment Law" by Clara Bingham and Laura Leedy Gansler, "North Country" is an engrossing and sometimes 'gross' tale of a single mothers fight against sexual harassment in a mine dominated by generations of male workers. Theron stands out in the role of Josey. The support cast which includes Richard Jenkins, Sean Bean, Woody Harrelson, Rusty Schwimmer, Michelle Monaghan, Jeremy Renner and Academy Award ® winner Sissy Spacek provide many gems throughout what is an entertaining film. Recommended." Who's Who?

Charlize Theron Richard Jenkins Sissy Spacek Frances McDormand Sean Bean Woody Harrelson Jeremy Renner Elle Peterson Thomas Curtis James Cada Rusty Schwimmer Linda Emond Michelle Monaghan Brad William Henke Jillian Armenante Amber Heard John Aylward Xander Berkeley Corey Stoll Cole Williams

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Josey Aimes Hank Aimes Alice Aimes Glory Kyle Bill White Bobby Sharp Karen Aimes Sammy Aimes Don Pearson Big Betty Leslie Conlin Sherry Lattavansky Peg Young Josey Judge Halsted Arlen Pavich Ricky Sennett Young Bobby

The Crew Directed by Niki Caro Written by Michael Seitzman Produced by Nana Greenwald/Jeff Skoll/Nick Wechsler Original Music by Gustavo Santaolalla Cinematography by Chris Menges Film Editing by David Coulson Casting by Mali Finn Production Design by Richard Hoover Art Direction by Gregory S Hooper Costume Design by Cindy Evans Run Time 126 minutes Rated MA15+ [AUST] Copyright ©2006 - Warner Bros - All Rights Reserved Copyright Protected © 2006 - Impact Internet Services & The Movie Pages - All Rights Reserved