Working Girl 1988 | 113mins | dir: Mike Nichols | starring: Melanie Griffith, Harrison Ford, Sigourney Weaver | 11.25pm, Monday 30 August, BBC1 | Available from Amazon reviewed by Lebby Eyres uploaded: 23-08-2004 Melanie Griffith strikes a blow for working girls everywhere - secretaries, that is - in a film from the era when shoulder pads were big and hair bigger She’s a funny one that Melanie Griffith – the kind of actress you just can’t really make your mind up about. All the evidence suggests you should hate her: the bad cosmetic surgery, the weird website, (melaniegriffith.com) and the fact that she married Don Johnson not once, but twice. But there’s just something else there – something that, despite the La La Land ramblings on the website, suggests that really, Melanie is one of us. For a start, she’s now married to Antonio Banderas. He seems a sensible chap, and certainly not one to pick a girl who didn’t have a bit of gumption. Then there’s the voice – sweet, impossibly delightful and fragile. Or maybe it’s the fact she’s the daughter of Tippi Hedren, and therefore has a link to an older, classier Hollywood. Whatever you think of Mel, however, it’s fair to say she’s hasn’t really starred in anything of note recently (except, inevitably, voicing ‘Margalo the bird’ in Stuart Little 2). In fact, her last really memorable performance was in this, the seminal ‘career chick’ movie of the late eighties. Melanie is the secretary dreaming of her big break; Sigourney Weaver the bitch boss who stands in her way ; and Harrison Ford the big cheese who gets to shag them both. Of course, Oscar-nominated Melanie is fabulous. She sounds so vulnerable, yet acts so determined you can’t help but want her to succeed. Even when she resorts to a whole heap of subterfuge (namely, passing herself off as her boss) we’re right behind her, because, well, she’s got a terrible boyfriend who shags her mate and only ever buys her black underwear for her birthday. Inevitably, there are plenty of other reasons to watch Working Girl - Joan Cusack pops up as Mel’s best mate, as do Alec Baldwin (the boyfriend) and Kevin Spacey. It’s unashamedly feel-good, but also well-crafted, and well-acted enough not to be sentimental. Oh, and did I mention the hair? Best quote: "Why that little... Slut! Bitch! Secretary!" Katherine Parker (Sigourney Weaver) rating: 8/10 Melanie shows us how it's done - and we can't help loving her for it [Logan's Run]