North Country (film)

North Country is a 2005 American drama film directed by Niki Caro, starring Charlize Theron, Frances McDormand, Sean Bean, Richard Jenkins, Michelle Monaghan, Jeremy Renner, Woody Harrelson and Sissy Spacek. The screenplay by Michael Seitzman was inspired by the 2002 book Class Action The Story of Lois Jenson and the Landmark Case That Changed Sexual Harassment Law by Clara Bingham and Laura Leedy Gansler, which chronicled the case of Jenson v. Eveleth Taconite Company.

Josey quickly befriends several other female workers at the mine, and soon realizes the women are constant targets for sexual harassment and humiliation by most of their male coworkers, who believe the women are taking jobs more appropriate for men. Josey in particular is targeted by Bobby Sharp, a former friend from high school. Josey tries to talk to her supervisor Arlen Pavich about the problem, but he refuses to take her concerns seriously. The women experience additional harassment in retaliation, and Bobby spreads rumors that Josey attempted to seduce him, leading his wife to publicly berate and embarrass Josey. Sammy begins to resent the way the townspeople treat them, and comes to believe the gossip about his mothers promiscuity.Josey takes her concerns to the mines owner Don Pearson, but despite his previous assurances that he is there to help, she arrives to find that he has invited Pavich to the meeting along with several other executives, and offers to accept her resignation immediately. She refuses, and leaves, devastated. Later, after being assaulted by Bobby at work, she quits and asks Bill White, a lawyer friend of Kyle and Glory, to help her file a lawsuit against the company. Bill advises her to recruit other women to form a class action lawsuit, which would be the first of its kind. The female miners, however, fear losing their jobs and facing additional harassment, and refuse, so Josey attempts to go ahead with the case alone. She also discovers that Glory has Lou Gehrigs Disease, and her health is declining rapidly. ........

Source: Wikipedia