Melanie Griffith once said that she had never seen daughter Dakota Johnson‘s “Fifty Shades of Grey,” but she may want to check out the sequel “Fifty Shades Darker” — because the sequel pays tribute to Griffith’s Oscar-nominated role in Mike Nichols’ 1988 dramedy “Working Girl.”
In one scene in the film, Johnson’s Anastasia Steele gets a promotion at a publishing company where she had once been a secretary. Ana tells a colleague: “I expect you to call me Ana. I don’t expect you to fetch me coffee unless you’re getting some for yourself…. and the rest we’ll just make up as we go along, okay?”
That line cribs from “Working Girl,” in which Griffith says: “I expect you to call me Tess. I don’t expect you to fetch me coffee unless you’re getting some for yourself…. and the rest we’ll just make up as we go along, okay?”
“Fifty Shades Darker” screenwriter Niall Leonard came up with the idea. “That’s my favorite part,” Johnson told USA Today. “I thought it was the sweetest thing ever. Because when has that ever happened in the history of film? And that’s also such an iconic line from ‘Working Girl.’ So it’s so special.”
The sequel topped the Thursday and Friday charts box office charts, but slid into second place for the weekend, locking up $46.8 million at 3,710 locations.
James Foley directed the movie, which is based on the erotic novel series by E.L. James.