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Roger & Me is a 1989 American documentary film directed and reported by independent filmmaker/journalist Michael Moore. With black humor, Moore illustrates the negative economic impact of General Motors CEO Roger Smith's summary action of closing several auto plants in Flint, Michigan, costing 40,000 people their jobs and economically devastating the city.
Plot synopsis
Moore begins by documenting his futile attempts to arrange an interview with Roger Smith to confront him about the closing of the Flint plants. Moore, thrust off by GM security and PR staff, changes course and turns his camera on the Flint Convention and Visitors Bureau *, who are in the process of response by promoting a vigorously incompetent tourism policy, soon proved to be an embarrassing failure. Moore also exposes what he believes to be the naïve social attitudes of the rich population and big business' callousness and greed; he's equally harsh towards the union leadership and the governments that helped create the situation in the town. As these events are depicted, Moore also talks to the townfolk - the "honest, hardworking folks" who are at a loss to think of a way to continue to make a living. A good part of the town, nearly 25 percent, has already vacated.
History
This film, financed partly by Michael Moore's mortgaging of his home and partly by bingo games, was meant to be a personal statement over his anger not just at GM, but also the economic policies and social attitudes of the United States government which allows a corporation to remove the largest source of a town's income from that town. The film proved to be the most successful documentary in American history in its theatrical run (since surpassed at the box office by Moore's later documentaries Bowling for Columbine and Fahrenheit 9/11) and enjoyed wide critical acclaim. In response, General Motors threatened to pull advertising on any TV show which interviewed Michael Moore.
First film to document the following: (1) downsizing of corporations, and (2) outsourcing of jobs to developing world nations. GM's closing of several plants in Flint, Michigan, and opening new plants in Mexico is a prime example of outsourcing.
Michael Moore went on to become a leading left-wing social critic and activist, filmmaker, TV producer, and author based on the success of this film.
Roger and Me was followed up with a short film called The Return to Flint, a documentary aired on the PBS show P.O.V. that returned to Flint, Michigan two years after the release of Roger & Me to see what changes had taken place. Flint and the aftermath of its economic decline are also revisited in Moore's later films, including The Big One, Bowling for Columbine, and Fahrenheit 9/11.
Criticism
Film critic Pauline Kael criticized the film for exaggerating the social impact of GM's closing of the plant and depicting the actual events of Flint's troubles out of chronological order. One such criticism is that the eviction at the end of the film occurred on a different day from Smith's speech, but the two events were intercut for emotional effect. It should be noted that the viewer is directly informed of this, both during the eviction scene and during Smith's speech and the subsequent attempted interview with him.
GM argues that the reason for its downsizing was fierce competition from Japanese auto manufacturers and that the only alternative to the factory closures in Flint would have been major government subsidies or increased protectionism. Moore briefly touches upon these issues, noting that GM and the factories were profitable when they were moved.
Another criticism stems from Moore drawing attention to the opulent lifestyles of the rich, including Smith, while portraying GM labor as the working poor. Moore appears to omit information which would weaken his argument. He does not mention that the "working poor" of GM made, on average, well over $40 an hour and $100,000 per annum (2006 dollars) in wages alone.
Other such criticisms state that Moore did not follow the correct timeline of events (such as AutoWorld's opening in relation to a plant closing) in order to embellish his documentary. Moore addresses this criticism in the DVD commentary, stating that "there are no dates in the film; we'll be going back and forth throughout the decade of the '80s."
In the film, Moore states that "Ronald Reagan" came to Flint, making no mention if he was President or just a candidate (in 1980, when he visited Flint, he was, in fact, a candidate trying to oust Jimmy Carter). On the Laserdisc and DVD liner notes, the chapter title says "President Reagan visits Flint."
Technical data
- Running time: 91 min
- Country: USA
- Language: English
- Color: Color
- Sound: Mono
See also
- Flint Sit-Down Strike
- Six Flags AutoWorld
- Other documentaries by Moore: The Big One - Bowling for Columbine - Fahrenheit 9/11 - Fahrenheit 9/11 1/2 (in production) - Sicko (in production)
- List of movies - List of actors - List of directors - List of documentaries - List of Hollywood movie studios
- Pat Boone, Anita Bryant, Robert H. Schuller, and Bob Eubanks — all visited Flint during its tough times, and all appear in the documentary
External links
1989 films | Documentary films | Films directed by Michael Moore | Flint, Michigan | Warner Bros. films | Political films | Directorial debut films
Roger & Me | Roger & Me | Roger et moi | Roger e io | Roger and Me | Роджер и я (фильм) | Roger och jag
"Roger & Me"