Roger & Me (1989)

• Year: 1989
• Released: 20 Dec 1989
• Country: United States
• Adwords: 14 wins
• IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098213/
• Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/Roger_and_Me
• Metacritics: https://www.metacritic.com/movie/roger-me
• Available in: 720p, 1080p,
• Language: English
• MPA Rating: R
• Genre: Documentary
• Runtime: 91 min
• Writer: Michael Moore
• Director: Michael Moore
• Cast: Michael Moore, Roger B. Smith, Rhonda Britton
• Keywords: unemployment, capitalism, economics, corporate greed,

	7.5/10
	70/100
	100% – Critics
	79% – Audience

Roger & Me Storyline

Filmmaker Michael Moore was born and raised in Flint, Michigan, a city dominated by one company, General Motors (GM), which is the largest corporation in the world and which was founded in Flint. The people of Flint were prosperous because of GM, and in turn GM was successful because of the people of Flint. The fortunes of Flint take a decidedly downward turn when GM Chair, Roger B. Smith, decides to close eleven GM plants, most in Flint, which means the loss of 30,000 jobs there. Despite GM still making profits in the billions, Smith moves those jobs to new factories in Mexico, where wages are lower. As such, Moore goes on a quest to speak to Smith to find out exactly his rationale for relocating those 30,000 jobs from Flint, thus devastating the city, and to show Smith firsthand that devastation. But Moore’s quest is easier said than done. Moore gets turned back by one security guard after another wherever Smith is at the time. Moore also delves into the fortunes of the average ex-GM worker and his/her family in Flint, what the city is doing to try and reinvent itself, and what employment opportunities are had if one decides to stay in Flint.

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Roger & Me Movie Reviews

So much for corporate responsibility…

The world was introduced to Michael Moore through “Roger & Me”, about the downsizing of the General Motors plant in Moore’s hometown of Flint, Michigan, and the economic devastation that it caused. Moore spends much of the documentary trying to get in contact with GM CEO Roger Smith. He does get in contact with Smith in one scene but still doesn’t convince him to come to Flint.

What Moore personally does in the documentary is of course less important than what we see happen to a previously idealistic American town as it completely falls apart. This should be required viewing for anyone wanting to know about American business. In fact, it should be required viewing for everyone.

Roger & Me

Before the success of films like Bowling for Columbine and Fahrenheit 9/11, documentary director Michael Moore started small with this “one- off” which was considered great viewing by the critics, and being in the book of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die I was definitely going to watch. This film documents the regional negative economic impact of car manufacturing company General Motors to the town of Flint, Michigan, with several of the auto plants closing and causing the loss of over 30,000 jobs (80,000 to date). The numerous actions of company CEO Roger Smith also cause negative results, so it follows Moore trying to find and talk to Smith himself in the various places he is meant to turn up, for leisure or business. The various people and businesses affected by the loss of work, capital, funding and finances are interviewed, bankruptcy and bad spending is focused, and archive footage is used well to show all this stuff as well. I did like the attention to detail put into it, and it was certainly interesting to see a town self implode and become “the worst state in America”, but I maybe did not find this as engaging as Moore’s later works, but overall it is a most watchable documentary. Very good!

The world needs more Moores!

As a prototypical youngest child I have an affinity for feather-ruffling and rabble-rousing. As such, I love these types of movies hence the 8-star rating. Still, this film bothered me in a few ways; the primary one is the basic question of exactly what do corporations owe their employees? Tastes change, technology changes, and not surprisingly business tactics change. I am not sure if Moore or the employees stated this, but what exactly did they want/expect? Of course they wanted to retain their jobs but as I understand it the owners of corporations are looking for increased profits. Cutting costs are one way to do that. One way GM found to cut costs was to manufacture abroad. So, why wouldn’t GM do that? Due to employee loyalty? I’m not sure a corporation can exist if employee loyalty comes before profits. I think Moore should have also gone after primary stockholders/owners as well.

As I watched, I had a similar thought that I had to consider the source and remember that Moore is a business man and being controversial sells tickets. I had that same feeling watching Sicko. It’s like Moore’s documentaries outcomes are predefined and he will see to it that it turns out that way. I thought Moore’s asking those presumably rich people(and Miss Mich) their impromptu thoughts on the situation was unfair. I would welcome more intelligent debate where both sides are given some time to prepare. Why Roger didn’t talk to Moore surprised me maybe Moore liked it that way. After all, did Moore truly do all he could to get an interview? I will bet you this. If on hiring day, every employee was informed that in the future GM may adopt tactics that would result in job losses, but that if this occurred laid-off employees might receive a severance package, the vast majority would still have taken the job regardless of these known pitfalls.

To me, going to work for a corporation is a buyer-beware situation. As employees we need to maximize our time there. Take your vacations, max out your 401K, take advantage of tuition assistance, get physicals, and watch the behaviors of those successful counterparts who always seem to be in the right place at the right time. Also, if corporations worry you, don’t work for them, go to work for a private firm but don’t get there and complain about all the benefits your buddies at Verizon (or wherever) are getting.

On a side note (perhaps somewhat relevant considering all the layoffs we’re experiencing), we Americans need to start living more practically. If you make $50K/year live like you make $43K. If you participate in a 401K plan remember that a 401K is not a rainy-day account, it is a retirement plan. If you do not need a 2000sqft home, don’t buy one. Cars and kids don’t need their own bedrooms. Smaller homes encourage us to get out of the house which is not a bad thing. While having your own bathroom is convenient, it is so for about 30 minutes/day: SHARE them.

Gas prices fluctuate. If you find yourself stressing about that, buy a smaller car and drive less….it can be done. Instead of packing up the bikes and kids and driving them to a bike trail, ride your bikes to the store, bank, video store, zoo, etc…. Also, smaller cars get you from point A to point B exactly like big cars do…only cheaper. While driving smaller, efficient vehicles is not considered cool is beyond me, this means the driver is smart and may have more money to spend…on you. This is not to say that you shouldn’t have a comfy car….the problem is when people pull out food-stamps then hop into a brand new Maxima or Escalade.