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Roger And Me: Michael Moore, Documentary, Flint Michigan, General Motors And Downsizing
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Published: September 26, 2007
Michael Moore is a documentary filmmaker well known for stirring up controversy and provoking emotions among his audiences. Critics call him a liar, claiming he manipulates video footage, falsifies statistics and twists facts mentioned in his films. Fans say he is drawing national attention to issues that need to be discussed, scrutinized and questioned.
One of Moore's early films about the downsizing of General Motors is titled “Roger and Me.”
“Roger and Me” is a documentary about Moore's personal adventures as he clumsily tries to interview Roger Smith, the chairman of the largest corporation in the world, General Motors. A GM factory is located in Moore's hometown of Flint Michigan and was a primary source of employment for residents. That is until 40,000 GM employees were laid off over the course of nine years. Moore is determined to find out why this was necessary in “Roger and Me,” because over this same period of time GM increased profits to approximately $19 billion.
Throughout his futile attempts to hunt down Roger Smith, Moore explores Flint Michigan and reveals how decrepit it has become. In “Roger and Me,” Moore claims violent crimes in Flint are more numerous than in Detroit or Miami, and the film shows abandoned houses and boarded up store fronts. Families previously supported by automobile workers are evicted because the workers were laid off by GM and could not find other means of employment, according to “Roger and Me.” People in Flint are so desperate for food that one line for federal surplus dairy products contained 20,000 people. Moore claims in “Roger and Me” that these problems are due to the 25% unemployment rate in Flint, which has been cause by the downsizing of GM.
Why would GM want to cause hard times for their employees? According to “Roger and Me,” the GM downsizing was done only to increase profits for the already-wealthy shareholders. By automating assembly lines and building plants in other countries where the labor is cheaper, profits for the company could be optimized. This discouraging lack of job security for the very people who made GM so successful enrages Michael Moore. But he manages to make “Roger and Me” a humorous documentary with a serious message.
Perhaps the editing and facts are skewed in “Roger and Me,” but any film expressing one person's point of view can be biased. That does not mean there is not an element of truth in “Roger and Me” that American people should pay attention to. The troubles in Flint Michigan could easily spread as more businesses follow General Motors' example and eliminate positions that require human workers in favor of mechanical helpers. Michael Moore is of the opinion that Americans should be aware of this possibility and demand cultural changes in favor of more ethical business standards.
Sources:
Ebert, Roger. "Reviews: Roger and Me." Michael Moore. Dec. 1989. Roger Ebert. 25 Sept. 2007. http://www.michaelmoore.com/dogeatdogfilms/ebert.h tml.
Hitchens, Christopher. "Unfairenheit 9/11: The Lies of Michael Moore." Slate. 21 June 2004. Newsweek Interactive Co., LLC. 25 Sept. 2007. http://slate.com/id/2102723/.
"Roger and Me (1989 trailer) a Film by Michael Moore." YouTube: Broadcast Yourself. 2007. YouTube, LLC. 25 Sept. 2007.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-425494494 8314126887&q=roger+and+me&total=2363&s />
Rumsey, Spencer. "Interviews." New York Newsday. 25 Jan. 1990. Newsday, Inc. 25 Sept. 2007. http://www.michaelmoore.com/dogeatdogfilms/intervi ews.html.
"Synopsis." Roger and Me. 25 Sept. 2007. http://www.michaelmoore.com/dogeatdogfilms/synopsi s.html.
“Roger and Me” is a documentary about Moore's personal adventures as he clumsily tries to interview Roger Smith, the chairman of the largest corporation in the world, General Motors. A GM factory is located in Moore's hometown of Flint Michigan and was a primary source of employment for residents. That is until 40,000 GM employees were laid off over the course of nine years. Moore is determined to find out why this was necessary in “Roger and Me,” because over this same period of time GM increased profits to approximately $19 billion.
Throughout his futile attempts to hunt down Roger Smith, Moore explores Flint Michigan and reveals how decrepit it has become. In “Roger and Me,” Moore claims violent crimes in Flint are more numerous than in Detroit or Miami, and the film shows abandoned houses and boarded up store fronts. Families previously supported by automobile workers are evicted because the workers were laid off by GM and could not find other means of employment, according to “Roger and Me.” People in Flint are so desperate for food that one line for federal surplus dairy products contained 20,000 people. Moore claims in “Roger and Me” that these problems are due to the 25% unemployment rate in Flint, which has been cause by the downsizing of GM.
Why would GM want to cause hard times for their employees? According to “Roger and Me,” the GM downsizing was done only to increase profits for the already-wealthy shareholders. By automating assembly lines and building plants in other countries where the labor is cheaper, profits for the company could be optimized. This discouraging lack of job security for the very people who made GM so successful enrages Michael Moore. But he manages to make “Roger and Me” a humorous documentary with a serious message.
Perhaps the editing and facts are skewed in “Roger and Me,” but any film expressing one person's point of view can be biased. That does not mean there is not an element of truth in “Roger and Me” that American people should pay attention to. The troubles in Flint Michigan could easily spread as more businesses follow General Motors' example and eliminate positions that require human workers in favor of mechanical helpers. Michael Moore is of the opinion that Americans should be aware of this possibility and demand cultural changes in favor of more ethical business standards.
Sources:
Ebert, Roger. "Reviews: Roger and Me." Michael Moore. Dec. 1989. Roger Ebert. 25 Sept. 2007. http://www.michaelmoore.com/dogeatdogfilms/ebert.h tml.
Hitchens, Christopher. "Unfairenheit 9/11: The Lies of Michael Moore." Slate. 21 June 2004. Newsweek Interactive Co., LLC. 25 Sept. 2007. http://slate.com/id/2102723/.
"Roger and Me (1989 trailer) a Film by Michael Moore." YouTube: Broadcast Yourself. 2007. YouTube, LLC. 25 Sept. 2007.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-425494494 8314126887&q=roger+and+me&total=2363&s />
Rumsey, Spencer. "Interviews." New York Newsday. 25 Jan. 1990. Newsday, Inc. 25 Sept. 2007. http://www.michaelmoore.com/dogeatdogfilms/intervi ews.html.
"Synopsis." Roger and Me. 25 Sept. 2007. http://www.michaelmoore.com/dogeatdogfilms/synopsi s.html.
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