Roger & Me

Words: 1549
Pages: 7
Open Document
Michael Moore’s 1989 film Roger & Me documents the effect of deindustrialization after the closing of a General Motors (GM) plant in Flint, Michigan. These effects include mass poverty, unemployment, and eviction for the members of the Flint community resulting in an economic downfall in Flint that has yet to recover to this day. The declining role of unions in Flint is also portrayed as a result of deindustrialization. The film explores who is to blame for this economic destruction and the role that the closing of GM in the city has on the community.
Roger & Me illustrates the effect that the closing the GM plant had a devastating effect on the city of Flint, Michigan. Throughout the film, it is seen that Michael Moore blames GM for the subsequent …show more content…
The members of Flint still revere the UAW, which can be seen in several scenes in the film. For example, the surviving participants in the sitdown strike were invited to be in the Flint parade, as well as the current UAW president. Although the past successes of the UAW in Flint are celebrated, many instances in the film portray current unions as weakened or obsolete in the opinions of many local residents. When the current governor of Michigan is asked whether Flint needed another sitdown strike, he says that he did not think it would do any good. Additionally, when the UAW president at the time is asked the same question, he responds saying that he did not believe that it would have the same impact that it had before in 1939. Another local resident describes the unions as becoming weaker because he believes that the union leadership’s relationship with management is too close. All of these responses show that unions are not portrayed as having any real power or influence on current issues. The decline in union power can be seen in the scene showing the GM plant closing for good as Moore narrates that there was supposed to be a massive demonstration for the closing of the plant from the UAW, but only four workers show up to protest. This scene shows that the UAW no longer had the influence that it used to and that unions are powerless against corporations in the modern
Show More

Related Documents: Roger & Me

Essay On Roger And Me

Lukas Buxton Soc 101 Assignment # 4 The movie I choose to do my assignment on was Roger and Me, I have watched this video a few times now, once in high school in my AP English class, and twice recently, but my main reason for choosing it was based on some local news; recently Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder signed into law a very controversial bill, the “right to work” bill, which prohibits union agreements between labor unions and employers that can require employees’ to get a membership, which comes…

Words 321 - Pages 2

Corporate Social Responsibility In Roger And Me

In Michael Moore’s documentary “Roger and Me” shows a good example of corporate social responsibility as it is utilized and saw as a part of genuine living. In the movie, the CEO of General Motors, Roger Smith, lays off 300,000 laborers by shutting 11 of his plants in the United States. Following this move he expects on opening numerous employments in Mexico with the opening new plants that he can afford for the cost of at a much lesser expensive. In my opinion, Michael Moore's perspective of Smith's…

Words 385 - Pages 2

Summary: The Case Of Forrest City Medical Hospital

Hospital to relive Officer A. Roger who were on an emergency medical transport. I received a phone call from Officer Roger advising me that Resident Ceceilla Maynard #756258 are going to be transported to the Arkansas Heart Hospital in Little Arkansas. At approximately 20 minutes later I received another phone call from Officer Roger asking me what is my exit. I explain to her I was about 25 minute away and from her and the ambulance. Officer Roger stated that she was behind me and I told her that she…

Words 202 - Pages 1

Summary: The City Of Prince George

Prince George, British Columbia, Roger was 18 years old and had just recently graduated from Prince George Secondary School. Roger, wanting to become an author, would like to go to the University of Northern British Columbia and get a degree in literature. Currently residing in the old crime rid neighborhoods of Prince George where violence and gang wars are a regular occurrence, hence the City of Prince George's nickname ''The most dangerous city in Canada''. Roger had the mindset of making a better…

Words 1544 - Pages 7

Essay about Critique Person Centred Counselling

I want to be genuine and spontaneous and me; but you've got to help me. You've got to hold out your hand, even when that's the last thing I seem to want. Only you can wipe away from my eyes the blank stare of the breathing dead. Only you can call me into aliveness. Each time you're kind, and gentle, and encouraging, each time you try to understand because you really care, my heart begins to grow wings, very small wings, very feeble wings, but wings! Extract from Poem Please Hear What I am not…

Words 3144 - Pages 13

Essay about Memoir for Writing 102

Mary Evelyn Professor Blaire Writ 101 Sec 61 30 August 12 Smile and Fight I first met Roger when we were in elementary school. We weren't absolute best friends, but of course who isn't friends when you're in the second grade. We went to the same school for the next eight years, so it was nearly impossible not to see him around. Over the years, as we got older we became closer. He seemed to always be around, and when he was he was always laughing. If he wasn't laughing, he was probably busting…

Words 1699 - Pages 7

Haiti Earthquake Summary

this issue should be raised to us readers. Summary – “Roger Noriega brings out Haiti’s Flaws” Roger Noriega, the author of this article, has expressed his perspective on the disasters of Haiti. He mentions initially that Haitians are known as industrious and resilient people. But, those who are poor in the country exemplify that…

Words 879 - Pages 4

The Absolutely True Diary Of Part Time Indian Essay

confidence to play better against Roger and dominate his frenemy, Rowdy. Second, his classmate defend for Arnold through his harsh times. Arnold…

Words 545 - Pages 3

English paper 1

circumstances or plots of Iraq war The story “Adams” (2004) is a meaningful story which was written by George Saunders and first appeared in The New Yorker. As we read this story, we know it is writting about the relationship between neighbors who are Roger and Adams, and there are some bad things happened between them, but the whole story has a strong irony of the Iraq War because the year when George Saunders published this story was the second year during the Iraq War. In this story, George Saunders…

Words 1269 - Pages 6

Essay on Things to Do in New York City

still had him by the neck in the middle of her room. She said, "What is your name?" "Roger," answered the boy. "Then, Roger, you go to that sink and wash your face," said the woman, whereupon she turned him loose--at last. Roger looked at the door—looked at the woman—looked at the door—and went to the sink. Let the water run until it gets warm," she said. "Here’s a clean towel." "You gonna take me to jail?" asked the boy, bending over the sink. "Not with that face, I would not taoy inside…

Words 400 - Pages 2