Roger & Me (1989)

Director:

Michael Moore

Writer:

Michael Moore (written by)

Release Date:

20 December 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary | History

Tagline:

The story of a rebel and his mike.

Plot:

Director Michael Moore pursues GM CEO Roger Smith to confront him about the harm he did to Flint, Michigan with his massive downsizing.

Plot Keywords:

Michigan | Michael Moore | Flint Michigan | Downsizing | Plant

Awards:

11 wins

Cast

Michael Moore	...	Himself
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
James Blanchard	...	Himself
James Bond	...	Himself
Pat Boone	...	Himself
Rhonda Britton	...	Herself ('Pets or Meat')
Anita Bryant	...	Herself
Karen Edgely	...	Herself
Bob Eubanks	...	Himself
Ben Hamper	...	Himself
Dinona Jackson	...	Herself
Timothy Jackson	...	Himself
Tom Kay	...	Himself
Ted Koppel	...	Himself (archive footage)
Correy Lennox	...	High School Student
Brian MacDonald	...	Video Tour Guide
Kaye Lani Rae Rafko	...	Herself (Miss America)
Dan Rather	...	Himself (archive footage)
Janet K. Rauch	...	Herself - Amway Lady
Ronald Reagan	...	Himself (archive footage)
Fred Ross	...	Himself (eviction deputy)
Barbara Schroeder	...	Herself - Reporter
Robert Schuller	...	Himself (archive footage)
George Sells	...	Himself (local TV news anchor)
Roger B. Smith	...	Himself
Guy Williams	...	Zorro (archive footage)
Steve Wilson	...	Himself
Sue Zelenko	...	Herself
Richard Earl Sawdon	...	Spot welder (uncredited)

Directed by
Michael Moore

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Michael Moore		written by

Produced by
Michael Moore	....	producer
Wendey Stanzler	....	associate producer

Cinematography by
Chris Beaver
John Prusak
Kevin Rafferty
Bruce Schermer

Film Editing by
Jennifer Beman
Wendey Stanzler

Sound Department
Jennifer Beman	....	sound editor
Judy Irving	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Daniel S. Noga	....	additional cinematographer

Editorial Department
Adam D. Fleischman	....	assistant editor

Music Department
David Hess	....	composer: song "Speedy Gonzales"
Ethel Lee	....	composer: song "Speedy Gonzales"

Other crew
Edward Asner	....	additional funding (as Ed Asner)
Frank Moore	....	additional funding
Veronica Moore	....	additional funding
John Pierson	....	producer's representative
Keith Prusak	....	production assistant
Scott Rouse	....	production assistant
Josef Steiff	....	production assistant

Thanks
Frank Moore	....	special thanks
Veronica Moore	....	special thanks
Ralph Nader	....	special thanks
Barbara Schroeder	....	special thanks (as Barb Schroeder)
Roger B. Smith	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Dog Eat Dog Films
• Warner Bros. Pictures

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1989) (USA) (theatrical)
• Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) (1992) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Warner Bros. (1990) (UK)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (Germany) (DVD)

Other Companies

• General Motors  archival sources
• Wide World Photos  archival sources

Also Known As:

A Humorous Look at How General Motors Destroyed Flint, Michigan (USA) (subtitle)
Dance Band on the Titanic: Autoworld and the Death of Flint (USA) (working title)
Roger and Me (International: English title) (alternative spelling)

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:L | Canada:14A | Finland:S | Norway:11 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:R | Singapore:PG | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Detroit, Michigan, USA

Company:

Dog Eat Dog Films

Trivia:

Director Trademark: [Michael Moore] [flint]Most of the film takes place in Flint, Michigan.

Quotes:

Michael Moore: Although most people in Flint were now too poor to afford a room at the Hyatt, the hotel allowed the public on opening day to ride the city's only escalator.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: 12 to the Moon (#6.24)" (1994)

Soundtrack:

Talk to Me Baby

a good movie with strong points, but not sure how much to believe

I like the movie, and I found it to be very interesting. I did not like so much how Moore felt he had to make the documentary more humorous by making fun of the people he was defending. However, I felt Moore did a good job of showing the devastating effects of General Motors leaving the small town of Flint, Michigan. Although you can't be too certain on how accurate some points in the movie are, the general idea that the town suffered because Roger Smith invested in factories in Mexico with cheap labor was expressed. This documentary laid some valid points down to what was beginning to happen in America with jobs being outsourced. The effects on this small town are so severe, and as this all happened about 15 years ago, it seems much more of America is experiencing their problems. This documentary touched on outsourcing and its effects, which today is still becoming a problem. Overall, it makes a strong impression and is an important movie to watch.