Made in Dagenham (2010)

A dramatization of the 1968 strike at the Ford Dagenham car plant, where female workers walked out in protest against sexual discrimination.

Director:

Nigel Cole

Writer:

William Ivory

Stars:

Sally Hawkins, Andrea Riseborough, Jaime Winstone

Nominated for 4 BAFTA Film Awards. Another 3 wins & 10 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sally Hawkins	...	Rita O'Grady
Andrea Riseborough	...	Brenda
Jaime Winstone	...	Sandra
Lorraine Stanley	...	Monica
Nicola Duffett	...	Eileen
Geraldine James	...	Connie
Bob Hoskins	...	Albert Passingham
Matthew Aubrey	...	Brian (as Matt Aubrey)
Daniel Mays	...	Eddie O'Grady
Roger Lloyd-Pack	...	George
Phil Cornwell	...	Dave
Karen Seacombe	...	Marge
Thomas Arnold	...	Martin
Sian Scott	...	Sharon O'Grady
Robbie Kay	...	Graham O'Grady

Storyline

In 1968, the Ford auto factory in Dagenham was one of the largest single private employers in the United Kingdom. In addition to the thousands of male employees, there are also 187 underpaid women machinists who primarily assemble the car seat upholstery in poor working conditions. Dissatisfied, the women, represented by the shop steward and Rita O'Grady, work with union rep Albert Passingham for a better deal. However, Rita learns that there is a larger issue in this dispute considering that women are paid an appalling fraction of the men's wages for the same work across the board on the sole basis of their sex. Refusing to tolerate this inequality any longer, O'Grady leads a strike by her fellow machinists for equal pay for equal work. What follows would test the patience of all involved in a grinding labour and political struggle that ultimately would advance the cause of women's rights around the world.

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Plot Keywords:

machinist | equal pay | protest | factory | sexual discrimination | 

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Taglines:

Dagenham, England, 1968. An ordinary woman fights for equal pay and achieves something extraordinary.

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Genres:

Biography | Comedy | Drama | History

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and brief sexuality

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 October 2010 (UK)

Also Known As:

We Want Sex

Filming Locations:

Dagenham, Essex, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$7,200,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$37,563 (USA) (19 November 2010)

Gross:

$1,094,798 (USA) (8 April 2011)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Audley Films, BBC Films, BMS Finance

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Sandie Shaw who sang the film's title song used to work as a punched-card operator in the Ford plant at Dagenham several years before the events depicted in the film.

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Goofs

The Mark 1 Cortinas shown as being manufactured in new and archive footage ceased production two years earlier in 1966, when the squarer Mk 2 was introduced.

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Quotes

Rita O'Grady: Look, I know you're not mentioning it because you're being polite and everything, but when we met in the corridor, well I was really upset, and I never usually use that type of language.
Lisa Hopkins: Don't you?
Rita O'Grady: No.
Lisa Hopkins: Well I called Mr Clarke a complete cock.

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Crazy Credits

Captions in the closing credits: "Two years later in May 1970 the Equal Pay Act became law. Similar legislation quickly followed in most industrial countries across the world. Ford Motor Company Limited went on to effect changes in its employment practices and is now used as an example of a good practice employer."

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Connections

Featured in Breakfast: Episode dated 13 June 2011 (2011)

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Soundtracks

"Made In Dagenham"
Written by David Arnold and Billy Bragg
Performed by Sandie Shaw
Published by Thrust Admin Music Ltd
Administered by Bucks Music Ltd and Universal Music Publishing Ltd
Courtesy of Universal Records

User Reviews

A Recreation Of A Major Step To Equality

A fine recreation of the major historic step for equal pay for women. Dramatic but with plenty of laughs in the workplace and the biased tradition of different levels politics. Also a glimpse at the class differences in modern 1968 England and the soundtrack instantly took me back to when I was 20. This should be mandatory watching for management till they really understand it. Also mandatory watching for the rest of us to remind us that fighting for a cause is difficult but can succeed. Very well written and acted, I see a lot of movies and most need more spend on shortcomings in the story/script and less on overpaid actors, I really could not find fault in "Made In Dagenham".