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:

1968. It's a man's world. But not for long...

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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

A Triumph Toledo with G reg number plates was shown in one shot. The Toledo was introduced in 1970; the correct model would have been the Triumph 1300. Also a G plate denotes a car registered between 1 August 1968 and 31 July 1969, whereas all the action in the film took place in during three weeks in June 1968.

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Quotes

[following her talk with Rita, Connie and the rest of the Dagenham women, Barbara Castle makes a statement to the waiting journalists]
Barbara Castle: I am delighted to announce that, following our talks this afternoon, the 187 Ford machinists *will* be going back to work on the 1st of July. They will receive an immediate pay rise of seven pence an hour which will put them at 92 percent of the male rate. However this is not all. As a result of our discussion, I can confirm that the Government is in full support...

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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

"All Or Nothing"
Written by Steve Marriott (as Marriott) / Ronnie Lane (as Lane)
Performed by Small Faces
Published by Aviation Music Limited Courtesy of The Decca Music Group
Under license from Universal Music Operations Ltd

User Reviews

Girl Power – union style

From the director NIGEL COLE (Calendar Girls, Saving Grace), MADE IN DAGENHAM tells the tale of the 187 women that worked at the Ford Motor companies Dagenham factory - and their struggle to earn equal rights and pay with the 55,000 male workers at the factory.

Set in 1968, the economy was used to frequent union uprisings and strikes – but this was the first time that it was the women upholsterers who sewed car seat covers that took the initiative … after being "down-graded" to a non-skilled status – the women rose as one to walk out, in an action that brought them into direct conflict with the management, their own unions and their own husbands … eventually brought the Ford motor company to it's knees

Many laughed at the women's actions … until their strength of feeling … and reality set in … forcing the unions and the management to take increasingly desperate measures to get the women back to work … as factory production ground to a halt.

Rita O'Grady (played admirably by SALLY HAWKINS), a shy, pleasant worker working in sweat shop conditions, found her voice when asked to stand up for the women's views, and gradually became more and more empowered as the rest of the women stood behind her in a crusade that became synonymous with equal rights

The story climax's nicely in an emotional showdown, as the situation finally comes to a head and the chief participants (Ford, the Government, the Women, the unions and the men workers) all realise that things have gone too far … and none of them can back down.

As well as Sally Hawkins, there are some strong performances by other members of the cast – specifically, Bob Hoskins as Albert, Miranda Richardson as an exuberant Barbra Castle, the lovely Rosamund Pike as Lisa, Geraldine James as Connie, Kenneth Cranham as Monty (Unions) and Richard Schiff as Robert Tooley (Ford).

The music, costumes and the locations set up the tone of the times nicely, and the direction is solid throughout. The camera work is able, and is interspersed with footage from the actual era giving it more gravitas.

In a phrase, it's … "Girl Power – union style"