Rating: 
Summary: This is a terrific film!
Review: Michael Moore is a genius! I rented 'Roger and Me' for the second time after seeing 'Bowling For Columbine', which is another incredible film and this movie is amazing. Michael Moore does a terrific job portraying the people and events that happened in Flint. If it wasn't so funny, it would be depressing!
His quest for Roger Smith is hilarious. It's unbelievable the effect that Roger Smith's actions had on this town. This is a absolute must see film. Go see "BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE"!
Rating: 
Summary: Ouch!
Review: Roger and Me is a very raw tale of the spoils of corporate america, and what happens when a society (In this case, flint, Michigan) relies too much on one entity for it's economic lifeline. Roger and Me scathingly examines GM and it's slow exodus from it's roots and it's town.The film has some brilliant moments, and is an exercise in masterful editing. (The shots of Roger Smith reading the Christmas Carol during one families eviction is especially effective. As is Bob Eubanks and his indignant response toward the use of the word 'Breast' on his show, immediately followed by a later cut of him telling a racist joke.) And the 'cast of characters,' the real people, are just as unique. The Bunny Lady and the head of the tourism bureau are standouts. If you are looking for a bitter dose of truth, this certainly will not disappoint. Roger and Me is a unique viewing experience as well as a painful (and often humorous) look at American life, Corporate pillage, and how we are a pathologically 'classed' societyThis film is NOT a disappointment, but also not for those who can't handle a stark dose of reality.
Rating:
Summary: It's pretty clear that GM is the cause...
Review: "I don't remember him specifically showing GM workers getting kicked out of their homes" Actually, he did- the man towards the end who I think Moore knew in school used to work at GM. And leaving the local economy crippled is certainly a link- it's not just coincidence that people started being evicted at greater rates, the prison population rising and people leaving the area when the plant started making massive layoffs.
Rating:
Summary: Some of you are WAY too serious!
Review: First off, I consider myself to be right-of-center when it comes to social and political issues. I'm conservative in most respects and I often don't agree with Moore's viewpoints. Knowing his left-leaning slant on everything helps one to decipher this film. But that doesn't mean he doesn't make good points. This film is a bit heavy-handed and at times borders on propaganda. Nevertheless, I think it's HILARIOUS. I grant the points stated by some others that: a) GM did not butcher rabbits (did that lady look to be a person who would hold down a steady job!?)
b) GM did not evict persons from their homes (though we see people being evicted. What does this have to do with GM?)
c) What is the point of trying to manufacture cars in an outdated plant? Whether GM could have/should have built a new plant on that site is another matter entirely Life is tough all over and you can go to any city ANYTIME (heck, even in the 'sticks') and there is bound to be someone being kicked out of a home for some reason (it's happening here in Chicago to lots of people in public housing projects-where will they go?). I'm sure Moore was trying to forge a link between people getting laid off at GM and kicked out of their homes. I don't remember him specifically showing GM workers getting kicked out of their homes so I don't believe he was sucessful in that regard...he was more sucessful in convincing me that Flint, Michigan is one of the [worst] dumps in all of America. The question is, is that GM's fault? Not solely. Flint, like many cities in the industrial north has seen its day come and go. Any student of urban studies-such as myself-would probably agree that the decline of Flint has as much to do with its SIZE as anything else. The smaller the town, the less 'draw' it has for industry, sales, and tertiary trades and commerce. The close proximity of Chicago and Detroit don't help either. In that respect Moore fails to convince me that GM is solely responsible for Flint's ills. You have to watch the film with a sense of humor and take Moore's arguments with a grain of salt. After all, MONEY magazine named Flint the worst town in America-I'm sure it had to do with MANY issues, not just the economic sphere, of which (admittedly) GM was a big part. Yet Moore makes some important (though obvious) points and raises some thorny questions: a) What is corporate responsibility? To workers and cities or to shareholders? Often they are one in the same.
b) How do we deal with crumbling industrial-age cities?
c) What other circumstances lead to the decay of older urban areas?
d) Moore implies that it is immoral to treat workers in the manner in which they are treated in the film. But perhaps the 'worker vs. corporation' view of the issue is too myopic? Moore is famous for his outspoken agenda(s). He's [mad] (rightly so) and you can tell that in the film. But just because we don't like something, does that make it wrong? Conversely, just because we like something, does that make it right? I do think that GM has an obligation to retain American jobs, but whether or not that is in Flint is their (and ultimately the shareholders) decision. The reason the film is so funny is that many of the big-wigs do look like morons parroting the same old stories, and the attempts by the city to foster growth and rejuvenation are laughable. Pat Boone, Anita whats-her-name, and Eubanks from the game show...hilarious. (And what's the deal with the human statues at that party? What a creepy place.) This is civic government in all its inept glory! The bits about the news van being stolen and the guy in the middle of the street with the Superman outfit and rifle always cause me to laugh uncontrollably. Perhaps Flint is merely that unlikely black hole to which all the worst elements of our society and human nature are drawn? Or is that Gary, Indiana? Actually, I think Florida is absorbing all the stupid people right now... All I know is that when I want to visit Flint, I'll do it via videotape! Bottom line: if you can't watch this film and laugh because deep down you know some of Moore's points are correct, you are probably too conservative. If you can't look outside of Moore's cloistered politics/economics and bring a little critique to the message of the film, you are probably too liberal.
Rating:
Summary: Bunnies for pets,......or rabbits for meat?
Review: This hilarious, disturbing, and completely original documentary launched its director, Michael Moore to fame. Moore's film shows what happens when General Motors decides to close down its plant in Flint, Michigan. 30,000 people lose their jobs and Flint's economy plunges into depression. The film details Moore's attempt to get an interview with GM head Roger Smith to show him what he did to Flint. Instead, Moore is given the run-around as he is informed that Smith is out, unavailable, or busy. Undaunted, Moore points his camera at the people of Flint to show us the viewers what GM did to Flint. We are shown a man who suffered a mental breakdown after losing his job. We are shown a spaced-out woman who has formed a most interesting business to ward off unemployment. We are treated to pictures of the upper class living in complete oblivion to the poverty surrounding them ("Get a job!" one woman informs Moore). We are informed that the crime rate has skyrocketed in Flint since the plant shut down. But not to worry, this provides a new source of employment. Laid-off employees can now get jobs as security guards locking up their former co-workers. A few scenes that really stood out in my mind: One was the way the sheriff goes from house to house evicting people with a bored expression on his face. When Moore questions him about how he feels about doing this, the sheriff looks completely baffled. Instead, he talks about how he is looking forward to his upcoming holiday. Doesn't he realize he's on camera? Another scene that stands out, the people of Flint trying to offset unemployment by developing a theme park dedicated to celebrating Flint's GM heritage. When the park fails to attract tourists, the people are left looking pretty stupid. There's also that scene where Ronald Reagan shows up to treat the unemployed workers to pizza and give them a lecture about finding employment. He then forgets to pick up the check. It's important to realize that GM didn't close the plant in Flint because they were in an economic downturn, but because they didn't want to spend a little extra money keeping people employed. GM devastated Flint's economy so that the people at the top could get a little richer. Moore's film transcends being just a revenge comedy and becomes a stinging indictment of the dark side of capitalism. You can't help but feel that Roger Smith would have been better off if he'd agreed to the interview. Instead, Michael Moore chose to point his camera at Flint, giving Smith a much more damning indictment than an interview ever could. I'll be looking forward to seeing Moore's new film "Bowling for Columbine" when it's released in October. I hope its as good as this film.
Rating: 
Summary: here's WHAT SHOULD BE ON IT
Review: I will rate it 5 stars if the data features are up to snuff.
"Pets or meat" - what a great concept? Any city with too much dependence on one company, industry, or skill set could be the next Flint, Michigan. For a documentary like Roger and Me, it would be
nice to put some of the original research materials on
the DVD-ROM. If the movie is a call to activism, then
you could even put links to a web site with features to
make sure the events depicted in the movie don't happen to your town. This could be an excellent cautionary tale of what can happen when companies exert too much influence in their communities.
Rating:
Summary: "i do get it"
Review: The review by 'i don't get it' is something that i didn't get. the questions he raises had absolutely nothing to do with the point of the film. what was all that hero vs. villain mumbo jumbo? just watch this great movie, and learn; if you pay close enough attention you can probably answer your own questions, or at least ask some relevant ones.
Rating:
Summary: I don't get it
Review: I know this movie was a brilliant condemnation of the evils of capitalism but I don't get it. What is Mr. Moore's answer, that GM keep the Flint plant open even though the union worker's wages and the quality of their work meant that no one would buy a car made there? Is the GM spokesmen who says that America is the land of freedom and opportunity the villian? Are the unemployed auto workers who sit there dumbstruck the heroes? If so, I don't get it. But then there is alot going on that I don't get.
Rating:
Summary: This is how a documentary should be made
Review: When I attended the premiere screening of Roger & Me at the Sundance Film Festival several years ago, things were already abuzz about this controversial film, and it was making headlines in movie trades, newspapers, talk shows, and social circles, about this unconventional unknown teddy bear of a guy named Michael Moore who set out with just Bingo winnings and a camera in the pretense of getting a personal audience with GM Chairman Roger Smith, and offer Mr. Smith a tour of the deteriorating town where "rats exceeded its population" and was named the worst city to live in by Money magazine. The film is a daring and cynical poke at a capitalistic system that, with smugness and phony piety, can turn out and lay off 30,000 factory workers for the sheer purpose of profit. But, rather than giving in to the easy way of anger and resentment, Michael Moore retorts with a gentle and entertaining masterpiece, a splendid statement, rich in irony, humor, and pathos, that should be viewed by anyone whose social conscience has been impinged by what so many people pursue as the "American Dream". But this American Dream is work hard, the company makes money - and you lose your job. If I had more than 2 thumbs, they would go way up for this highly provocative film!!
Rating:
Summary: Michael Moore's America
Review: If terrorists laid waste to an American city, we would universally call them evil. Strangely, when a corporation makes a decision that guts an american city, some who worship at the altar of unfettered capitalism would cheer. "Roger & Me" is a film that shows how a bottom-line based decision of a corporate CEO can turn a once vibrant industrial city into a ghost town. It is an indignant film, as it should be. The victims of GM were not laid off because they were unproductive since GM was profitable. They were laid off because of greed. GM can no longer claim to be an American corporation when they would shut down an American city so they can have cheap labor off shore.
Some have said that Michael Moore was obnoxious and disrespectful, but it can be argued that what Roger Smith did was far more obnoxious and disrespectful. Michael Moore uses humor to help viewers digest bitter realities of American life. In this case, the humor comes from the absurd advice given to laid off workers by city leaders and celebrities brought to "bring them cheer." The film is also heartbreaking and you will never listen to "Wouldn't It Be Nice" by the Beach Boys the same way again. Some have criticized his intercutting the GM christmas party speech with a family getting kicked out of their homes on christmas eve as manipulative. Every day we are manipulated into believing that unfettered capitalism is American as apple pie, so we should forgive Moore for using manipulation on the behalf of the little guy -- the average joe. I recently watched this movie again in a background of the Enron scandal. This movie was remarkably fresh after all these years. This film has a scrappy feel to it, but it is brilliantly put together. I hope that you watch this movie and its follow up film "Pets or Meat". Read his books and he will have another movie opening in the Fall called "Bowling for Columbine" which will be just as controversial. Buy the VHS version of "TV Nation" and get both seasons of "The Awful Truth."
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