Roger & Me

  • Review Date: November 1, 2005
  • R
  • Genre: Documentary
  • 1989
 Review

Common Sense Media says

Moore's first documentary is best for teens and up.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

Find out more

Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

Find out more

Parents say

Not yet rated

Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this documentary addresses the economic downfall of Flint, Michigan, after General Motors laid off 30,000 employees. Bad language and violence are limited, the movie does include footage of crimes and of numerous families being evicted from their homes. People frankly express their economic desperation.

  • This is a documentary with an obvious anti-corporate slant.
  • News footage of crimes in Flint includes a shooting. A woman kills and cleans a rabbit.
  • A handful of sexual jokes are made by the host of "The Newlywed Game."

What's the story?

When Michael Moore returned to his hometown of Flint, Michigan after a brief stint working in San Francisco, he arrived just in time for the first of what proved to be a tidal wave of General Motors plant closures. Faced with the economic downfall of his community, the journalist picked up a microphone and dedicated his time to tracking down the man he held responsible – GM CEO Roger Smith. The result of Moore's work is ROGER & ME. Unsurprisingly, Smith dodges Moore's questions, but the director manages to take viewers on a colorful tour of economic failure in America. We see the local government pursue one half-baked scheme for rejuvenation after another as countless families are evicted from their homes and so many people rent moving vans that the rental companies find it literally impossible to keep vehicles in stock. Interspersed with Moore's footage are clips that relay the history of GM in Flint, including promotional slots produced by the company as well as news footage. Moore also includes some of his family history, noting that his father worked for GM for decades and his uncle participated in the famous Sit-Down-Strike that led to the formation of the United Auto Workers union.


Is it any good?

 

Overall, Moore's style is engaging and personable. The documentary is far from dry, and examines a significant historical moment. Young viewers may find the discussion of economics confusing and dull, but high school students should be able to follow easily. Moore clearly has a political agenda, but he makes his investment in the subject apparent within the first minutes of the film. There is no effort here to trick viewers, only to relay the events as the director sees them –- think of the film as a newspaper editorial piece.


Explore, discuss, enjoy

Families can talk about documentaries. Should documentaries simply tell a story, or is it OK for them to have a slant, like this one does? Is Moore fair to GM CEO Roger Smith? Should he have to be to call his film a documentary? This could lead to a wider discussion about the news and the role of journalists.


This review of Roger & Me was written by
Teen, 13 years old
July 11, 2011
 
A Great Film Dealing With Moral Issues
I watched Roger and Me last night and I agree with the statement it makes. My mother sat me down and told me to watch the movie with her- and it is a perfect expression of how someone who acts selfishly can hurt a lot of people. There is a bit of violence. But Moore uses it to prove his point. The message of this film is clear, and correct. It isn't fair for some people to value themselves above others. Roger Smith fired thousands of people so that his company could make more money. And yes, this is how bussiness works. That's what he was supposed to do. But the entire point here is that doesn't make it right.
What other families should know:

Flag as inappropriate 
Teen, 14 years old
February 5, 2013
 
Generally tame documentary has some violence and swearing.
Moore's debut documentary focuses on the economic downfall of Flint, Michigan due to the closing of several General Motors plants. The movie's R rating is completely superfluous. There is occasional language including "b**ch", and "motherf***er" and some mild sexual references. There is also a reference to a shooting, and a rabbit is skinned. People are seen being evicted from their homes too. This is a film better suited for older tweens and teens.
What other families should know:

Flag as inappropriate 

This review of Roger & Me was written by
Studio:Warner Bros.
Director:Michael Moore
Cast:Bob Eubanks, James Blanchard, Michael Moore
Genre:Documentary
Run time:91 minutes
Theatrical release date:January 1, 1989
DVD release date:August 19, 2003
MPAA rating:R
MPAA explanation:language

This review of Roger & Me was written by
 

Review It

Share your review with others

Hang on! You need to be a member to post your review.
A safe community is important to us. Please observe our guidelines.

Learning Products Quick Finder

Great alternatives handpicked by our editors