Audley Films, BBC Films, BMS Finance
Sally Hawkins, Andrea Riseborough, Jaime Winstone, Lorraine Stanley, Nicola Duffett, Geraldine James, Bob Hoskins, Matthew Aubrey, Daniel Mays, Roger Lloyd-Pack, Miranda Richardson
Made in Dagenham is the British “Norma Rae“. Based on a true story, this is about a group of ladies who sewed seat covers for Ford in Dagenham, England in the 60’s who were being ignored by their union. After agreeing to a ladder of levels of competence, the ladies assumed that they would be classified as semi-skilled workers when they were actually classified as unskilled. The work they did was hard, and they were being forced to work overtime and then found out that they were actually being paid much less than men at the same level. So they decided to strike for equal pay for equal work. This was a time when women had no clout in the workplace, and their attempt at a work stoppage was treated as a joke by Ford executives. Then as time went on and the women stuck to their guns and refused to be silenced, the true horror that if these women succeeded, the situation would be carried out all over the world costing the company millions.
Rita O’Grady (Sally Hawkins) becomes the leader by default and she is supported by a union rep Albert Passingham (Bob Hoskins) who tells a story about the hardship his mother had working her whole life to support the family at less than half of what a man was paid. For this reason, he supported the women, while the husbands sort of waffle, being prod and supporting at times, but having a hard time dealing with the wives fight and lack of pay at other times.
This is a movie that did not get much buzz before it came out on DVD and it’s likely you missed it, but it’s a very decent film. I use subtitles to help me with the English accent. (It’s been said that America and Britain are two major countries separated by the same language). But the acting is very good, and the wheelings and dealings of the ladies is remarkable. Set in 1968, the soundtrack is the sound of my youth. I graduated high school in 1969, so the 1968 music is wonderful. At the end of the movie, similar to “A League of Their Own” or “The Fighter” we get to meet the real people in the end of the movie. This helps to lend credibility to the telling of the story. It’s a very nice little film, and well worth the time spent watching it. I did enjoy it, and since it’s not widely known, it might be one that was missed that will get some attention now that it’s on DVD. It has a lot of humor and a lot of heart, and even a little naughtiness, but mostly it’s a story a little people standing up against the machine without fear. Nobody thought they would last an hour, and they endured everything thrown at them and stood their ground till the end.
[Click to see the Wiki article about the 1968 strike]
EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog
Movie Review - Made in Dagenham (2010) {R},
