Roger & Me

Filmmaker Michael Moore was born and raised in Flint, Michigan, a city dominated by one company, General Motors (GM), which is the largest corporation in the world and which was founded in Flint. The people of Flint were prosperous because of GM, and in turn GM was successful because of the people of Flint. The fortunes of Flint take a decidedly downward turn when GM Chair, Roger B. Smith, decides to close eleven GM plants, most in Flint, which means the loss of 30,000 jobs there. Despite GM still making profits in the billions, Smith moves those jobs to new factories in Mexico, where wages are lower. As such, Moore goes on a quest to speak to Smith to find out exactly his rationale for relocating those 30,000 jobs from Flint, thus devastating the city, and to show Smith firsthand that devastation. But Moore’s quest is easier said than done. Moore gets turned back by one security guard after another wherever Smith is at the time. Moore also delves into the fortunes of the average ex-GM worker and his/her family in Flint, what the city is doing to try and reinvent itself, and what employment opportunities are had if one decides to stay in Flint.