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Beatles, Chris Carter, March 16, 2025. Download

Guests Bob Eubanks, Benmont Tench.

RedCircle

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The Newlywed Game - 1968.

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Roger & Me (1989)

Roger & Me is not like other documentaries. It has a point to make and facts to show us but the presentation couldn't be more different from its peers. The film should be a lot sadder than it is but the presentation by Michael Moore (his first picture) so expertly showcases the absurdity of what happened to Flint, Michigan, and the quest he embarks upon is so foolhardy, you can’t help but laugh.

For generations, General Motors was a staple of Flint, Michigan. The company was the city's primary employer until 1986 when GM chairman Roger B. Smith closed all of Flint's plants. Turns out it was much cheaper to build cars in Mexico. The film chronicles documentarian Michael Moore’s efforts to sit down and talk to Roger Smith about the impact his decision has had on his hometown.

Michael Moore has gone on to become a big name, which makes Roger & Me fascinating to watch in hindsight. You can see the seeds of each of his future projects being sown. On its own, it's equally interesting. Moore knows he has no chance of having a face-to-face conversation with Roger Smith about what he's done to the city. Even if he goes through the proper venues, he wouldn't have a chance. The question is, “Why?”. Is it because Roger Smith is afraid of him? How could he be? He's the Chairman of GM. He couldn't possibly care what a scrappy, dumpy-looking documentarian thinks of him. Certainly, he wouldn't care if he really believes he made the right decision when it comes to Flint, Michigan. Considering how persistent Moore proves himself, there's a part of you that wonders why Roger Smith doesn’t just come out in front of the camera and say so. The thing is, the longer the film goes on, the more failed efforts to show a conversation between Moore and Smith we see, the more the truth becomes apparent: the big boss knows he did Flint dirty. Ultimately, he’s afraid to be confronted about it. That’s more than a little surreal.

The foolhardy errand Moore sets for himself is funny because a part of you wonders if it might actually happen. There's no way it will because you know the regular joe-looking filmmaker is going about it the wrong way. The humor of this foolhardy quest is counterbalanced by many sad sights along the way. This documentary is prime evidence that Flint, Michigan, was absolutely destroyed by Roger Smith’s decision. Some of what the people we meet have to do to survive feels completely out of place in a country like the United States. It’s unbelievable and disturbing, to the point where it comes back around again to become funny. It almost feels made up that the most successful person we see working in Flint is the Sherrif’s Deputy, Fred Ross. He's always busy at work because he spends most of his time evicting families who are unable to pay their rent.

Roger & Me almost seems too good to be true. By that I mean that if you didn't know better, you'd swear some of what we witness was made up. After GM leaves, the city of Flint tries to recover through tactics that you can’t believe a committee would greenlight. As soon as you hear about each plan that's been cooked up, you know it's going to fail and while that will be unfortunate for the city… it will also be hilarious. It’s like this whole situation did something to these people and sucked out their brains or something.

There are several “lightning in a bottle moments” that make for a great narrative, which is ultimately what makes this film successful, memorable and moving. This is a deeply personal journey that shows you what happened in Flint, Michigan, and why what happened there, could easily happen elsewhere too.

While Roger & Me is sad, the mix of humor throughout is terrific. Your tears become tears of laughter. It's a must-see, particularly because the last line in the film (appearing after the credits) is the best final line I’ve ever seen in a documentary. (On DVD, March 31, 2023)