By far the most unexpected and pleasant surprise of our Vancouver coverage is Nigel Cole's ("Calendar Girls") "Made in Dagenham." Going in we had low expectations for the film, a dramatization of the 1968 strike at the Dagenham Ford plant in where the female workers, who made up less than .01 % of the plant's workforce at the time, fought for their right to sexual equality: it sounds like the stuff of cheesy Hollywood Oscar bait, or, even worse, Lifetime movies of the week.
Hence our trepidation. And early on, the film does indeed seem to be heading down the road of familiarity. The use of "Wooly Bully" at first seems to be a lazy, cliched song selection, but upon reflection it's something of a ruse. It eases the audience in to a sense of comfort by presenting a track we all associate with that time (and one that is used countless times in films set in this era), but it's also truthful in context, being used diagetically at a bar/party scene. From there on, the film thankfully avoids any more overused contemporary music — seriously, if "Spirit in the Sky" or some other such bullshit had come next, I may well have punched myself in the face. Soon after, "Green Tambourine" by the Lemon Pipers was an omen of a good things to come.The film settles in nicely about 20 minutes in as it takes nearly every correct turn on the path towards great storytelling. It's proof that crowd-pleasing, studio offerings (though it's a mini-major in Sony Pictures Classics) don't need to paint in broad, simple strokes to find success (this film played very well; the crowd clapped several times throughout). Which begs the question, why can't more films like this be this good?
Unfortunately, few have as strong a script as "Made in Dagenham." Writer Billy Ivory crafted a surprisingly deep screenplay, filled with complex characters, and unafraid to complicate the story by coming at it from a balanced, evenhanded angle. Every side and point of view is at least acknowledged, though admittedly some are given short shrift in the interest of the main storyline and its lean 113 minute run time. It's apparently Ivory's first feature script, but he's done some TV work, which for some reason is not listed on his IMDB page. Here's hoping this gets him more opportunities.The film wastes no time in setting up the conflict. The women employees of the Dagenham Ford plant (it pains me to specify that, especially after watching the film, but it is necessary) number less than 200 in 1968. Most of them work as sewing machinists. The loud buzzer goes off every morning — they're on the clock — and they begin to furiously stitch seat covers. It must have been grueling work. We see most of the women strip down to their underwear because it's so hot in the factory, and when it rains the roof leaks, but they push on, using strategically-placed umbrellas and buckets (the film is peppered with wonderful little details like this). They've just been down-graded to "unskilled" status in the latest pay round, something the women don't take kindly to.
Their boss, played by Bob Hoskins (how can you not love this guy? "Super Mario Bros." be damned!), chooses Rita O'Grady (Sally Hawkins, following up on the promise she showed with Mike Leigh's very good 2008 film "Happy Go-Lucky") to lead the charge for equality with him. She at first balks, but then takes the leadership reins, discovering she's got more fight in her than she realized. As things progress with the strike, and the higher-ups at Ford take umbrage with these women (what audacity to desire the same wages as men!), Ivory and Cole weave together a fully-formed tapestry of subplots and side characters.Some of the men are for equality, some want things to stay the same; nearly all of the women want what is their right, but one character doesn't really care about the movement, saying "it's still a crappy factory job," and the film is richer for showing this perspective; Hawkins' husband (Daniel Mays,who appeared in this year's "Red Riding Trilogy") is supportive, but only to a degree. He comes to realize that being faithful and good to his wife is expected, not some rare gift, and he must learn to take her seriously; we even understand the corporate lackeys at Ford, and while they're no doubt in the wrong, this nuanced method keeps them from becoming villains in a film that doesn't need them. The stakes are high enough already.
The script is great, but wouldn't have come to life were it not for the stellar cast, and Cole's unobtrusive direction. Ironically enough, this is exactly the kind of film the Academy should be celebrating, but come Oscar time will probably pass over. Sally Hawkins was unfairly snubbed for her turn in "Happy Go-Lucky," but should get recognized this year. She's a new kind of leading lady, pretty/cute but not in a "traditional" sense. She cuts a fascinating figure onscreen, but that's just surface stuff, as she's got the acting chops, and anchors the film. You never once doubt she'll be able to pull off the task at hand, and she even convinces when saying a trite line like, "it's about rights, not privileges!""Made in Dagenham" comments on our time right now, but is also timeless in its themes. It echoes our current political climate and the push for change. It argues that change is good, but is also realistic about the push/pull dynamic and the efforts required by all to make progress happen. It never gives way to easy sentiment, instead opting for a more multifaceted, or intelligent, approach to crowd-pleasing. It's easy to look back and think we're so much more progressive now, but obviously, women today are still fighting for those same rights, so how far have we actually come? And in the future, how will we look back on this time with the benefit of hindsight? The film had us in its corner from the outset — in terms of its politics, that's a no-brainer. But the real accomplishment is how the filmmakers avoided the easy way out, and instead told the best story they could've from this material. [A-]
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