Who would think a movie about an autoworkers strike could be so entertaining and even moving? Made in Dagenham is simply brilliant. Rita O'Grady (Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky) finds herself unexpectedly thrust into the li... more »melight when she becomes the leader of a strike by the women who sew the upholstery for a Ford factory in Dagenham, England--a strike that, thanks largely to the efforts of management and unions alike to dismiss it, turns into a struggle over equal pay for women. But because of a smart and subtle screenplay, understated direction, and above all outstanding performances by the entire cast--also featuring Rosamund Pike (An Education), Miranda Richardson (The Crying Game), and Bob Hoskins (Who Framed Roger Rabbit)--Made in Dagenham never stops being about people, even as its political scope widens. Every step is grounded in human relationships, among the striking women, between Rita and her husband, between the wife of a factory manager and a floor worker. The movie skillfully balances issues of class and gender equality and makes you care deeply about them--and about these people struggling for basic fairness. And it's funny, sad, and genuinely stirring. Simply a marvelous movie, not to be missed. --Bret Fetzer« less
