CNN Money is reporting that Roger Smith, famed CEO of GM in the 80s and star of Michael Moore's Roger and Me documentary, died yesterday at the age of 82.
Roger Smith's legacy is well documented in Moore's film about Flint, Michigan and the economic hard times of the 1980's. His lesser known role at GM was to create what we know today as the Saturn Car Company. That's right - if you drive a Saturn, you are contributing to Roger Smith's legacy.
I have more comments on how the film touched me after the flip.
I remember the first time I saw Roger and Me. I was in my high school economics class, taught by a tall skinny man who retired the year I took the class. No one mourned this man's retirement as he wasn't exactly popular. My teacher was very geeky. He turned CNBC on in class (this was the height of the Tech Sector Bubble) and talked about the stock market most of the hour and a half that he had our forced attention.
I had already been turned on to progressive politics several years earlier by a friend who had given me Rage Against the Machine's first album. I was probably more politically aware than most of the people in my class. I had long written off our teacher as a Republican, mostly for his love in investing and discussion of corporations and their importance in our society.
I was extremely surprised the day he decided to show us Roger and Me. I hadn't ever heard of the film. It completely took me by surprise and I would say it added to and influenced the view that I currently hold of the world today. It speaks to the film's legacy that it is still shown in classes across the country and serves as most students' first introduction to true progressive politics.
Many people who are of my age profess that they are such huge fans of Michael Moore because of Bowling for Columbine and Fahrenheit 9/11. Sicko has only cemented this man as a legend in our political environment and on the world stage. His influence cannot be measured.
However, so few of my friends have been able to say they've seen Roger and Me. If you haven't yet seen this movie, I highly recommend it. The DVD is great, especially with the commentary track that Michael recorded in which he gives great insight into the making of this movie and what he had to go through and how the studio and organizations stepped up to make sure this movie was seen by as many as possible.
Unlike Michael's other great works, this movie is him in his raw form. It's the original, with less theatrics and drama in my opinion. While his newer films are amazing pieces that speak to their issues, this one is really where it all started, and gives you a great background on the issues that we still fight today - economic depression, corporate mistreatment, outsourcing and labor issues.
This movie is as relevant today as it was 20 years ago when it was released. If you haven't yet picked it up, today is the day that you should do so.
P.S. I really didn't intend for this to be an advertisement. However Roger Smith's passing will draw more attention to the movie and I think it's imperative to stress its importance as one of the most influential documentaries of the 20th century.