As Goes Janesville

Brad Lichstenstein's absorbing PBS-aired Independent Lens documentary focuses on Janesville, WI, which serves as a microcosm for exploring the effects of the economic recession and its ramifications for America as a whole. The film begins with the 2008 closing of the General Motors assembly plant, the town's major employer. Lichstenstein follows two workers—Gayle Listenbee and Angie Hodges—who eventually accept GM's offer of continuing employment at operations elsewhere (although that means leaving their families behind), and Cindy Deegan, who opts to train for a different occupation. But it's hard for Deegan to secure any job during the downturn, and the impact of a sudden medical scare in already troubled circumstances adds to the drama. Meanwhile, a volunteer group tries to attract new businesses to the county, although the effort entails tax incentives that threaten to upset the municipal budget. And the city is torn by the state's wider political crisis involving the election of a Republican governor, Scott Walker, whose attempt to end the collective bargaining rights of public service unions initiates widespread demonstrations and recall efforts at the ballot box. Caught in the middle is Democratic State Senator Tim Cullen, who's rebuffed when he tries to find common ground with his Republican colleagues and scorned by some Democrats as a turncoat to the progressive cause. Janesville—the home of Republican former vice-presidential candidate Paul Ryan—may not be the typical American town, but its story throws the nation's economic problems (and their real human cost) into sharp relief. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)