Made in Dagenham

Reminiscent of Norma Rae, filmmaker Nigel Cole's down-to-earth docudrama is based on a true story about a determined group of women who united to demand equal pay in England's Ford Motor Company plant in 1968. Sally Hawkins stars as feisty Rita O'Grady, a young married mother toiling diligently in a decrepit old factory with a leaky roof and pigeons overhead. Although she and her 186 cohorts are responsible for sewing interior upholstery to exacting specifications, the women are classified as unskilled labor, paid only a fraction of what the men in the automaker's main facility receive. Rita joins with friends (Andrea Riseborough, Jaime Winstone, Nicola Duffett, Lorraine Stanley, Geraldine James) in protest, winning the support of union representative Albert (Bob Hoskins), while also garnering the sympathy of Lisa (Rosamund Pike), the Cambridge-educated wife of sexist Ford executive Peter Hopkins (Rupert Graves). When their legitimate grievances go unanswered, spunky Rita leads a strike. But when Ford--the region's primary employer--runs out of finished seat coverings, it's forced to close shop, prompting many laid-off men—including Rita's husband, Eddie (Daniel Mays)—to turn against the strikers. An exuberant crowd-pleaser, this is highly recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by director Nigel Cole, a “making-of” featurette (14 min.), deleted scenes (8 min.), outtakes (2 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is the BD-Live function. Bottom line: a decent extras package for a winning film.] (S. Granger)