Rating: PG13
Genre:
Culture & Society
Release Date: 09/28/2004
SubTitles: French/Espanol
Dubbed: English
Sound: DDS2.0
Run Time: 91 Minutes
Distributor/Studio: Miramax
Comedic
documentary filmmaker
Michael Moore takes his film crew throughout the U.S. for
The Big One, a behind-the-scenes video diary of the promotional tour for his book
Downsize This! He appears at several chain bookstores throughout the nation, signing autographs and delivering wicked political commentary to audiences. Along the way, he stops at various small-town parking lots and malls, gathering brief interviews with assorted Americans. Some of his interview subjects include an ex-convict who was hired as cheap labor for TWA airlines while in prison and a group of Borders employees who organize a union. Brief celebrity appearances include
Garrison Keillor,
Studs Terkel, and
Cheap Trick's
Rick Nielsen. In his typical ambushing fashion,
Moore makes several cleverly unexpected visits to people in powerful positions. One attempt finds
Moore bringing laid-off working mothers to visit a local government official with the intent of cleaning his office to show that they want a job. In Centralia, IL,
Moore visits the Leaf candy company, who plans to move their factories to Mexico, resulting in massive layoffs. The camera crew heads into their administrative offices and attempts to meet with the CEO in witty trademark fashion. Other corporate targets include Johnson Controls, Pillsbury, and, finally, Nike, where CEO
Phil Knight grants
Moore some dialogue.
~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
;)
