Working Man

Pleasantly interesting human-interest story centered on the theme of "Loss". Though the Loss here is prominently Work, the central characters, Allery, Walter & Iola also share deeper losses that will eventually bring them closer together. Sometimes you need to look inward to find solutions to Today's challenges, but deeper still to conquer the long-term impediments to True Happiness - the most enduring take-away from this little tale.

An intriguing portrayal of a simple, mid-western, working class man as he grapples with loss and changes in his life that force him to go on an inner journey of re-discovery. Peter Gerety's performance is captivating, and Billy Brown has a commanding and inspiring screen presence. Definitely a must see!

This film is quiet and, yes, sad. But it is so full of hope and shows the best in us as humans - and some the worst. But without the worst, how could we be our best? And the best wins out in this one. The actors are real, the town and factory are gritty. There's nothing pretty about it, but so many wonderful things happen ......... ever so slowly. Reviewers who say it isn't realistic haven't had any experience with the main topics of this film - it's all very real. It lets us know we aren't alone.

This is a beautifully made film. The whole package is very well put together. Although its quite a simple tale of a factory closing and the impact on its workforce , particularly the main characters , it doesn't lead you to the rosy promised land and instead focuses on the characters personalities and life problems. Its main strength lies in its casting , with Peter Gerety putting in a superb performance , ably backed up by Talia Shire and Billy Browm. If you like human interest films it's well worth watching.

I tuned in for Peter Gerety, an extraordinarily gifted actor, and was pleased to find that Billy Brown absolutely held his own, and then some, as his co-star. The movie also has its heart in the right place-- with the working class-- and it has a fairly fresh idea, with an unpredictable plot, and characters who are not one-dimensional, including not just laborers at the plastics plant (stay tuned for more on plastic), but management and corporate, too.

My frustrations may seem minor, but I think the movie was undermined by two bad decisions.

First, the imbalance of dialog between Brown as Walter Brewer and Gerety as Allery Parkes. Brewer is charismatic and talkative which is a stark difference from Parkes, who is given less than the bare minimum of lines to make him seem real. Gerety's character shut down after his son's suicide, but to a degree that doesn't help the film: it's unnecessarily severe. When a character is that withdrawn, I always wonder why anybody bothers to stick around-- including me.

Second, and this may seem petty, but I'm serious: Talia Shire had no business playing Mrs. Parkes. I'm not talking about her acting ability. I'm talking about her plastic face: the amount of cosmetic surgery she has obviously had undermines every scene she's in, especially when she's counting coupons at the grocery store. Once a performer gets that much work done, they forfeit the right to play a working stiff, or his wife.