A dramatization of the 1968 strike at the Ford Dagenham car plant, where female workers walked out in protest against sexual discrimination.
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- ርልዪረJune 19, 2026here is something about watching a film set so close to home, with such straightforward, down-to-earth style, that can make it feel a bit non-cinematic; "Brassed Off", "Educating Rita", "Billy Elliott", and "The Full Monty" are amongst those that find themselves solidly in that category. Now Nigel Cole's "Made In Dagenham" joins his previous hit "Calender Girls" alongside them, and I maintain that I would have none of them any other way, least of which "Made In Dagenham". This film has no frills; it is simply the very solid telling of a true story; that true story is of the women's strike at Ford in Dagenham in 1968, lead by Rita O'Grady. This is a faultless cast. Bob Hoskins performs his usual trick of slipping effortlessly into the skin of a character you imagine him to be in reality, and is completely lovable; Rosamind Pike is perfect as Lisa Hopkins, wife to a Ford executive and supporter of the women's movement; Sally Hawkins is knockout in the lead role of Rita and is surely going to get a great deal more serious work, and as usual Miranda Richardson is on fire and absolutely captivating as the tenacious Labour Secretary Of State at the time, Barabara Castle, the woman who made it possible for the Equal Pay Act to be passed into law through sheer defiance of one of the most important industrial names to the UK economy. This is just the icing on the cake; supporting these great actors is a whole host of familiar faces, embodying the men and women involved. From the smallest roles in one or two scenes, to the husbands, to the members of Ford, not one actor is out of place or giving a performance that is substandard. The sense of place and time is captured wonderfully, with clear thought having been put into every element of the production: the music, the location shooting, the clothing, new designs of dresses, the clear division of classes, the inclusion of cultural references, car adverts on television, news reports heard. In fact, I say this is no-frills, but on reflection, it is a hell of an effort to ensure you cannot question where and when this story is set. The writing is top-notch, and possibly my favourite element of this film. Cole's ability to put together a movie that walks a fine line is on show in "Calender Girls", but with this he has outdone himself; when at its funniest, it doesn't forget the importance of the event, and when at its most sombre and emotional, it doesn't lose the energetic spirit of the piece. His ear for dialogue is impeccable, each character speaking exactly as they should; the character exchanges prove completely believable and of the time. He also manages to hold quite a wide scope for such a simple story; the effect of the event on the families of Britain is not overlooked, and we see the standpoint of everyone, including the American company top suits. In a nutshell, "Made In Dagenham" takes the best of all the aforementioned British movies and weaves them together in this one, resulting in a close to perfect piece of cinema Britain can be very proud of. A film that is very emotional, funny, and spirit-rousing, often all at the same time.
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Made in Dagenham was released on September 20, 2010.
Made in Dagenham was directed by Nigel Cole.
Made in Dagenham has a runtime of 1h 53m.
Made in Dagenham was produced by Stephen Woolley, Elizabeth Karlsen.
A dramatization of the 1968 strike at the Ford Dagenham car plant, where female workers walked out in protest against sexual discrimination.
The key characters in Made in Dagenham are Rita O'Grady (Sally Hawkins), Albert Passingham (Bob Hoskins), Barbara Castle (Miranda Richardson).
Made in Dagenham is rated R.
Made in Dagenham is a Drama, Comedy, History film.
Made in Dagenham has an audience rating of 7.5 out of 10.
Made in Dagenham had a budget of $7.2M.
Made in Dagenham has made $12.6M at the box office.