Working Man (2020)

[StevePulaski]

Working Man (2020)
Directed by: Robert Jury

Peter Gerety.

Rating: ★★★

The tragedy of many middle-aged men in America is they spent so much time working that they forgot to make a life. Their conversational musings consist of nostalgic memories when they weren't working as much, the score of last night's game, or, yes, work. Robert Jury's Working Man is an ode to them, albeit an overstuffed one. I think many of them would enjoy it. Sadly, they're probably too busy working to notice it.

The film zeroes in on the life of Allery Parks (Peter Gerety), a senior factory worker at New Liberty Plastics. He's worked there for decades. In some ways, he can't remember many specifics about his life prior to working as a lineman. He can recall a time when business was booming and the factory had 500 employees. Now, the staff has shrunk to 25, and shortly into the film, all the remaining workers are laid off. Allery doesn't appear to take the memo too seriously, however. The following day, he picks the lock on the perimeter fence and sneaks into the now-deserted building, cleaning the machines and taking his lunches like usual.

Allery's former coworkers start to take notice as they see him walk to work every day, lunch-pail in hand. His actions mystify them and his wife Iola (Talia Shire), who hasn't seen the man she married in Allery in many moons. He used to be lively and adventurous. Now, he goes through the motions of life. Work is all he knows, even when it completely disappears in the matter of a day. As the story progresses, we begin to learn about the couple's past trauma and how they both latched on to different vices in order to persist.

Allery's commitment to his former workplace attracts the attention of Walter Brewer (Billy Brown). The two men used to work the same floor despite not having much of a relationship with one another. Before long, Walter decides to accompany Allery to the factory, working their usual shifts despite no superior officers presiding over them, and stopping only to chit-chat during their break. Walter gets good news in just a matter of days: he's contracted clients with unfinished orders and they apparently told him that if the workers finished them, they'd pay for the merchandise. Now, Allery must galvanize the disgruntled staff to come back to work in hopes to see another payday.

One of the biggest beefs I take with American cinema is its resistance to speak to a class of folks that keep the country running on a daily basis. Desperately few films are made for an older, working class audience with themes and ideas that resonate with them. We don't get many (quality) mainstream nor independent films about middle-aged relationships and we certainly don't see many films like Working Man; one that affectionately portray a quiet bunch of folks who labor day-after-day at the same job where their loyalty often goes unnoticed. Jury's film is indeed a fantasy of sorts, but its empathetic look at blue-collar America is one that's difficult to find.

The issue that arises, however, is Jury (who also serves as the film's writer and producer) doesn't always quite know what to say with this story. Jury incorporates central ideas of workplace dehumanization and middle-aged ennui nicely, but struggles when bringing a mental health angle into the mix, something the narrative itself doesn't adequately develop by the time it's introduced. Add in the aggressively compassionate approach that sometimes makes the ensuing drama, combined with the soft score, a touch too sentimental and the inherent introspection in Working Man is somewhat lost. There's plenty to discuss with Allery as a character emblematic of the experiences of so many underappreciated workers that it's a little unfortunate when the film muddles its ideas by inviting too many in at once.

Shot in Chicago in just under three weeks, Working Man feels like a Chicago movie. You feel the biting cold amplified by a nasty winter wind chill. You recognize the bungalows as staples of life just outside the city's major metropolitan district, where factory smoke and the smell of diesel trucks permeate the air. Moreover, you see a melting pot of white, black, and Latino faces that coexist on one long block, separated only by a tight street. You know it's Chicago because it damn sure couldn't be anywhere else. This cinematic Midwest ethos is about as hard to find as a quality movie about working class America. It's a fitting compliment to Working Man insofar that even if it has a hard time tying together some loose ends it doesn't fail in getting the details right.

NOTE: Working Man is now available to rent on Amazon, Google Play, and Vudu.

Starring: Peter Gerety, Billy Brown, and Talia Shire. Directed by: Robert Jury.