
The Measure of a Man
2015

2019
Director
Robert Jury
Runtime
109 minutes
Average Rating
No ratings yetSynopsis
When the last factory in a small Rust Belt town closes its doors, an unlikely hero emerges in dutiful, quiet Allery Parkes. A career employee of the factory, the aging Allery can't reconcile how to live a life simply sitting at home doing nothing. Against the advice and pleas of his loving wife Iola, he forms an unlikely friendship with his charismatic neighbor Walter Brewer in order to revive the defunct factory.
Overall Score
Limited
Category Breakdown
LGBTQ+ Representation
The film follows a strictly heteronormative structure. There are no queer-coded character arcs or instances of same-sex intimacy within the cast.
Gender Representation
The narrative deconstructs the traditional provider archetype by focusing on the emotional fallout of a fatal accident. It shifts agency toward female characters like Iola as they navigate the crisis.
Racial & Ethnic Diversity
The cast is largely homogeneous and white, reflecting the specific geographic context of the Rust Belt. It lacks intentional intersectional diversity or race-bent casting.
Religious & Cultural Diversity
The film offers a nuanced critique of Western industrial institutions and systemic failure. It highlights the tension between individual survival and corporate accountability within the working class.
Disability Representation
Representation is limited to the physical and psychological consequences of industrial trauma. These elements serve as plot catalysts rather than centered explorations of disability agency.
Strengths
Areas for Improvement
AI Analysis
Working Man is a social realist drama that prioritizes a critique of systemic power over demographic variety. It succeeds in challenging traditional masculine roles and the stability of the industrial provider model, offering a somber look at class-based vulnerability. However, the film remains demographically traditional. The casting is largely homogeneous, and the narrative lacks representation of LGBTQ+ identities or neurodivergence. While the setting feels authentic to the Rust Belt, it does not seek to expand its scope through intersectional casting. Ultimately, the film's strength lies in its narrative engagement with socioeconomic hierarchies rather than progressive identity politics. It uses industrial tragedy to examine how corporate negligence impacts the individual and the family unit.

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