A 2-hour
documentary aired on
PBS in the
United States. People Like Us deals with
class in America- what defines class, the difficulty of switching classes, and the relations between the classes, using personal interviews to illustrate the points. To demonstrate, for example, the film takes the viewer to
Burlington,
Vermont, where a battle between a multi-national supermarket chain and a local food co-op has brought
class division to the forefront of that community. The film also touches upon upper- and upper-middle- class people who "slum it"- hang out in "
dive bars", wear outrageously lower-class clothing, etc. It also take on a couple of case studies wherein a lower- or middle- class woman is trying to "better" herself, as it were.
Don't expect good
cinematography or a lot of polish- this is a non-Burns PBS documentary, and it shows. The music is grating (although the lyrics are certainly appropriate). But for people like me, there's a lot of raw humor. A high school geek has to explain to a ditzy blonde what "
sardonic" is- "an S.A.T. word". Another girl at the same high school remarks that the school is not empty on due to the region's lack of nearby cliffs. (See
Lemmings)
In my opinion, the film is an excellent exploration of who we are as Americans, and perhaps, who we should become.