Down and Out in America (1986): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1986, Down and Out in America is a documentary film directed by Lee Grant, running about 57 minutes. “The origins of homelessness.” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. Three sectors of American society hit by recession in the mid-1980s: heartland farms, factory workers out of a job, and the new homeless. In Minnesota, 250 family farms are being repossesed each week; men and women talk about their farms, the nature of their bank loans, the onslaught of corporate farming, and their sorrow and despair. In cities where 3,500 jobs per day go overseas, unemployed workers contemplate their options. The newly homeless talk about the jobs they've lost, "Justice Ville" in Los Angeles (bulldozed by court order), and squatting in New York's abandoned buildings. A family living in a welfare hotel tells their story.

Who’s in it. Down and Out in America stars Lee Grant as Narrator (voice).

How it landed. With an audience score of 6.6/10, Down and Out in America has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. In US you can rent or buy it from Amazon Video and Fandango At Home. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Down and Out in America page.

If you liked it. Fans of Down and Out in America tend to enjoy One Direction: This Is Us, Burn the Stage: The Movie, BTS World Tour: Love Yourself - Japan Edition and Senna.