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Although ''Sicko'' received a standing ovation at Cannes, Canadian journalists attending the premiere were less complimentary, objecting to the depiction of their health care system.<ref>{{cite news
Although ''Sicko'' received a standing ovation at Cannes, some journalists attending the premiere were less complimentary, objecting to the depiction of Canadian, French and British health care system being flawless. Though, it should be noted that only a small handful of journalists felt this way.<ref>{{cite news
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Revision as of 17:33, 6 October 2007

Sicko
Sicko theatrical poster
Directed byMichael Moore
Written byMichael Moore
Produced byMichael Moore
StarringMichael Moore
Distributed byThe Weinstein Company
Lionsgate (theatrical)
Release dates
United States June 22, 2007
LanguagesEnglish, French, Spanish
Budget$9,000,000 US
For other uses, see Sicko (disambiguation).

Sicko (or SiCKO) is a 2007 documentary film by American filmmaker Michael Moore that investigates the American health care system, focusing on its for-profit health insurance and pharmaceutical industry. The film compares the non-universal and for-profit U.S. system with the universal and non-profit systems of Canada, the United Kingdom, France and Cuba. Sicko cites the United States as the only industrialized nation that does not provide universal health care to its citizens,[1] highlights cases in which insured individuals were denied care, and condemns for-profit health care for maximizing profit at the expense of patient care.

Sicko opened to positive reviews, but also generated criticism and controversy. Policy specialists, especially those on the political right, criticized the film for its negative view of health care in the United States, and for its positive portrayal of the publicly funded health systems of Canada, the United Kingdom and Cuba.

Sicko debuted in the U.S. on June 22, 2007, earning $4.6 million in 441 theatres and achieving the second highest opening weekend for a documentary, after Fahrenheit 9/11.[2] A pirated copy of the film was leaked onto the Internet just prior to its release.

Synopsis

Sicko opens in 2006, stating that almost 50 million Americans are uninsured, and those who are covered often become victims of insurance company fraud and red tape. Interviews are conducted with both types, including former employees of insurance companies who describe cost-cutting initiatives that encourage bonuses for insurance company physicians to deny medical treatments for policy holders.

Moving to Canada, Moore then describes the case of Tommy Douglas, who was voted the Greatest Canadian in 2004 for his contributions to the Canadian health system, and interviews a microsurgeon and people waiting in the emergency room of a Canadian public hospital.

The history of health care debate in the U.S. is explained, with the stance against universal health care systems set against the backdrop of 1950s-style anti-communist propaganda. A 1960s record distributed by the American Medical Association and narrated by Ronald Reagan is cited, which claimed universal health care could lead to communism. Moore cites examples such as the American police, fire service, postal service, public education and community libraries, which are said to be "socialized" services, which have not led to communism. Further evidence of the origins of the Health Maintenance Organization Act of 1973 are presented using a taped conversation between John Ehrlichman and President Richard Nixon on February 17, 1971; Ehrlichman is heard telling Nixon that "...the less care they give them, the more money they make." This led to the expansion of the modern HMO-based health care system. Connections are highlighted between Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), the lobbying arm of the largest drug companies in the United States, lobbying groups in Washington D.C., and the United States Congress. Hillary Clinton, who once championed the Clinton health care plan, is cited as the Senate's second-highest recipient of health care industry campaign donations.

Moving to the United Kingdom, another country with a comprehensive free healthcare system, Moore interviews patients and inquires about in-hospital expenses incurred by patients, only to be told laughingly that there are no out-of-pocket payments. Moore visits a UK pharmacy, where pharmaceuticals are free of charge for persons under 16 or over 60, and subsidized in many cases for everyone else; only a fixed amount of £6.65 per item is charged (about $13 U.S.), irrespective of cost to the NHS. Further, NHS hospitals employ a cashier, part of whose job is to reimburse low-income patients for their out-of-pocket travel costs to the hospital. Interviews include an NHS general practitioner, an American woman residing in London, and Tony Benn, a socialist politician and former Member of Parliament. Benn compares any attempt to dismantle the NHS with reversing women's suffrage and says it would result in a revolution.

In France, Moore interviews the head of Obstetrics and Gynecology in a French hospital, and a group of Americans living in France. He also rides with "SOS Médecins", a 24-hour French medical service that provides house calls by physicians.[3] According to Moore, the French government provides exceptional social services, such as day care for $1 an hour, and neonatal support that includes cooking, cleaning, and laundry services for new mothers.

Returning to the United States, interviews disclose that 9/11 rescue workers who volunteered after the September 11, 2001 attacks were denied government funds to care for physical and psychological maladies they subsequently developed, including respiratory disease and PTSD. Unable to receive medical care in the U.S., the 9/11 rescue workers, as well as all of Moore's friends in the film needing medical attention, sail from Miami to Cuba on three speedboats in order to obtain free medical care provided for the enemy combatants detained at the U.S. Guantanamo Bay detainment camp. The group arrives at the entrance channel to "Gitmo" and Moore uses a megaphone to request access, pleading for the 9/11 victims to receive treatment that is on par with the medical attention the "evildoers" are receiving. The attempt ceases when a siren is blown from the base, and the group moves on to Havana, where they purchase inexpensive medicine and receive free medical treatment.[4] Providing only their name and birth date, the volunteers are hospitalized and receive medical attention.

Moore then addresses the audience himself, emphasizing that he feels people should be "taking care of each other, no matter the differences". To demonstrate his personal commitment to this theme, Moore sends an anonymous US $12,000 cheque to Jim Kenefick, webmaster of MooreWatch, which Moore describes as "the biggest anti-Moore website on the internet." Kenefick was forced to close the website because he needed US $12,000 to pay for his wife's medical treatment. Moore explains his contribution to these costs by saying he doesn't want the health care system to trump the first amendment. Upon receipt of the anonymous cheque, Kenefick calls the unknown donor his "Guardian Angel".[5]

Release

Sicko premiered on May 19 2007 at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival, receiving a 15-minute standing ovation[6] from 2,000 people at the Grand Theatre Lumiere.[7] The North American premiere of Sicko was held in London, Ontario at the Silver City movie theatre at Masonville Place on June 8 2007, with Moore in attendance.[8] It also had an early premiere in Washington D.C. on June 20, two days before its U.S. release, with Moore appearing at a Capitol Hill press conference to promote the film.[9]

Box office

Sicko earned $4.5 million on its opening weekend.[10] In 441 theaters, it took in an average of $10,204 per theater, the second highest average gross of the weekend. As of September 7, 2007, Sicko has grossed $24,152,770 in the United States. It has been named the third-highest grossing documentary since record keeping began in 1982.[11][12]

Critical reaction

Sicko at the Cannes Film Festival receiving a standing ovation

The movie received a 92% "certified fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes,[13] After its Cannes release, Variety described Sicko as "an affecting and entertaining dissection of the American health care industry".[14]

In an early review a week before the premiere, Richard Roeper and Michael Phillips gave the film two thumbs up. Roger Friedman of Fox News called the film a "brilliant and uplifting new documentary" and praised Moore for the way in which he lets "very articulate average Americans tell their personal horror stories at the hands of insurance companies" and "criticizes both Democrats and Republicans for their inaction and in some cases their willingness to be bribed by pharmaceutical companies and insurance carriers."[15]

British film magazine Empire praised Moore's filmmaking and personal artistic vision, exclaiming "Sicko is the film that truly reveals Moore as an auteur."[16]

David Denby of the New Yorker called the film "feeble, even inane"[17] while film critic Stephen Schaefer of the Boston Globe described Sicko as "a very strong and very honest documentary about a health system that's totally corrupt and that is without any care for its patients."[18]

Response

Media

Although Sicko received a standing ovation at Cannes, some journalists attending the premiere were less complimentary, objecting to the depiction of Canadian, French and British health care system being flawless. Though, it should be noted that only a small handful of journalists felt this way.[19]

WBAI Radio, part of the Pacifica Radio Network, reported that Sicko was revitalizing the debate for universal health care within the United States, calling the film "adrenaline for healthcare activists." It named individuals and entities ranging from U.S. Congressman John Conyers, Jr., to the California Nurses Association. It reported that the latter "began traveling the country to leaflet moviegoers as Sicko opens in theaters to support a 'single-payer' health care system."[20] Michael C. Moynihan of Reason said that Moore's "jeremiad" presented an oversimplified view of healthcare and would not win any converts.[21]

John Stossel of ABC's 20/20 wrote an article in the Wall Street Journal on September 13, 2007 entitled "Sick Sob Stories" that claimed Tracy Pierce's husband, featured in 'SiCKO,' would not have been saved by the bone marrow transplant denied by his insurer. This drew an angry response from Tracy Pierce on Moore's website, who claimed Stossel never contacted her and that the insurer denied other treatments as well. [22]

In an article published in both the The New Yorker and Reason Magazine, Michael Moynihan calls the film "touching, naïve and maddeningly mendacious, a clumsy piece of agitprop that will likely have little lasting effect on the health care debate".[21] Yet in another article in the The New Yorker "Sick and Twisted", Atul Gawande, states "his movie about the American health-care system, “Sicko,” is a revelation. And what makes this especially odd to say is that the movie brings to light nothing that the media haven’t covered extensively for years."[23]

Michael Hodgberg of the conservative American Spectator called the box office results for Sicko "a bit of a dud" because of Moore's previous box-office track record and "the attendant hype and publicity" surrounding the film, which drew only a fraction of the audience for Moore's previous effort.[24] The Weinstein Company stated before Sicko was released that they did not expect the film to do as well as Fahrenheit 9/11.[25]

Industry

Health care industry professionals quickly responded to Moore's depiction of their organizations. In a letter responding to a Wall Street Journal op-ed by David Gratzer that was critical of the film,[26] Robert S. Bell, M.D., President and CEO of University Health Network, Toronto, said that while Moore "exaggerated the performance of the Canadian health system," it provides universal coverage of a similar quality to that enjoyed by only some Americans.[27] Michael Moore posted a leaked memo from a Capital Blue Cross employee about the likely consequences of the film. The memo expresses concern that the movie turns people against Capital Blue Cross by linking it to abuses by for-profit HMOs.[28]

A July 9 2007 broadcast of CNN's "The Situation Room" aired a "fact check" segment by CNN's senior health correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta on Sicko.[29] Immediately following the segment, Moore was interviewed live on CNN by Wolf Blitzer.[30] Moore stated that Gupta's report was inaccurate and biased. Moore posted a point-by-point response on his website.[31] After a debate with Moore on Larry King Live,[32] Gupta posted a message about his position on Sicko and CNN's coverage.[33] CNN released a statement on July 15 2007 that offers a point-by-point response to Michael Moore's list of items.

Think tanks

Sicko was criticized by think tanks for misrepresenting the health systems of Canada, the United Kingdom and Cuba, and for its negative portrayal of the American health system in comparison to these countries.[34][35] An article by Brett J. Skinner of the Fraser Institute argued that healthcare in these countries is in reality characterised by long waiting lists,[36] while Rich Lowry, writing in the National Review, has claimed that Moore distorted the differences between American and Canadian healthcare systems in order to further a socialist agenda.[37] The National Center for Policy Analysis, a conservative American think tank, has also been critical of Moore's claims, focusing particularly on the lengthy waiting lists and the unavailability of new treatments in the publicly-funded health systems of the United Kingdom and Canada, an aspect of those systems which they allege Moore failed to address.[38][39]

Legal controversy

Piracy

Although the film was released on June 29 2007, a copy was leaked onto the Internet in early to mid June 2007.[40] Moore, who previously stated his support for Internet downloading, denies leaking the video himself and an investigation has been held as to the source of the Internet leak.[41] When asked about the leak, Moore said: "I'm just happy that people get to see my movies...I'm not a big supporter of copyright laws in this country...I don't understand filmmakers...who oppose sharing, having their work being shared by people, because it only increases your fanbase...I've always been happy in the past when teenagers have downloaded pirated copies of my movies...They've been downloading them and they've been sharing them, and I think that's great."[42]

Treasury Department probe

In a May 2, 2007 letter, the Office of Foreign Assets Control informed Moore that he was the subject of a civil investigation stemming from the filmmaker's March trip to Cuba. In the letter to Moore, a Treasury official noted that the department had no record of Moore obtaining a license that authorized him to "engage in travel-related transactions involving Cuba," alleging that Moore violated the United States embargo against Cuba.[43][44] A duplicate master copy of the film was being held in Canada in case American authorities attempt to seize the film as part of the investigation against Moore that arose from taking American 9/11 rescue workers to Cuba for medical treatment.[45] Moore has said that if any trip to Cuba is for journalism reasons, the U.S. allows it. Moore states that his intentions were to travel to the US Naval base in Guantanamo Bay. Upon Moore's arrival at Guantánamo Bay, no warning from the guard tower was given, a siren was sounded and Moore decided to turn around for safety.

On the The Tonight Show, Moore reported that he was notified that a subpoena regarding his trip to Cuba had already been issued. According to an anonymous source at Reuters, Moore has not been served; rather, the government contacted his attorney, David Boies, to discuss the logistics of serving a subpoena.[46]

Deleted scenes

Moore filmed but did not use several scenes from the section about health care in the United Kingdom. According to Moore, "There's footage of a homeless shelter in Britain where you get acupuncture and foot massages. And I had a scene in France, interviewing a woman who works for General Electric, who tells me they all get benefits that GE employees don't get in the United States."[47]

In addition to filming the health care systems of Canada, the United Kingdom and France, Moore also filmed scenes in Norway, whose health care system is run by the Norwegian Board of Health Supervision. Norway was removed from the film because its health care system possess numerous benefits similar to the French system. For example, Norwegian patients treated for an illness like psoriasis or rheumatism are eligible for two weeks paid vacation at a spa in the Canary Islands.[48] Norway hires a government ethicist to determine who they should spend their money on, because they want to do it in an ethical way.[49]

A scene in which Moore visits a Norwegian island prison, in which inmates reside in small group homes and focus on rehabilitation through manual labor and farming, was also cut.

Additional deleted scenes include interviews with Marcia Angell, former editor of the New England Journal of Medicine, in which she criticized various practices of pharmaceutical companies and the Federal Drug Administration, and Tony Benn, a socialist politician and former member of the British Parliament. [1]

Executive producer Harvey Weinstein asked Moore to remove a scene critical of Hillary Clinton, but Moore refused. Weinstein, whose company provided financing for the film, is a friend of the Clinton family.[50]

See also

Notes and references

  1. ^ Masters, Kim (2007-06-20). "Michael Moore's 'Sicko' Flogs U.S. Health Care". Morning Edition. National Public Radio. Retrieved 2007-07-20.
  2. ^ Germain, David (2007-07-01). "Fox News Channel". Entertainment. Fox News. Retrieved 2007-07-26.
  3. ^ Cohn, Jonathan (2007-07-020). "Shticko". The New Republic. Retrieved 2007-07-21. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  4. ^ "Moore unveils Sicko at Cannes". InTheNews.co.uk. 2007-05-14. Retrieved 2007-05-23.
  5. ^ Moorewatch as presented by Michael Moore in Sicko June 12 2007 Kenefick has criticized Moore for sending an anonymous cheque but then including it in his movie, saying Moore was "using" him.
  6. ^ "Sicko: Secrets de tournage". Allociné. Retrieved 2007-10-02. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  7. ^ "Michael Moore's Sicko gets audience thumbs-up at Cannes". CBC Arts. CBC. Retrieved 2007-05-21.
  8. ^ Sicko features patients from the London, Ontario area.
  9. ^ Hoover, Kent (2007-06-20). "Michael Moore visits Capitol Hill to promote 'Sicko'". Health Care - Health Insurance. Washington Business Journal. Retrieved 2007-10-02. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  10. ^ "'Ratatouille' Swarms Weekend Box Office". FOXNews.com. Retrieved 2007-07-02.
  11. ^ Excluding concert movies, reality films, and "large-format" documentaries.
  12. ^ "Documentary Movies". Genres. Box Office Mojo. 2007. Retrieved 2007-09-07.
  13. ^ "Sicko". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2007-07-17.
  14. ^ Alissa Simon. "Review: Sicko". Variety. Reed. Retrieved 2007-05-19.
  15. ^ Friedman, Roger (2007-05-20). "'Sicko' Shows Michael Moore's Maturity as a Filmmaker". Entertainment. Fox News Channel. Retrieved 2007-08-03.
  16. ^ "No Country For Old Men and Sicko". Empire. Retrieved 2007-05-19.
  17. ^ "New Yorker review of Sicko". Retrieved 2007-07-10.
  18. ^ Burleigh, Marc (2007-05-19). "Sicko debut for Michael Moore". Herald Sun. Retrieved 2007-10-01. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  19. ^ Howell, Peter (2007-05-20). "Canadian media needle Sicko". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2007-10-30. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  20. ^ ""SICKO": Damn Those Insurance Companies, Where The Heck Are They When You're Sick?"". WBAI Radio, New York. Retrieved 2007-07-08. Audio available at Building Bridges: Michael Moore Interview - Sicko {{cite web}}: External link in |quote= (help).
  21. ^ a b Michael Moynihan. "Michael Moore's Shticko:His health care jeremiad won't win any converts". Reason. Retrieved 2007-07-07. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  22. ^ "An Open Letter to John Stossel". MichaelMoore.com. 2007-09-15. Retrieved 2007-09-21.
  23. ^ Atul Gawande. "Sick and Twisted". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2007-08-25.
  24. ^ Michael Hodgberg (2007-07-02). "Sicko, The Box Office". American Spectator. Retrieved 2007-07-27.
  25. ^ Dade Hayes (2007-06-11). "TWC, Moore stand behind 'Sicko'". Variety. Retrieved 2007-07-27.
  26. ^ Gratzer, David (2007-28-06). "Who's Really Sicko?". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2007-08-07. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  27. ^ Bell, Robert S. (2007-07-09). "Canadian and U.S. Health Services -- Let's Compare the Two". Letters. Wall Street Journal. pp. A13. Retrieved 2007-07-21. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  28. ^ "Leaked Internal Memo; 'SiCKO' Has Capital BlueCross Exec Scrambling to Respond". News. MichaelMoore.com. 2007-07-06. Retrieved 2007-10-02.
  29. ^ Wolf Blitzer, Michael Moore, Sanjay Gupta (2007-07-09). ""Sicko" and Some Facts Are Incorrect.". The Situation Room. CNN. {{cite episode}}: External link in |transcripturl= (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |transcripturl= ignored (|transcript-url= suggested) (help)
  30. ^ "Video of Michael Moore on CNN FactCheck Response". {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |airdate= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |credits= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |network= ignored (help)
  31. ^ "'SiCKO' Truth Squad Sets CNN Straight". SiCKO News. MichaelMoore.com. 2007-07-10. Retrieved 2007-08-02.
  32. ^ "Larry King Live". Larry King Live. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |airdate= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |network= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (help)
  33. ^ My conversation with Michael Moore, Sanjay Gupta, CNN.com, July 11, 2007, retrieved on July 11, 2007.
  34. ^ Howard, Paul (2007-07-17). "A Story Michael Moore Didn't Tell". Washington Post. Retrieved 2007-10-02. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  35. ^ Who's the real sicko?, National Post, 6 July 2007
  36. ^ Hidden costs of Canadian health care system, Chicago Sun-Times, 23 June 2007
  37. ^ Moore “World of We”, National Review, 13 July 2007
  38. ^ Moore’s “Sicko” Could Put Lives at Risk, National Center for Policy Analysis, 17 July 2007
  39. ^ John Goodman: Film buffs may praise Moore's 'Sicko,' but policy buffs can see all its defects, Dallas News, 16 July 2007
  40. ^ Goldstein, Gregg (2007-06-18). "Pirated "Sicko" surfaces on YouTube". Reuters. Retrieved 2007-06-18.
  41. ^ Gregg Goldstein. 'Sicko' leaks have studios crying malpractice. June 19, 2007.
  42. ^ MTV.com, Michael Moore Brushes Off 'Sicko' Leak, retrieved 2007-07-12
  43. ^ "Uncle Sam Probes Michael Moore (Treasury Department investigating director's unauthorized Cuba trip)". thesmokinggun.com. Retrieved 2007-05-11.
  44. ^ "Michael Moore In Trouble For Cuba Trip (Treasury Investigation; Moore Took Sept. 11 Workers To Banned Island For Treatment)". www.michaelmoore.com. Retrieved 2007-05-14.
  45. ^ "Moore fears film seizure after Cuba trip". www.reuters.com. Reuters. Retrieved 2007-07-11.
  46. ^ "U.S. officials may subpoena filmmaker Moore". www.reuters.com. Reuters. Retrieved 2007-07-29.
  47. ^ "Moore in Motion". Metroactive. 2007-07-03. Retrieved 2007-08-25.
  48. ^ "Test apartment on the Canary Islands in cases of asthma, allergies, fatigue and health problems". Retrieved 2007-08-25.
  49. ^ "Moore in Motion". Metroactive. 2007-07-03. Retrieved 2007-08-25.
  50. ^ Akers, Mary Ann (2007-06-22). "Moore Says Weinstein Wanted Clinton Scene Cut". Politics. The Washington Post. pp. A05. Retrieved 2007-10-02. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sicko&oldid=162698297"