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'Sicko' Succeeds In Explaining Difficult Healthcare Issues
DVD Review
Rebecca Richardson
Issue date: 11/14/07 Section: Focus
Michael Moore's latest documentary, "Sicko," is an impassioned plea for universal healthcare in America. Fifty million Americans, according to Moore, are living without health insurance and the viewer comes face to face with just the tip of this proverbial iceberg throughout the film.
Some of the stories Moore shares are heartbreaking, like the 79-year-old man who continues to work as a janitor in order to afford medication for his wife and himself, despite having Medicare.
Others are downright shocking, such as the man who severed the tips of two fingers and, because he lacked health insurance, had to choose between paying $60,000 to reattach the tip of his middle finger or $12,000 to reattach the tip of his ring finger.
So, Michael Moore, what other alternatives are there? Moore learns there are several when he travels to various countries to gain insight into their healthcare systems.
For example, a surgery that would have cost a man $24,000 in America is free in Canada. An inhaler that costs $120 in the U.S. costs 5 cents in Cuba. France has free house calls from both doctors and nannies. In the U.K., government-paid doctors get paid more if they help people, earning bonuses for getting their patients to quit smoking.
"If you can find money to kill people, you can find money to help people," said former Parliament member Tony Benn in the film.
Moore's point seems to be that America certainly seems to have enough money to do the first, so why not the second?
Despite an intensely awkward love letter to Hillary Clinton in the middle of the film and a special feature about Cuban nun that has nothing to do with healthcare, this movie was worth watching. It is both entertaining and informative.
Moore once again succeeds at presenting a complicated issue in a way that the average viewer can digest, which is useful but can feel slightly tedious at times. "Sicko" is not a thrill-ride; it's a leisurely walk in the park with some stimulating conversation. The best part of watching it on DVD is that it's educational experience that can be paused.
The special features mainly contained stories that seemed redundant, though one was quite interesting.
"Sicko Goes to Washington" features Michael Moore and several members of the House of Representatives and Senate discussing the importance of passing H.R. 676, a bill to create a universal healthcare system in America. While the film itself made the viewer feel somewhat incapable of changing things, this special feature encouraged action.
Other features, however, including the music video, theatrical trailer and interview gallery are better off skipped. The rest of the features merely seem to bolster Moore's main argument: healthcare is better everywhere but here. However, this additional evidence makes it even easier to see his point that, if everyone is created equal, why doesn't this apply to healthcare?
Contact Rebecca Richardson at
Rebecca.Richardson@UConn.edu.
Some of the stories Moore shares are heartbreaking, like the 79-year-old man who continues to work as a janitor in order to afford medication for his wife and himself, despite having Medicare.
Others are downright shocking, such as the man who severed the tips of two fingers and, because he lacked health insurance, had to choose between paying $60,000 to reattach the tip of his middle finger or $12,000 to reattach the tip of his ring finger.
So, Michael Moore, what other alternatives are there? Moore learns there are several when he travels to various countries to gain insight into their healthcare systems.
For example, a surgery that would have cost a man $24,000 in America is free in Canada. An inhaler that costs $120 in the U.S. costs 5 cents in Cuba. France has free house calls from both doctors and nannies. In the U.K., government-paid doctors get paid more if they help people, earning bonuses for getting their patients to quit smoking.
"If you can find money to kill people, you can find money to help people," said former Parliament member Tony Benn in the film.
Moore's point seems to be that America certainly seems to have enough money to do the first, so why not the second?
Despite an intensely awkward love letter to Hillary Clinton in the middle of the film and a special feature about Cuban nun that has nothing to do with healthcare, this movie was worth watching. It is both entertaining and informative.
Moore once again succeeds at presenting a complicated issue in a way that the average viewer can digest, which is useful but can feel slightly tedious at times. "Sicko" is not a thrill-ride; it's a leisurely walk in the park with some stimulating conversation. The best part of watching it on DVD is that it's educational experience that can be paused.
The special features mainly contained stories that seemed redundant, though one was quite interesting.
"Sicko Goes to Washington" features Michael Moore and several members of the House of Representatives and Senate discussing the importance of passing H.R. 676, a bill to create a universal healthcare system in America. While the film itself made the viewer feel somewhat incapable of changing things, this special feature encouraged action.
Other features, however, including the music video, theatrical trailer and interview gallery are better off skipped. The rest of the features merely seem to bolster Moore's main argument: healthcare is better everywhere but here. However, this additional evidence makes it even easier to see his point that, if everyone is created equal, why doesn't this apply to healthcare?
Contact Rebecca Richardson at
Rebecca.Richardson@UConn.edu.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Mike B.
posted 11/14/07 @ 5:06 PM EST
Everyone is not created equal. That's the problem. Just wait until your income is taxed heavily so negligent, fat people and smokers can get their healthcare covered while healthy people get screwed. (Continued…)
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