Sicko (2007)
Documentary, Drama |
Sicko is a American political documentary film by filmmaker Michael Moore. Investigating health care in the United States, it focuses on the country’s health insurance and the pharmaceutical industry. The film compares the profiteering, non-universal U.S. system with the non-profit universal health care systems of Canada, the United Kingdom, France and Cuba.
Produced on a roughly $9 million budget, Sicko grossed $25 million theatrically in North America. This exceeded the official expectation of The Weinstein Company, which had hoped to be in line with Bowling for Columbine’s $22 million US box office gross.
According to Sicko, almost fifty million Americans are uninsured while the remainder, who are covered, are often victims of insurance company fraud and red tape. Furthermore, Sicko references the World Health Organization which lists the U.S. health in general as ranked 37 out of 191, with certain health measures, such as infant mortality and life expectancy, equal to countries with much less economic wealth.
Interviews are conducted with people who thought they had adequate coverage but were denied care. Former employees of insurance companies describe cost-cutting initiatives that give bonuses to insurance company physicians and others to find reasons for the company to avoid meeting the cost of medically necessary treatments for policy holders, and thus increase company profitability.
In Canada, a citizen describes the case of Tommy Douglas, who was voted the greatest Canadian in 2004 for his contributions to the Canadian health system. Moore also interviews a microsurgeon and people waiting in the emergency room of a Canadian public hospital.
Director: Michael Moore
Writer: Michael Moore
Stars: Michael Moore, Tucker Albrizzi, Tony Benn, George W. Bush, Reggie Cervantes, Bill Clinton
Cast:
| Michael Moore | … | Self |
| Tucker Albrizzi | … | Self |
| Tony Benn | … | Self |
| George W. Bush | … | Self (archive footage) |
| Reggie Cervantes | … | Self |
| Bill Clinton | … | Self (archive footage) |
| Hillary Clinton | … | Self (archive footage) |
| Billy Crystal | … | Self (archive footage) |
| John Graham | … | Self |
| Aleida Guevara | … | Self |
| William Maher | … | Self |
| Richard Nixon | … | Self (archive footage) |
| Patrick Pedraja | … | Self |
| Linda Peeno | … | Self |
Sources: imdb & wikipedia
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