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Sicko
Sicko theatrical poster
Directed by	Michael Moore
Written by	Michael Moore
Produced by	Michael Moore
Starring	Michael Moore
Distributed by	The Weinstein Company Lionsgate (theatrical)
Release dates	June 22, 2007
Languages	English, French, Spanish
Budget	$9,000,000 US

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, 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. A month earlier, the U.S. Treasury Department began an investigation into Moore's trip to Cuba. A pirated copy of the film was leaked onto the Internet just prior to its release.

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.

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 life saving 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. The point is made that in the UK, pharmaceuticals are free of charge for persons under 16 or over 60, and subsidized for everyone else; only a maximum of £6.65 per item is charged (about $13 U.S.), and that UK National Health 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 long-standing and well known socialist politician and former Member of Parliament. Benn informs Moore that any attempt to dismantle the NHS would result in a revolution. Benn, , gives as his opinion that the U.S. lacks a universal health care system because the U.S. government wants Americans to be unhealthy and uneducated so that they live in fear and without hope, and are less likely to vote as a result.

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. 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. In one interview, it is said that the reason the French have public health care is that the government is afraid of its people, and the reason Americans don't have public health care is that the people are afraid of their government.

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 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 cheap medicine and receive free medical treatment. 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". (Since finding out that the anonymous donation would be shown in the movie, Kenefick has responded on his website, criticising Moore for sending an anonymous cheque but then including it in his movie, saying Moore was "using" him.)

Release

Sicko premiered at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival on May 19 2007, where 2,000 people applauded loudly after the film's first Cannes screening at the packed Grand Theatre Lumiere, the main festival auditorium.

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 himself in attendance. Sicko features patients from the London, Ontario area. It also had an early premiere in Washington D.C. the week before its North American release.

Box office

Sicko made $4.5 million on its opening weekend. In 441 theaters, it took in an average of $10,204 per theater, the second highest average gross of the weekend. As of August 12, Sicko has grossed $23,249,325 in the United States. It has been named the fourth-highest grossing documentary since record keeping began in 1982 (excluding concert movies, reality films, and "large-format" documentaries.) While acknowledging these are strong results for a documentary, Michael Hodgberg of the conservative American Spectator calls them "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. However, The Weinstein Company stated before Sicko was released that they did not expect the film to do as well as Fahrenheit 9/11.

Critical reaction

The movie has received a 92% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and was rated 8.5/10 by votes on the Internet Movie Database (IMDb). Following early viewings at the Cannes Film Festival, Variety described Sicko as "an affecting and entertaining dissection of the American health care industry", concluding it should play well internationally. Moore has nonetheless been quoted as saying, "I know the storm awaits me back in the United States."

In an early review a week before the premiere, Richard Roeper and Michael Phillips (the latter filling in for Roger Ebert) gave Moore's 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."

British film magazine Empire commented that "Sicko is the film that truly reveals Moore as an auteur."

On the other hand, David Denby of the New Yorker writes: "After the early tales of the system's failure, "Sicko" becomes feeble, even inane." In a review 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".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."

Response

Moore said that executive producer Harvey Weinstein, whose company provided financing for the film and is a friend of the Clinton family, asked him to remove a scene critical of Hillary Clinton, but Moore refused.

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." However, Michael C. Moynihan of Reason said that Moore's "jeremiad" presented an oversimplified view of healthcare and would not win any converts.

Health care industry professionals are responding to depictions of their organizations. In a letter responding to a Wall Street Journal op-ed by David Gratzer that was critical of the film, 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. Michael Moore posted a leaked memo from a Blue Cross employee about the likely consequences of the film. The memo expresses concern that the movie misleadingly turns people against Blue Cross by linking it to abuses by for-profit HMOs.

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. Immediately following the segment, Moore was interviewed live on CNN by Wolf Blitzer. Moore stated that Gupta's report was inaccurate and biased. Moore posted a point-by-point response on his website After a debate with Moore on Larry King Live,. Gupta posted a message about his position on Sicko and CNN's coverage. CNN released a statement on July 15 2007 that offers a point-by-point response to Michael Moore's list of items.

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. 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. 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."

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. 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 criminal investigation against Moore that arose from taking American 9/11 rescue workers to Cuba for medical treatment. Moore has said that if any trip to Cuba is for journalism reasons, the U.S. allows it. He also added that Sicko is a non-fiction film and for journalism. 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.

Cut Scenes

Mr. Moore believes that his documentaries should be no more than 2 hours long. He filmed but did not use several scenes from the section about health care in England. Moore said "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 all they get benefits that GE employees don't get in the United States.

In addition to filming the health care systems in Canada, England and France, Mr. Moore, also filmed the system in Norway. Norway was removed because it duplicated many of the good things that are done in France. For example in Norway, if you have certain illnesses, like psoriasis or rheumatism, you get two weeks paid vacation at a spa in the Canary Islands. They hire a government ethicist to determine who they should spend their money on, because they want to do it in an ethical way.

See also

• Michael Moore controversies
• The Death of Mr. Lăzărescu
• Uninsured in America

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. Kenefick, Jim (06-12), Jim Kenefick and Moorewatch as presented by Michael Moore in Sicko, retrieved 2007-07-12 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help)
6. "Michael Moore's Sicko gets audience thumbs-up at Cannes". CBC Arts. CBC. Retrieved 2007-05-21.
7. "'Ratatouille' Swarms Weekend Box Office". FOXNews.com. Retrieved 2007-07-02.
8. "Documentary Movies". Genres. Box Office Mojo. 2007. Retrieved 2007-07-23.
9. Michael Hodgberg (2007-07-02). "Sicko, The Box Office". American Spectator. Retrieved 2007-07-27.
10. Dade Hayes (2007-06-11). "TWC, Moore stand behind 'Sicko'". Variety. Retrieved 2007-07-27.
11. "Sicko". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2007-07-17.
12. "Sicko". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2007-07-22.
13. Alissa Simon. "Review: Sicko". Variety. Reed. Retrieved 2007-05-19.
14. Andrew O'Hehir. "Sicko". salon.com. Salon. Retrieved 2007-06-16.
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. ^ Michael Moynihan. "Michael Moore's Shticko:His health care jeremiad won't win any converts". reason.com. Reason. Retrieved 2007-07-07.
19. Atul Gawande. "Sick and Twisted". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2007-08-25.
20. See “Moore Says Weinstein Wanted Clinton Scene Cut”, Washington Post, Accessed June 26, 2007.
21. ""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).
22. 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)
23. 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)
24. LEAKED INTERNAL MEMO; 'SiCKO' Has Capital BlueCross Exec Scrambling to Respond. July 6th, 2007.
25. 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)
26. "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)
27. "'SiCKO' Truth Squad Sets CNN Straight". SiCKO News. MichaelMoore.com. 2007-07-10. Retrieved 2007-08-02.
28. "Larry King Live". Larry King Live. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |airdate= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |network= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (help)
29. My conversation with Michael Moore, Sanjay Gupta, CNN.com, July 11, 2007, retrieved on July 11, 2007.
30. "CNN's response to Michael Moore". CNN.com/entertainment. CNN. 2007-07-15. Retrieved 2007-07-17.
31. Goldstein, Gregg (2007-06-18). "Pirated "Sicko" surfaces on YouTube". Reuters. Retrieved 2007-06-18.
32. Gregg Goldstein. 'Sicko' leaks have studios crying malpractice. June 19, 2007.
33. MTV.com, Michael Moore Brushes Off 'Sicko' Leak, retrieved 2007-07-12
34. "Uncle Sam Probes Michael Moore (Treasury Department investigating director's unauthorized Cuba trip)". thesmokinggun.com. Retrieved 2007-05-11.
35. "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.
36. "Moore fears film seizure after Cuba trip". www.reuters.com. Reuters. Retrieved 2007-07-11.
37. "U.S. officials may subpoena filmmaker Moore". www.reuters.com. Reuters. Retrieved 2007-07-29.
38. "Test apartment on the Canary Islands in cases of asthma, allergies, fatigue and health problems". Retrieved 2007-08-25.
39. "Moore in Motion". Metroactive. 2007-07-03. Retrieved 2007-08-25.

External links

• Sicko Official movie site
• Sicko at IMDb
• Sicko at Rotten Tomatoes
• michaelmoore.com - factual backup on Michael Moore website

• 2007 films
• Documentary films
• Political documentaries
• Films directed by Michael Moore
• Lions Gate films
• Medical-themed films
• The Weinstein Company films
• Criticisms of Medicine