Sicko

Sicko is the latest film from Michael Moore, he of Fahrenheit 9/11 fame. Yes, he hates Bush. And that will make the decision for a lot of people on whether or not they ever sit down to watch this movie. But I have to say, if you let that one thing about him sway you, you have made a grave error in judgement.

Sicko is different from Moore’s previous films. For one thing, he is in it very little. The majority of the film concentrates on those people telling their stories, and they are horrible, heartbreaking stories. I was not able to make it through the movie without crying. And I cried more than once. It isn’t really an attack on anyone in particular. The film just asks the question, why, if we proclaim that we are the greatest nation in the world, are we the only western nation without universal healthcare? Why are we working on a profit based system and ignoring those who really need medical aid? According to the film, 18,000 people will die each year because they won’t go to the doctor for care. They don’t have insurance or the money to pay for a visit. This doesn’t even include the number of people with insurance who are routinely denied the care they need. Each of the medical horror stories that are presented will break your heart. And Moore does his job well.

Aside from a few wrong notes in the film, such as Moore playing the fool in France and England (“You mean she doesn’t have to PAY?”) and a random trip to visit Cuban firemen, I thought this was an excellent way to spend two hours. Leaving the theater I was trying to figure out how I could move to England. I have insurance and that once made me feel secure. As someone who at a young age was very sick, I took comfort in that. This film took away any security I had. And it should. We have a broken system and we need to start fixing it. Please see this movie. Make your own decisions, do your own research after, but allow yourself to see his side of the argument.