SiCKO is a good movie and with it I’d like to present a new way of looking at Michael Moore. Actually, it might not be a new way at all, I wouldn’t know if it’s already out there because I only read my own reviews for movie recommendations. Regardless, every time I mention I’ve seen a Mike Moore film people invariably say “Oooh, I hate him” or alternatively “I really like him.” But I’m rejecting that line of thinking for my new and simpler notion; Michael Moore makes you think. I don’t believe that you have to walk lockstep with his politics to agree that a movie which causes you to question or research your own beliefs is a good thing. And that’s why, no matter the slant or bias of Moore, this is a film worth seeing.
Why? Well, not to harp on it but it makes you ponder. It’s a thing that makes you say “hmmmm.” There are strengths and weaknesses in SiCKO and we’ll get into those in a second. But if you don’t know what the movie is about we’ll start there. SiCKO is a broad look at the U.S. healthcare industry, touching on a wide range of topics from prescription medicine costs to incentivizing the rejection of patient’s claims. Along the way Moore visits Canada, Cuba, France, and Britain to see how they do things too. It’s not like I could spoil a documentary’s twist ending but in my grand tradition of never discussing story we’ll move on.
The weakness of SiCKO is the emphasis on how other countries do things. I don’t know about you but I’m pretty clear on the fact that America isn’t other countries. Other countries don’t spend hundreds of billions of dollars on the military while keeping the education allotment safely in the three billion dollar range. Our health care issues are a uniquely American problem and while I could see a few minutes of airtime dedicated to successful systems elsewhere Moore makes it the focus of the second half of the movie. Am I happy for the Cubans and Brits for having such a wonderful deal? Sure. But it doesn’t get me any closer to figuring out what the hell our problem is. Just because my neighbor isn’t a meth addict that doesn’t mean I’m going to learn how to kick the habit myself. You’ve got to find the internal problems, shed light on them, and then move forward in a logical manner.
However, the other part of SiCKO is so good that I’m willing to overlook the odd decision to go gallivanting around the globe. When the movie is working it’s entertaining too, there are as many laughs in a few minutes here as can be found in all of Surf’s Up. Speaking of, hey parentals, how about a documentary for the kiddies this weekend? Start them young I say. Get them thinking. And when SiCKO is breaking down how HMOs operate you will think “this is absurdly unfair.” The system is built upon greed, not patient care, which puts health care providers in a very awkward spot on the front lines. The financial decisions made by for profit corporations have real world implications and SiCKO pounds HMOs into to the ground with them. There is a profound sadness that accompanies this movie as you realize just how out of hand our system has become.
So look, SiCKO is worth checking out. You might disagree with the man’s politics or methods but you shouldn’t disagree with challenging your beliefs. It would be hard, after seeing this, to say that everything is peachy keen in the health care industry. That doesn’t mean the solution can be found in this movie, but why should it have to be? Admitting we have a problem would be a nice first step as far as I’m concerned.
