Michael Moore’s Health Industry Documentary ‘SiCKO’ Debuts
The Wall Street Journal on Friday examined how supporters of documentary film maker Michael Moore's next film about the health care industry "hope that the new movie will stir up emotions and help generate the kind of buzz that made his last movie ... a topic of national debate and an unprecedented blockbuster in the documentary genre." Moore has said that the film, called "SiCKO," "will expose the health care industry's greed and control over America's political processes."
Producer Harvey Weinstein said that the film "will ignite the country once and for all to deal with health care." According to the Journal, Moore "has largely kept a lid on the contents of the movie," but "[r]umors started circulating" after nurses unions and health care experts saw the film. The Journal reports, "Picking a fight with the opposition is a key component of Mr. Moore's typical marketing plan," and drug companies already have "started taking the bait."
When Moore started working on the documentary, some drug companies sent warnings to employees not to speak with him. The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America already has prepared a statement in response to the film, though no one at the organization has seen it. PhRMA Vice President Ken Johnson said, "No one should be surprised that Michael Moore is making baseless accusations designed to drum up publicity for his movie." He added that "SiCKO" was not on his organization's "top 10 list of concerns." America's Health Insurance Plans spokesperson Mohit Ghose said his organization will respond to the movie once officials view it but added that AHIP already is focusing on improving health care access and affordability.
The film debuted over the weekend at the Cannes Film Festival and will open in U.S. theaters on June 29 (Marr, Wall Street Journal, 5/18).
