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"SICKO" (2007) (Documentary) (PG-13) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Mild Moderate *Heavy Minor Mild Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Mild None Mild *None Heavy Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Moderate Mild Moderate Heavy Mild QUICK TAKE: Documentary: Michael Moore examines the American health care system. PLOT: Documentary: Documentary filmmaker Michael Moore examines the health care system in the United States through interviews with everyday people and those who've worked for the insurance companies, a look at the genesis and repercussions of managed health care, and how the American system compares to that of other countries around the world. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? Unless they're fans of documentary filmmaker Michael Moore or are interested in health care, it's highly unlikely. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13 For brief strong language. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: Those who appear in the film are ordinary people who detail their dealings with health care systems in the U.S. and abroad. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: The following is a brief summary of the content found in this documentary that's been rated PG-13. Profanity consists of 1 "f" word seen written on a web site, while a handful of other expletives and colorful phrases are also heard. A man's bare butt is briefly seen as he's about to get a shot, while some cleavage and still photos of women in bikinis are also seen. Bad attitudes are present, as is tense family material regarding talk of deaths in families due to improper health care. That, and other thematic elements involving that issue pervade most of the film. Brief drinking and smoking are seen, as is the close-up view of an open knee wound being stitched up. That and talk of other injuries might be unsettling for some viewers, while archival footage shows bombs dropping in WWII, followed by the visual aftermath of building wreckage. Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. For those prone to visually induced motion sickness, there are varying amounts of handheld camerawork in the film. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE We briefly see beer in cases in a grocery store. A woman complains about pills costing over $200, and that she barely takes anything, but then says she does like a little brandy. Some miscellaneous people have wine. Moore makes a comment about the French loving their wine and cigarettes, yet being healthier than Americans. Some miscellaneous people have wine. Some miscellaneous people have wine in another scene. BLOOD/GORE We see a man stitching up his own knee wound (a deep gash in the skin -- seen in close-up) rather than go to the doctor or emergency room due to insurance issues. We see scars on a man's hand from where his fingers were reattached at some point in the past. Black and white footage shows some birth goo on a newborn. We briefly see some surgery footage (but nothing that's too graphic). DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE While rarely personified by actual people, various insurance companies are made out to be the "bad guys," denying people health care coverage and procedures (some of which led to deaths). The comment that some in the health insurance industry were given bonuses for the more people they denied coverage to. There's talk of insurance adjusters going back through a claimant's medical history, looking for anything they might be able to use to deny their claim, whether what's found is or isn't related to the claim. An American woman admits to lying about being a common law partner to a Canadian resident so that she can get medical care under Canadian law. There's talk and then surveillance footage of patients being dropped off from hospitals at homeless shelters (still in hospital gowns, with one even still having broken ribs and a collarbone). Some viewers may see Moore as breaking the law by taking 9/11 rescuers to Cuba for medical treatment they were denied or couldn't afford in the U.S. FRIGHTENING SCENES We briefly hear stories and see photos of some sick people who ended up dying due to being denied medical treatment by their health insurance companies (and that might be unsettling for some viewers). Descriptions of some wounds and injuries (tips of fingers being sawed off, a visible knee wound being sewn up, a man talks of his arm tendon snapping, thus sending his bicep up into his chest, etc.) may be unsettling to some viewers. GUNS/WEAPONS Old film footage shows a person with a machine gun, while another clip shows the motion of a whip being snapped and struck (no impact). We briefly see archival WWII footage of bombs dropping as well as the wreckage aftermath in Britain (bombed out buildings, etc.). IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "F*ck you" (seen written), "Suck," "I felt like crap," "Bitch" (how a woman refers to herself when she's on the phone), "Freakin'" and "Hell yeah." We see home movie footage of a guy trying to cross the famous Beatles crosswalk at Abbey Road, but dislocating his shoulder while doing so (he appears pained after that). JUMP SCENES None. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) A mild amount of suspenseful music plays in the film. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) None, but a song in French sounds sultry (in tone), but we couldn't understand the lyrics. PROFANITY At least 1 "f" word (seen written on a computer website), 1 ass, 1 crap, 1 damn, 1 hell, and 1 use each of "God," "Godforsaken" and "Oh God." SEX/NUDITY There's a clip featuring President Bush commenting on OBGYNs being unable to practice their love with women all across the country. We see some miscellaneous cleavage. We briefly see still photos of women in bikinis (cleavage) and at least one shirtless man. We briefly see some minor miscellaneous cleavage. We briefly see a man's bare butt as he's about to be given a shot there (we don't see the latter). We briefly see a little bit of miscellaneous cleavage. SMOKING We see footage of Fidel Castro with a cigar, as well as that of some miscellaneous people smoking (including when Moore comments on the French and their love of smoking, among other things). TENSE FAMILY SCENES Some young children are upset when their dad is headed out of town for contract work, and we then hear he's headed for Iraq. A woman recounts her husband needing a bone marrow transplant that may have saved his life (from kidney cancer), but that he was denied and thus died. A mother recounts taking her 18-month-old daughter to an emergency room with a bad fever, being told she wasn't at the right hospital, and then her daughter dying because of the delay of care. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT Health care in the U.S. vs. other countries. The concept and execution of socialized medicine. The comment that nearly 50 million people in the U.S. don't have health insurance. There's talk of one man who accidentally sawed off two of his fingertips and was then forced to choose between them due to the cost he'd have to pay (he chose the $12,000 rather than $60,000 surgery). The comment that 18,000 Americans will die each year due to being uninsured. We hear of middle-aged parents who (after three heart attacks and a diagnosis of cancer) were forced to move in with their adult daughter, since deductibles and co-pay amounts eventually forced them into bankruptcy. A woman complains that after being in a car wreck, her insurance declined paying for the ambulance ride since it was not pre-approved. People being turned down for insurance due to being too thin, as well as too fat. How a claim for a double hearing implant procedure was denied until the parent of the patient threatened to expose the CEO of the health insurance company to Moore, resulting in the sudden reversal of the denial. How the U.S. has "socialized" school education, police and fire care, mail delivery, libraries and more, but not health care. We briefly hear stories and see photos of some sick people who ended up dying due to being denied medical treatment by their health insurance companies. The comment that some in the health insurance industry were given bonuses for the more people they denied coverage to. A woman talks about a previous bout with a yeast infection being deemed a pre-existing condition for something not related to it, and that her claim was denied and she was then dropped from her insurance. There's talk of insurance adjusters going back through a claimant's medical history, looking for anything they might be able to use to deny their claim, whether what's found is or isn't related to the claim. A woman claims her husband was denied a treatment that may have saved his life, due to being black. The business notion of the HMO being less care equals more money for the company. The fact that Hilary Clinton campaigned for health care reform, was defeated, and then ended up being the second largest recipient of health insurance lobbying contributions. America being ranked 37th in the world in terms of health care quality. There are various bits of discussion about 9/11, but no footage of the attacks. The comment that Americans are sicker than the English. The comment that the way to control people is to frighten and demoralize them (meaning the government). A mother recounts taking her 18-month-old daughter to an emergency room with a bad fever, being told she wasn't at the right hospital, and then her daughter dying because of the delay of care. Moore makes a comment about the French loving their wine and cigarettes, yet being healthier than Americans. The comment that the government in France is afraid of its people, while the reverse is true in the U.S. There's talk and then surveillance footage of patients being dropped off from hospitals at homeless shelters (still in hospital gowns, with one even still having broken ribs and a collarbone). How some 9/11 rescuers workers were denied medical coverage (for ailments caused by their work at that time) since they weren't employed by the city. There's talk that political detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba receive full and medical care. The comment that if we accept and thus buy what we believe are superior cars and wine from other countries, why we don't do the same with health care coverage. The human belief of a world of "we" rather than a world of "me." VIOLENCE Some old movie footage shows the motion of a whip being snapped and struck (no impact), a faked bit showing the motion of a limb being sawed off, and of someone else kicking a maid or similar person on the floor to get their attention. We see home movie footage of a guy trying to cross the famous Beatles crosswalk at Abbey Road, but dislocating his shoulder while doing so (he appears pained after that). We briefly see archival WWII footage of bombs dropping as well as the wreckage aftermath in Britain (bombed out buildings, etc.). Reviewed June 19, 2007 / Posted June 29, 2007

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