The Film Forum

'Sicko' Individual: Q&A With Michael Moore

By Tom DiChiara

Related Links Watch 'Sicko' trailer & clip Get 'Sicko' showtimes See the two posters Get more on 'Sicko' All about Michael Moore Post your comments

Incendiary documentarian Michael Moore has a penchant for ticking people off. After all, he's the man responsible for chastising Americans for their obsession with violence in the 2002 Oscar-winning doc 'Bowling for Columbine.' And -- as if you'd forgotten -- he also famously ripped President Bush a new one in 2004's 'Fahrenheit 9/11,' which examined Bush's mishandling of Middle East policies and earned $119 million (by far a record for documentaries) in the process. But if you think you'll object to Moore's newest film 'Sicko,' about the dire need for U.S. health care reform (and, more specifically, universal health care), you may want to put down those "We Don't Want Moore" banners and get ready to do something you never thought possible: wholeheartedly agree with the man.

In 'Sicko,' Moore travels to England, France, Canada and even Cuba to see how the health care programs in those countries stack up to our own (hint: they're better), and exposes how even those U.S. citizens with health insurance are victimized by the system. The result is a film that is simultaneously informative, jaw-droppingly scary and immensely entertaining. It is also Moore's least controversial, least partisan film to date. And, as the filmmaker himself told us in an exclusive interview, that could be a very dangerous thing.

Why make a movie about the failings of the U.S. health care system now, at this specific moment in time?
Well, it is the number one domestic issue in the country, according to every poll that's taken. It is something that affects everyone. Everyone gets sick. Everyone needs to see the doctor at some point. And it's the best example of how our system is set up to benefit the few at the expense of the many.

A lot of critics are saying that this is your least controversial film to date. Why do you think they're saying that ... and do you agree with them?
I think maybe a better way to put it is that it may end up being a more dangerous film because it's less controversial, because it does reach out and will appeal to all kinds of people and not just hard-core Democrats. And because of that, if it reaches more people it has a better chance of having some impact.



Do you think you have the chance to win over some more people, the kind of people who wouldn't have seen a Michael Moore film a few years back?
Yeah, but I won them over not just by making this film but because they remember that crazy guy in the ball cap was one of the first to say that we're being led to war for fictitious reasons and that it wasn't going to work. Now, after all these years, people are seeing that's exactly what happened. So if I turned out to sort of have my finger on the pulse that time, maybe the next time it might be worth listening to what I'm saying.

What do you hope to accomplish with 'Sicko'? Do you just want to bring the issue to the fore of U.S. consciousness and spark a discussion, or do you think the film could actually be a catalyst to reform?
You know, it's hard to say. First and foremost, I make movies to entertain people and to give them a great two hours on a Friday night. So that's what I hope will happen.

Do you think we'll ever have universal health care?
Ha. Oh yeah. We're the last of the industrialized countries. The other 24 have it. We're the last one. So yeah, it'll definitely come to us.

In your opinion, what are the steps to get there?
People are going to have to demand it because the politicians will not do it on their own. They're taking way too much money from the insurance industry and the pharmaceutical companies. So only if people stand up and demand it, tell their members of Congress they want it, will it happen.

So, on the most basic level, if someone sees your film and gets fired up about the issue, what can they do to actually make a difference?
There's a bill in Congress H.R. 676, sponsored by Representative John Conyers. Tell your representatives to sponsor that bill.