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Health & Fitness

Film Review: "The Health Care Games"

In this thriller produced by Paul Ryan, the elderly, poor and disabled are forced into an epic battle to the death as they fight for affordable health insurance and quality medical care.

Now hitting the political theatre by storm is Paul Ryan's "The Health Care Games."

Seemingly set in a post-apocalyptic America comes a horrendous tale in which a hostile government has taken-over and allowed a for-profit health care system leaving only well-to-do Americans the opportunity for necessary preventative care while the vast majority of Americans beg, borrow and steal for their health care.

"The Health Care Games" is the brain-child of Republican Paul Ryan who envisions a future in which we cut just as much from health care programs for the poor and disabled as he gives back in tax breaks for the wealthy.

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In this destitute and depressing tale that Mr. Ryan envisioned we follow the lives of three main characters:

  • Dolores, an 81 year old Alzheimer's sufferer who (when she remembers to) spends her free time shopping for affordable health care coverage that her social security will cover.
  • Edwin, a 37 year old father of two and part time forklift operator who has just lost food stamp eligibility.
  • Isabella, a four year old disabled pre-schooler who thanks to Ryan's cuts to Medicaid, must sell crack to seventh graders to cover her medical expenses.

Veteran budget-slasher Ryan has crafted a well-written tale, but the main antagonist (Ryan himself) is a person void of any real humanity and hard to relate to as a human being. The main antagonist, the young Isabella, is easy to warm up to as we find ourselves rooting for her survival as she wheels herself around her crumbling inner city school, trying to raise enough money for another operation on her legs as she sells crack, dope and black market skittles to the older children.

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The supporting cast in this epic fight for health care survival is also well-acted - The seniors who tool around town looking for good insurance deals, driven by their grandchildren and helpful neighbors is painstakingly, but purposefully slow and realistic. And when Dolores meets an untimely doom due to health care complications that went un-treated because she couldn't afford the out-of-pocket expense after her Medicare allowance ran out is simply tear-jerking.

This film is sure to get a lot of attention this Fall during the Presidential election and I recommend familiarizing yourself with it, especially if Mr. Ryan is your "representative".

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