'Sicko's' secret struggle

Weinsteins set expectations for Moore pic

By GABRIEL SNYDER

Michael Moore has remained mostly mum on his next doc, "Sicko," which will examine health care in the U.S. and is due out next year from the Weinstein Co. But he did drop a few hints during panel discussions at last week's Traverse City Film Festival in Michigan.

He said he's feeling the pressure since Harvey and Bob Weinstein were soliciting money for their company by saying "Sicko" would gross $40 million. That would make it the third-biggest doc ever. His "Fahrenheit 9/11" set the doc box office record with a $119 million take.

"Harvey and Bob (Weinstein), who I love dearly and who've supported me, they put in their business proposal how much money my next movie will make," he said. "It creates enormous expectations."

At a panel on Thursday, he seemed to be questioning the purpose of making the pic at all. "The big struggle is why am I making it?" noting that everyone knows that health care is a mess in this country.

He seemed to answer his own question at a panel the next day, however, when he said he hoped the pic pushes health care to the top of the public agenda.

"Ever since they kicked Hillary (Clinton) down and stopped her 13 years ago, there has been zero conversation," he said.

Moore has been searching for people with health care nightmares, but he says among the biggest problems is health care companies learning who he's talking to.

"They're so hip (to me) that whenever we have a family" with a health care nightmare "they get free health care," he said. "There has been a 100% success rate of the people we're filming of getting whatever they need from the HMOs, pharmaceutical companies, whatever."