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Friday, August 17, 2012Posted by Raphael

Health insurance in movies



      
       You thought insurance was a boring subject? Today it’s time to change your mind. The few words you are going to read tend to prove the contrary. Here are a few classic movies starring insurance. The first one is “The Apartment” (1960). In this movie you will follow the daily life of Bud Baxter (Jack Lemmon), working in an insurance company in New York. Quickly, Baxter becomes the assistant of Jeff Sheldrake (Fred MacMurray), the boss of the company. But things are getting complicated when Baxter learns Sheldrake is using his digs to entertain Shirley MacLaine, the character of Fran in the movie.

In 1960, insurance companies were assimilated to the establishment. The movie “The Apartment” was released right before the counterculture. At this time, trends were the search for individuality.

The second one is ‘Cesar rapids’ (2011). Tim Lippe (Ed Helms) works in a very small town as an insurance agent. This movie deals with the question to know if whether or not it’s possible to be an honest person, hardworking, community minded insurance agent at this time, without selling his or her soul. This movie deals with insurance through a funny way, comparing two kinds of people, honest ones and others who are not. Ed Helms integrate his role perfectly and give insurance word the chance to be known through an entertaining way to everyone.

The third one is ‘Sicko’. You probably heard about this movie, or at least about its director : Michael Moore. This movie is very critic toward insurance company and health care in USA in general. The beginning of the movie is lunched with the 1973 act and the conversation involving the president Nixon dealing about the lack of caring of some insurers toward their client.

Another movie involving insurance company/agent you probably heard about is ‘Groundhog Day’ (1993). In that movie Phil Connors (Bill Murray) is a Misogynist TV weatherman. During his work experience, he is quickly going to meet his old time old school nerdy classmate Ryerson (Stephen Tobolowsky), which has became health insurance agent.

Insurance company is putted on the light again in “ the Rainmaker” (1997), the lawyer Rudy Baylor (Matt Damon) , a movie directed by Francis Ford Coppola. This movie deals with a denied claim for a benefit insurance, related to bone marrow transplant on a young man dying of leukemia.

The movie “Double Indemnity” (1944) was directed by Billy Wilder, tells the story of Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray), an insurance agent working in Los Angeles. The insurance agent falls in love with Phyllis (Barbara Stanwyck), the wife of a client. The two protagonists quicly trick Phyllis husband into signing a life insurance policy and kill him, making people believe it was just an accidental death. This movie is maybe one of the older dealing with insurance, indeed it was released in the middle of the 20th century.

More recently you probably heard about “The incredibles” (2004) directed by Disney Pixar. This movie deals with insurance through a funny way. One of the aspects of insurance is putted on the light: security. Bob the superhero is forced to return to what he does best : provide security insurance for the superhero kind.