Maxed Out and In Debt

Wednesday evening at 7:00pm sharp the James Manor (351 James Ave SE) will be hosting a screening of James Scurlock's documentary, Maxed Out. Scurlock, 34, originally intended for this flick to have a tongue-in-cheek tone to it, revealing ridiculous situations many Americans find themselves in when credit debt suffocates them. What Scurlock found though provoked little laughter. The documentary invites viewers to visit with a wide array of guests, from a canny Harvard financial professor to a savvy pawn shop owner to families living in the backwoods.

Get Rich Slowly, a personal finance organization online offers a balanced review of the documentary. While many reviews I've perused have offered much praise though neglecting to critique, this review aptly notes where they feel the documentary is lacking or drifting astray. Overall though, the positives and negatives balance out.

The New York Times review was as scathing on the film as the film was on the credit industry. Stephen Holden, the author, posits that Maxed Out fails to astutely convey the amalgam of facts, opinions, and anecdotes leaving the viewer in the shadow of a large issue without candles to illuminate the darkness.

To read an interview with Scurlock on the film, check out this Q&A organized by The Film Lot.

Below you can view the trailer for the film: