As Washington trudges into its fifth straight day of thunderstorms, I’m considering a Fourth of July backup plan, eschewing traditional fireworks for an all-American movie marathon.
After some very careful consideration, my all-day matinee quintuple feature will include the following flicks:
- Forrest Gump
- Field of Dreams
- Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
- Top Gun
- Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
I’m happy with my list. But I was less happy to learn that some of my favorite all-American films might haven been decidedly less so if the health care reform law had been in effect when they were filmed.
As it turns out, it’s not just small businesses that are confusedandworriedaboutObamacare. It appears that mandated coverage provisions are causing turmoil in the film industry too. Hollywood Reporter’s Paul Bond writes, “One of the unintended consequences, say some industry insiders, is that it could lead to productions running to foreign countries, given that [health reform law] doesn't apply to U.S. citizens working abroad.”
What does this mean for my movie marathon? If the health reform law were already in effect, would Jenny have run to Forrest through the reflecting pool in front of the Taj Mahal? Would Ferris have taken his day off in Glasgow? Would Mr. Smith have gone to Ottawa? Would Maverick have spiked on Iceman in Melbourne?
Would Ray Kinsella have answered his father differently when asked, “Is this heaven?” Would he have said, “No. It’s Budapest”?
I’m being more dramatic than a Coppola movie, but the film industry is responsible for 2.1 million direct and indirect jobs, and we’re not just talking about Tom Hanks here—there’s cameramen, caterers, lighting techs, and a host of others involved in the moviemaking business. There’s a lot of people to worry about and not a lot of time to figure it out. Key provisions of the health care law are slated to go into effect January 1.
"It's a morass of regulations and requirements, and everyone's trying to figure out what their exposure is," Eric Belcher, president and CEO of Cast & Crew Entertainment Services, told Hollywood Reporter.
On second thought, maybe I’ll head to the theater this Independence Day. I might see the Lone Ranger ride off on his trusty camel, Silver.