This documentary posed a lot of questions about the situation of the homeless. This might sound strange but the documentary showed how the money didn't matter. The 100,000 did not help this man. He had addiction problems with alcohol and cigarettes. And major problems with authority or any type of organization. He changed when he finally realized he had $100,000. But it was not a change for the better. The problems he carried only became greater than ever with the money.
I thought it was helpful the man was given the opportunity to meet with professionals in regards to his money. They gave him great advice but he did not want it. He felt like everyone was telling him what to do. Pushing more experts at him would not have helped. If he didn't want to listen, he wasn't going to. He would not even listen to his own family! This isn't a bad documentary. He comes across the money like a chance encounter. This isn't too far from experiencing good luck. However, it is staged. That's where ethics come into play.
As far as ethics, I am on the fence. It was a riveting documentary, an experiment, and train wreck in progress. It appealed to our curiosity. On the other hand, the filmmakers were sneaky with their approach. You can see how he thinks its just a documentary on his life, then everything changes when he receives the money, and from there--its all downhill. I don't know if its ethical because reality TV does the same thing. We watch shows that exploit peoples' abilities (American Idol), lifestyles (The Real World), and emotions (Survivor). They exploit people, it's cheaper than paying writers and building set, and we depend on contestants to fill in story lines. We watch people sign up to put themselves out there for all to see. They may sign bad contracts, get their 15 minutes of stardom, and when its over, we move on to the next season. Only if they are lucky and smart, do they survive and land roles on other shows---none of which are bigger than the show they went on first.
Overall, I find this documentary interesting. I think you can get a lot out of it. I would like to know if the man returned to his old lifestyle. I think it was a gutsy film and I liked it.
I thought it was helpful the man was given the opportunity to meet with professionals in regards to his money. They gave him great advice but he did not want it. He felt like everyone was telling him what to do. Pushing more experts at him would not have helped. If he didn't want to listen, he wasn't going to. He would not even listen to his own family! This isn't a bad documentary. He comes across the money like a chance encounter. This isn't too far from experiencing good luck. However, it is staged. That's where ethics come into play.
As far as ethics, I am on the fence. It was a riveting documentary, an experiment, and train wreck in progress. It appealed to our curiosity. On the other hand, the filmmakers were sneaky with their approach. You can see how he thinks its just a documentary on his life, then everything changes when he receives the money, and from there--its all downhill. I don't know if its ethical because reality TV does the same thing. We watch shows that exploit peoples' abilities (American Idol), lifestyles (The Real World), and emotions (Survivor). They exploit people, it's cheaper than paying writers and building set, and we depend on contestants to fill in story lines. We watch people sign up to put themselves out there for all to see. They may sign bad contracts, get their 15 minutes of stardom, and when its over, we move on to the next season. Only if they are lucky and smart, do they survive and land roles on other shows---none of which are bigger than the show they went on first.
Overall, I find this documentary interesting. I think you can get a lot out of it. I would like to know if the man returned to his old lifestyle. I think it was a gutsy film and I liked it.