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The Pathological Optimist

Play trailer 1:51 Poster for The Pathological Optimist 2017 1h 33m Documentary Biography Play Trailer Watchlist
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60% Tomatometer 5 Reviews 85% Popcornmeter 50+ Ratings
A profile of Dr. Andrew Wakefield, the man behind the anti-vaccination movement.
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The Pathological Optimist

Critics Reviews

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Robert Abele Los Angeles Times 10/05/2017
You can ... see the haze of ego-driven denial that keeps him focused on publicity and cultish survival, rather than truly proving his detractors wrong. Go to Full Review Frank Scheck The Hollywood Reporter 09/28/2017
The controversy over vaccinations will rage on and this cinematic portrait will merely be a footnote. But it proves a compelling one, however you may feel about the burning issue. Go to Full Review Phil Guie Film-Forward.com 03/22/2019
1/5
[There's] a troubling lack of criticism toward anti-vaccine extremists who have rallied around Wakefield's research and seemingly have provided him a sense of community. Go to Full Review Amelie Lasker FF2 Media 08/26/2018
3.5/5
Bailey is telling an important story in showing the ways in which these types of personalities exert their influence. More generally, the film shows the ways in which false claims catch on and get perpetuated. Go to Full Review Lisa Jo Sagolla Film Journal International 09/29/2017
Regardless of where you stand on the vaccination issue, it's possible to relish Miranda Bailey's highly informative, anger-arousing film, and to feel it's promoting your own views. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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01/14/2019 The title should have been "The Pathological Optimist: The Truth About Andrew Wakefield According To Himself And The Anti-vaxxers Involved In Making This Film". But hey, I know, it's just too long of a title to work. If a film advertises itself as a fair and unbiased look at something, shouldn't it deliver? This does not. Que sad, dramatic music...spend the majority of time interviewing Wakefield, his family, and his handful of desperate and vulnerable science, history and Immunology illiterate supporters, provide only brief flashes of a limited amount of the legal and professional outcomes of his fraudulent and unethical actions, mislead viewers (who likely have little to no reliable information prior to seeing this tripe) by ommission of incredibly important facts, and you will have.. this film. Truly disappointing!!! I'll add this to my list of 'Wasted time I won't get back's activities. Here's another wonderful and honest critique that lists a multitude of accurate critiques about this film: https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/the-pathological-optimist-more-a-hagiography-of-andrew-wakefield-than-a-documentary-about-him/ See more 11/20/2018 A great film, and a very scary look at the corruption that reigns in the world today...A must watch. See more 10/29/2018 Excellent film, tells the truth about Andrew Wakefield's fight against the vaccine industry. Well worth a look ?? See more 10/06/2018 I saw this film on amazon prime. finally the man gets to tell everyone what happened to him. it's not the picture portrayed by the mainstream media that readily lynched him for the pharmaceutical companies. a must see film! See more 04/19/2018 This is a good movie that shows the tragedy of being on the wrong side of the pharmaceutical companies. This amazing doctor was bullied, belittled, discredited for requesting more safety studies, slowing down the MMR to separate components and listening to the mother who asked for his help. See more 04/18/2018 Well made and answered a lot of questions about the most unjustifiably vilified doctor ever. See more Read all reviews
The Pathological Optimist

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Cast & Crew

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Miranda Bailey

Director

Andrew Wakefield

Actor

Polly Tommey

Actor

Miranda Bailey

Producer

Marc Lesser

Producer

Amanda Marshall

Producer

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The Pathological Optimist

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The Pathological Optimist

The Pathological Optimist (2017) A scene from "The Pathological Optimist." A scene from "The Pathological Optimist." A scene from "The Pathological Optimist." A scene from "The Pathological Optimist." A scene from "The Pathological Optimist." The Pathological Optimist (2017) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis A profile of Dr. Andrew Wakefield, the man behind the anti-vaccination movement.
Director
Miranda Bailey
Producer
Miranda Bailey, Marc Lesser, Amanda Marshall
Distributor
The Film Arcade
Production Co
Cold Iron Pictures
Genre
Documentary, Biography
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 29, 2017, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 14, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA)
$11.2K
Runtime
1h 33m
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