| 'Maxed Out: Hard Times, Easy Credit and the Era | | | | representation of reality, Scurlock says his |
| of Predatory Lenders' is a documentary and | | | | purpose for the film and book was to raise |
| accompanying book released by American | | | | awareness of how credit and lending issues are |
| director and author James Scurlock and is a stark | | | | affecting society; showing how banks and other |
| reminder of the ubiquity of credit cards. | | | | creditors are deliberately targeting people who are |
| Released to critical acclaim in 2006, the film | | | | more likely to have problems paying them back, |
| consists of a string of vignettes about people | | | | and how creditors benefit from connections to |
| who have taken on too much debt, as well as | | | | the US government, the debt collection industry, |
| interviews with Harvard professors, debt | | | | and lawmaker apathy. |
| collectors and other authorities to show how too | | | | As Scurlock himself told USA Today: "The best |
| many people have developed a buy-now, | | | | definition [of a preferred customer] I have heard |
| pay-later mentality, while credit card companies | | | | yet - and this is from a vice president of |
| are only too happy to provide them with credit | | | | MasterCard - is an individual who has a 'taste for |
| cards. | | | | credit,' i.e., someone 'willing to make minimum |
| For example, Scurlock interviews the mothers of | | | | monthly payments - forever.' Now I know why, if |
| two teenagers who through their first year of | | | | I fail to pay off my balance in full, my credit limit |
| college accumulated enough debt for them to | | | | is increased." |
| eventually commit suicide. Another section shows | | | | The film received significant critical acclaim, |
| how a developmentally challenged woman | | | | claiming the Special Jury Prize at the 2006 South |
| confined to a nursing home regularly receives | | | | by Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas, and |
| credit cards in the mail, despite being unable to | | | | received an 88% rating at the all-important |
| get out of bed without assistance. On the other | | | | Rotten Tomatoes website, making it certifiably |
| side of the credit industry, Spurlock shows how | | | | "Fresh". It was successfully released in cinemas |
| debt collectors get in touch with debtors, often | | | | and on DVD in early 2007, along with the |
| resorting to scare tactics in order to collect | | | | accompanying book, printed by Scribner, a division |
| money. As one of the debt collectors puts it: "The | | | | of Simon and Schuster. |
| trick is to know how far you can push them. | | | | Ultimately, the responsibility for taking on debt lies |
| You've got to push them just far enough to the | | | | with the debtor, but it would be wise, especially |
| edge where they get really freaked, and then pull | | | | for younger people, to give 'Maxed Out' a view, if |
| them back to get what you want." | | | | only to fully realise that indiscriminate use of credit |
| While this may at times seem like a skewed | | | | cards is not a good thing. |