I Care A Lot

Watch video on YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCug6uuzd-E

In this post, I'll be talking about the movie I care a lot and taking a deeper look into some of the crooked practices of fraudulent court appointed legal guardians.

And without further ado, let's get into it.

Written and directed by J Blakeson, the 2020 film, I care a lot, follows the life of crooked legal guardian Marla Grayson as she destroys lives on her quest for power, riches and notoriety.

Marla Grayson played by Rosamund Pike is a legal guardian that has made a business out of seizing the fortunes of those that have reached their later years. During her greed quest, she comes across Jennifer Peterson, played by Dianne West - a senior woman with no children or family (as far as Marla knows), but has a massive estate worth millions.

Roman Lunyov played by Peter Dinklage has been made aware of Jennifer's involuntary admission into a nursing home and engages in an epic battle of power with Marla in the hopes of freeing Jennifer of Marla's clutches.

When I decided to watch this film, I was prepared for laughs via some sarcasm and dry humor - because that's how the film is categorized, but instead, I was met with a water-downed tale of the destruction that real families face - when a legal guardian steps in - to take full control of the elder members freedom and finances.

In the GAOs 2016 Elder Abuse Report - it's documented that 45 states have had complaints concerning abuse of some form from legal guardianships.

Unfortunately, the actual amount of damages to the family is not known documented according to this report.

The lack of statistical information is alarming, but it also explains how fraudulent companies and individuals have been able to capitalize through loopholes and get away with doing this for long periods of time before being caught - if they're ever caught at all.

In the movie, we saw how Marla was able to capitalize on Jennifer's lack of a family and support - but in real cases of elder abuse - not even the family can keep the individual protected.

Even if a will is in place - sorting out all of the details of the elder's care, a court appointed legal guardian can come in - deem the willed guardian unfit or incompetent and seize all the assets of the elder. Without powerful legal counsel or thousands to spend on defending ones ability - the court can simply have guardianship moved to someone else - including access to medical care and anything that the elder has accumulated over the years.

Crimes... or the alleged crimes that she's been convicted of...isolation, over-medication, double billing, then yes, um, she needs to go away for a long time.

8.5 Million dollars, it's a figure almost impossible to fathom for 81 year old Rudy North. It's time, it's taken over four years [...] we were kidnapped from our house. After Contact 13 exposed allegations of fraud against Parks and her company, a private professional guardian, the court took her off the case. But in the time, Parks controlled every aspect of the North's lives, they lost their home, their car, their life savings and their dignity.

The I-Team first exposed Florida's troubled guardianship system, in 2013. When we introduced you to 99 year old Willy Burchow, wrongly sent to an Alzheimer's unit by a court appointed guardian.

You see nobody. You have no contact...with anybody. He was freed shortly after our first report.

A Macomb County woman's battle to get her parents back from a guardianship company, that placed them behind a locked fence, continued in court today. Bob and Barb are both suffering from dementia, and other mental health issues. Even though under the law, Marcie had priority to become the guardian, Judge Jor[?] appointed Caring Hearts Michigan Incorporated, which is owned by Cathy Kirk. Kirk then hired her own company called Executive Care to provide caregivers and bill Bob and Barb's estate, that's worth about 2.7 million dollars.

If you watched the movie "I Care a Lot", my sister's guardianship was much worse. She spent 8 years in a fraudulent guardianship and 4 years in forced isolation - and then she died.

I don't see the protection, when I go before this kind of court. There's no protection! ...All my life...and I don't have any legal...whatever...to turn to, unless...I've got a lot more money to spend...and still I don't stand much of a chance. Not with what's going on here...this is a racket...you know, this is a racket...

On a topical level, the film could be viewed as a battle of the s*x*s, the powerful man against the powerful woman. Or, It could viewed as the powerful man meets his match as he comes across a woman that's just as cunning as he is - it could even be tied to the evils of capitalism - but what stands out most at least in my opinion is the dismissive ways we've perceived the struggles that elders have to face

Above getting older and losing some of the functions easily had in youth, they now also have to face the possibility of having their freedoms and life's resources taken away. Not for the sake of their well-being, but for the sake of the greedy.

On a positive note, performances were absolutely amazing and extremely convincing. I truly had hate for the Marla Grayson character. Peter Dinklage and other members of the cast also gave convincing performances.

This film also brings attention to the legal battles that many families face in regards to the care of their elder members and puts a focus on the crooked practices that take place in our court systems.

It creates enough anger to heighten awareness and possibly get some of the laws updated or amended so that some of our most vulnerable citizens can get the protection they need.

On a negative note, the depravity expressed in the Marla Grayson character as well as the sugar coated situations of the film can be triggering, so I can't really recommend it.

I also feel that the movie is mislabeled, so if you think you're about to watch a slapstick film with laughs in every scene - you may be disappointed.

if you want to see this film - it's currently available on Netflix.

And on that note - peace

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