Reversal of Fortune

I thought this film was fascinating, quite frankly. It took me through a whole range of emotions in barely over an hour. At first I felt very sympathetic for Ted, as he seems to be making the best out of a crummy situation (recycling, etc..). I then felt a nervous excitement for Ted when he finds the money. After he buys his friend a car, and explains to the hooker the importance of giving, I felt a genuine sense of respect for him. After this comes just complete, outright nervousness and concern. I find myself actually talking to him through the TV, trying to reason with him. Towards the end I actually hit a point where I was just plain angry with him and his rash decisions. Finally, I ended up completely bewildered by what I had just witnessed. Had this really happened? Had he really just cruised through $100K in 6 months, after living off of $25 a day for 20 years? In retrospect, the emotion I feel most for Ted is my original feeling - sympathy. Ted didn't stand a chance. He had no concept of the value of money, and nobody in his life he could trust to manage it. While many claim that the producers of the film should be ashamed of making this film, knowing he didn't have a chance to turn his life around, I would disagree. There was no telling what this man would do. As I can recall, this experiment has never been documented before. I truthfully was unsure how this money would affect Ted. Also, a viewer would be naive to translate the results to represent a broad view of how instant wealth would be handled by a homeless person. It is clear that this situation would differ from one person to the next. As for this situation with Ted...fascinating story and great theater.

This is a difficult watch, but an honest depiction of its premise. The theme is to gift a homeless man with a $100,000 windfall, and then watch as a spectator what the man does with this sudden good fortune. The movie is told in a documentary form, with frequent side-bar interview commentary by the subject of the study, Ted, and the people he interacts with. The film teeters on the brink of exploitation, as it occasionally resembles a reality show, but still manages to give a brutally honest picture.

Ted is presented to you in the early going, and his story is not a pretty picture. He laments over failed opportunities, blames others for his predicament (especially women), and lives in semi-isolation. He stores what few belongings he has in a hole underneath a freeway viaduct, and peddles around on a bicycle collecting recyclables for redemption. He smokes and drinks. And that's about it.

After meeting Ted, it's hard to be anything but pessimistic about what lies ahead for him. It's obvious he despises conventional wisdom and any form of accountability from others. He rejects counsel on how to utilize the money, and throws his bank rolls around in endless partying and large purchases. It must have been difficult for the movie makers to resist the temptation of intervening in Ted's actions.

It's sad, and it's hard to watch. Whether Ted is indicative of the majority of homeless people is a matter for introspection and discussion. Everyone will have a different view on this matter, but the film's point is to get the subject on the table, since society tends to just accept this social problem as unbeatable (and it may even be so; that is a matter to ponder, as well).

This thought provoking film is recommended.

Reversal of Fortune (2005)

**** (out of 4)

This here's a pretty amazing documentary that I'd probably put on my ten best of the decade so far. The film tells the story of a man named Ted who has been homeless for the past twenty-five years. His family pretty much wants nothing from him, his only friend is an 18-year-old who works at a recycling plant where Ted earns some small cash and he's got a bad drinking problem. The documentary then takes Ted's life into a new direction when the producer's give him $100,000 and then we see what the man decides to do with the money. The idea of giving a homeless man $100,000 is a great little gimmick and it leads to some truly beautiful, funny and heartbreaking scenes as we see Ted for the next six months of his life. I've always said the most beautiful scene in film history was the blind hermit/monster scene from The Bride of Frankenstein but there are a few moments in this film that really challenge that. The reaction of Ted when he learns about the money is priceless as is the scene where he helps out his only friend by buying him his first car. Of course, the story isn't all happy and hopefully we'll get a bigger follow up at some point.

anyone have any more info on what happened to this guy? he always has the kid in Pasadena to rely on. I don't think his family was all that helpful, just nagging him to get a job etc. This is not a conventional guy, why would he be expected to choose conventional living.

My guess is he sold his truck cheap for drinking and partying money and eventually ends up back in Pasadena. I was sad but funny that his sister was trying to get him into AA.this guy was happier before the cameras got a hold of him, I would not be surprised if he committed suicide after all of this.

I give this documentary an 8/10.

I personally had interaction with Ted in his South Sacramento apartment, he drinks obsessively and uses drugs, I know because I did it with him. Some of his family members used drugs and drank to craziness with him. If they really wanted to do a social experiment, why not screen their subjects better? This was a pointless project and Ted and his friends and family got to party to no ends off of Showtime. Next time they want to do something stupid like this they can call me. I can party with their money just as good as Ted did. There are homeless drunks on every corner in America. I cannot figure out what this documentary was trying to prove, except maybe that the producer of this show is an idiot. Ted's addictions were well into severe progression before he got this money, he told me so. Maybe he cleaned up for three days if they actually tested him for drugs or alcohol. Ted is a player and street wise, I'm sure he knows it is not hard to get around a drug test, hell I did it for parole for years. I think Showtime used and exploited Ted and should be shamed for their irrational actions. Ted had a part in this too, he is simply lost in his addiction and his personal demons, especially being co-dependent with his family and women.