I’m looking for ideas for a funny clip or two that can be shown at an insurance conference preferably showing difficulty in dealing with the government or dealing with an insurance company.
My initial thought was to say something like, “Insurance companies think the government is like this,” and showing a clip from Brazil, and “The government thinks insurance companies are like this,” and showing the clip from The Incredibles where Wallace Shawn is yelling at Mr. Incredible because his customers get their claims paid. The Incredibles clip might work, but I think Brazil is probably too dark. I’m looking more for inexplicable bureaucracy than for torture and killing.
Besides looking for clips along these lines, I’m also open to going in a different direction if you have any ideas.
Fools Rush In, a comedy with Matthew Perry and Selma Hayek, had a scene where Perry is talking to an insurance investigator in the wake of an accident. Perry assures him that everything is on keel now and that there will be no more mistakes, suggests that they go grab lunch and talk about it. Suddenly, a crane drops a giant cube on the adjuster’s car as they are walking towards it. Perry deadpans “We can take my car!”
The scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark where a forklift takes the crated Ark of the Covenant down the aisle of a giant government warehouse filled with crates:
[Discussing the fate of the Ark]
Maj. Eaton: We have top men working on it now.
Indiana: Who?
Maj. Eaton: Top… men.
There’s an entire episode of “The Office” (first or second season, I believe) dealing with Dunder Mifflin selecting a new health insurance plan. It’s a very funny episode; we used some clips from it in a meeting with a health insurance client, and it went over very well. Just make sure that whoever you show it to does have a sense of humor.
FWIW This is just a line of dialog but in Flight of the Phoenix believe it or not, the accountant character states: “Insurance companies move in mysterious ways, somewhat like God but not half as generous.” Perhaps if you could track down just the audio of that line, it may be amusing outside the context of the original film.
I always loved the scene in* As Good As It Gets* where Carol the waitress is talking with the doctor that Udall sent. She describes her kid’s diagnostics at the hands of her HMO. The doctor shakes his head. She goes off on a NSFW string of epithets about the HMO. He responds that this may actually be their real name.
Thanks for all the suggestions. The insurance sketch is great, but I need to shorten it to get rid of the bits about the nude lady and dirty books. I’d also like to use some of the Ministry of Silly Walks sketch. Is there any way to get these clips on my computer so I can edit them? I own the DVD.
There’s a great Italian comedy called Johnny Stecchino (Johnny Toothpick). It’s the first movie from the star of Life is Beautiful and should be easy to find.
One of the subplots is that the main character is trying to effect an insurance scam where he pretends that he’s been wringing his left hand uncontrollably after a car accident (and needs compensation). He gets visited several times by a very suspicious insurance adjuster and wackiness ensues.
There’s also a Canadian movie called The Adjuster - about a soulless insurance adjuster or something - might help you but I haven’t seen it.