Who is the man behind the most highly controversial, intensely debated topics in modern medicine? In THE PATHOLOGICAL OPTIMIST, director Miranda Bailey brings us a character study of Dr. Andrew Wakefield, one of 13 co-authors of a notorious 1998 paper in the UK medical Journal The Lancet, but who became the very public face of what has come to be known as “The Anti-Vax Movement.” An expat from Britain who currently resides in Austin, Texas, Wakefield allowed Bailey and her team to follow him and his family for five years beginning in 2011 as he fought a defamation battle in the courts against the British Medical Journal and journalist Brian Deer. The results of that case – and the self-reflection, pronouncements, and observations of Wakefield, his legal team, wife, and his children – create a complex and incisive look at one of our era’s most fear-provoking and continuously provocative figures. THE PATHOLOGICAL OPTIMIST takes no sides, instead letting Wakefield and the battles he fought speak for themselves.
Miranda Bailey is a prolific producer, actor and director, known for bringing compelling and well-crafted stories to the screen. Bailey’s cinematic voice was first heard when her directorial debut GREENLIT – a humorous documentary examining the hypocrisy inherent in Hollywood’s “green” movement - premiered at the 2010 SXSW Festival to critical acclaim and was acquired by IFC International. Bailey’s second feature documentary, THE PATHOLOGICAL OPTIMIST, follows controversial figure Dr. Andrew Wakefield. It was distributed domestically by The Film Arcade and worldwide by Gravitas. Most recently, Bailey directed her first narrative feature, YOU CAN CHOOSE YOUR FAMILY. The offbeat family dramedy premiered in the Spotlight Section at the 2018 SXSW Film Festival. Bailey assembled a decorated cast including Grammy-nominated comedian Jim Gaffigan, Emmy winning actress Anna Gunn, actress Samantha Mathis and rising star Logan Miller.
