"Maxed Out" -- why we spend too much

Filmmaker James Scurlock
James Scurlock has produced a documentary, "Maxed Out," which focuses on Americans' tendency to spend beyond their means.
MPR Photo/Annie Baxter

There's been a lot of news in recent weeks about a crisis in the U.S. sub-prime mortgage market. The crisis stems in large part from loans made to people who can't afford to repay them.

Filmmaker James Scurlock has been watching the crisis unfold with little surprise. In his new documentary, "Maxed Out," Scurlock offers a look into the American tendency to spend beyond our means -- both at the personal and the federal level. The film opens Friday at the Lagoon Cinema in Minneapolis.

"Maxed Out" is Scurlock's second feature documentary. He talked with Minnesota Public Radio business reporter Annie Baxter about what he learned in the course of making his film about overspending.

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