Patch Adams (1998)

Patch Adams is based on the true story of Hunter Doherty “Patch” Adams – a jokester physician (played in the film by Robin Williams) who sees humour, intimacy and bedside manner as vital components of disease therapy.

A spell as a mental patient led the real Patch Adams to the therapeutic benefits of laughter. His use of humour in treatment got him in trouble with medical authorities, so he began creating his free clinic – Gesundheit! Institute – where illness is combated with humanism.

The film is a mixed bag of comedy and bogus drama. Entire scenes unfold as hospital-room riffs, with Patch doing clown shtick for patients, then being dressed down by the medical school’s inhumanly cold Dean Walcott (Bob Gunton).

Patch Adams is built on the assumption that administrators are fed ice water intravenously and that medical students smile at the risk of lowering their grade point average. These humourless scrubs include Patch’s insufferably serious roommate Mitch (Philip Seymour Hoffman) – a would-be third-generation doctor determined to honour his family – and Carin (Monica Potter), who’s fighting a virtual army of perceived sexist demons.

It’s easy to understand why Mitch hates Patch; the guy goofs off constantly and still gets better grades.

And Carin’s resistance to Patch’s romantic pressure is understandable; he’s older than most of her professors.

Patch does find a kindred spirit in Truman (Daniel London), another eccentric outsider with unconventional views on doctoring.

Together – and with Carin finally won over – they begin to create Gesundheit Institute as a moonlighting venture that will have tragic consequences and place Patch in the dock of med school justice, with his career riding on the outcome.

Director Tom Shadyac – whose past comedies (Ace Ventura, The Nutty Professor) lacked the melodrama of Patch Adams – has essentially directed two different movies here, a comedy and a romantic tragedy, and the shift in tone is so abrupt you may need to consult a doctor for whiplash.

If you get one like Patch, good luck.

Movie critic Gene Siskel named this the worst film of 1998, while Roger Ebert said in his review of the film, “This movie is shameless. It’s not merely a tearjerker. It extracts tears individually by liposuction, without anaesthesia”.

The real Adams harshly criticised the film, saying it eschewed an accurate representation of his beliefs in favour of commercial viability.

Patch Adams
Robin Williams
Truman
Daniel London
Carin
Monica Potter
Mitch
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Dean Walcott
Bob Gunton
Dr Eaton
Josef Sommer
Joletta
Irma P. Hall
Judy
Frances Lee McCain
Dean Anderson
Harve Presnell
Adelane
Daniella Kuhn
Bill Davis
Peter Coyote
Bile
James Greene
Rudy
Michael Jeter
Arthur Mendelson
Harold Gould
Trevor Beene
Bruce Bohne
Dr Prack
Harry Groener
Emmet
Barry Shabaka Henley
Charlie
Steven Anthony Jones
Dr Titan
Richard Kiley
Larry
Douglas Roberts
Aggie
Ellen Albertini Dow
Everton
Alan Tudyk
Neil
Ryan Hurst
Chess Man
Peter Siteri
Jack Walton
Jay Jacobus
Miss Meat
Dot-Marie Jones
Margery
Kathleen Stefano
Dr Hashman
Piers Mackenzie
Bryan
Jake Bowen

Director
Tom Shadyac