Patch Adams

Robin Williams had so much joy in this, its so wonderful and heartwarming! Quite a few bleak characters and things that could have been avoided, otherwise I'd give it a 10. Excessive happiness should be fine, I don't understand why there's a boss that is a Debbie Downer, yeah ok he's serious about his job, but lacking sense of humor that is important for patients to enjoy. This is a powerful film and makes me bummed that Robin Williams is gone!

In my opinion,Robin Williams is at his best when playing characters much like himself.This film is based on the life of the real Hunter "Patch" Adams,a man that Williams himself says that he closely relates to.In the medical profession,it is easy to become hard nosed and so wrapped up in treating the sickness that it is all too easy to forget that there are actual people behind the sickness.We are taught by Patch to treat the person first,because when you do so,treating the illness becomes somewhat easier.Sometimes people don't get better,but treating the soul to a laugh or two can lessen the pain and suffering.Sometimes people die,and while the people that loved them suffer and grieve,the suffering and grief are eased somewhat by the knowledge that their departed loved ones no longer suffer.This role was tailor made for Williams,and he is supported well,including another overlooked performance by the late Michael Jeter as a squirrel fearing mental patient.Thumbs up!

Patch Adams is the remarkable true story about a man determined to become a medical doctor because he enjoys helping people. The medical community though do not like his methods of healing the sick patients, even though everyone else appreciates and enjoys what he does as he is the only one who can do so. Robin Williams stars as Patch 'Hunter' Adams and he does a brilliant job as always. He's an amazing actor and *really* funny too. Other good performances, come from Philip Seymour Hoffman and Monica Potter. Patch Adams is a must-see and I give the movie a 10/10.

The way people react to difficulties tells us a lot about them. There are those who get hysterical, there are those who care more about others than themselves, there are those who do the exact opposite and there are those who take everything calmly and try to act rationally. Illness and death are situations that no one likes to think about... but they are inevitabilities of life, and the way we face them tells us a lot about who we are. Patch Addams is a real-life doctor who advocates the use of joy and humor as part of medical therapy, and I agree with him. Here in Portugal, we even have a popular saying about it: laughs is always the best medicine.

In this film, we see Patch Addams' life course since he was admitted to a psychiatric clinic. The film is eloquent in the way it reveals the resistance of his university, which defended more impersonal methodologies, putting more distance between the doctor and his patient, and in the way it shows the modest beginning of the Gesundheit Institute, founded by Patch according to his view of medicine and medical practice. I don't know if the film was rigorous (I don't think so, since even Patch Addams himself repudiated the way he was portrayed by the film), but the truth is that the script works quite well, balancing between the funny and the sugary, and brings us a topic that makes us think.

I'm glad Robin Williams was chosen as the main character. He was the ideal person to give it a touch of irreverence that manages to kick the comedy to a level of true madness. It's not the actor's best work, but it's in the top ten. In total contrast, we have the characters of Phillip Seymour Hoffmann and Bob Gunton: the first is the model medicine student, studious, serious and committed, but also envious of his irreverent colleague; the second is the dean of the medical faculty, determined to forbid Patch's graduation despite the excellent grades he obtains in the several disciplines. They are cliché characters, quite stereotyped, but they work thanks to the performance of both actors, who give us a job of merit. Monica Potter is less interesting. She's pretty, but the chemistry with Williams is nil and their romance never feels as intense and solid as it should. The rest of the cast does what need to be done, without great notes to highlight.

The film is not a visual or effects show... that is not even desirable here. With such a solid story and good humorous premises, it is the script and actors that should be given the spotlight, and that is precisely what happens. Thus, we have a discreet cinematography that offers us an elegant look, but it does not stand out, with warm tones and good light and sharpness. The costumes and sets are within what we could expect, no surprises, and the filming locations were well-chosen. I especially liked some landscapes, like the mountains where Patch decides to found his hospital. The soundtrack harmonizes with this discreet tonic thanks to an orchestral and smooth sound.

Robin Williams has so many films in his resume, it is very difficult to choose which one he believes is his best work. Like a true artist, he gives his talent to every role and each plays a part in his greatness. This movie for instance, I believe will become his crowning achievement. The film is called " Patch Adams. " It is based on the real doctor who offers to share a real love of medicine with anyone who chooses to become a doctor. His seeming ambivalence towards established rules and protocols and his unorthodox manner in treating patients is irritating to Dean Walcott (Bob Gunton) who tolerates Adams until he can summon enough evidence to expel the "Excessively Happy" medical student from the school. Although the role is a direct shadow of Williams's career as a comic, it is also a mirror image of his soul when he displays his sorrow and despair. It is during those touching moments we can see how much the master comic suffers for his character. When viewing this fine film, be prepared to journey with Williams through the happiness and tragedies his character experiences. An excellent example of an artist at work. Easilly recommended for all. ****