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Patch Adams (1998) Review

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(More customer reviews)+++++
This movie is based on the book "Gesundheit: Good Health is a Laughing Matter" by Hunter Doherty Adams with Maureen Mylander.
Mike Farrell of "M*A*S*H" fame was one of the producers of this movie.
This movie is also based on the true story of Hunter "Patch" Adams.
At the movie's beginning we are taken to the psychiatric ward of a hospital in 1969. We discover here how Hunter Adams (Robin Williams) gets his unique nickname of "Patch" and why he decides to become a medical doctor.
Two years later he goes to medical school where he encounters, among other things, a snobby roommate named Mitch (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a very traditional medical school dean (Bob Gunton), meets a fellow medical student named Truman (Daniel London) who becomes his good friend, and as well meets a stand-offish female medical student Corinne (Monica Potter) who eventually sees his point of view with respect to medicine.
Patch's antics at the hospital where he learns to become a doctor are hilarious. (These antics almost get him kicked out of medical school.) But there is a method to his madness as he wants to humanize medicine. His underlying philosophy is:
"A doctor's mission should be not just to prevent death but also to improve the quality of life [of patients]."
He eventually has a brainstorm of building a free clinic called the "Gesundheit Institute" and to get started he starts a free clinic while still attending medical school.
A tragedy occurs but Patch is able to overcome it.
The movie ends by giving the viewer the following information:
"During the next twelve years, Patch Adams opened a home-based family medical practice and treated more than 15,000 people without payment, malpractice insurance, or formal facilities...construction of the Gesundheit Hospital is currently underway. To date [1998], a waiting list of over 1000 physicians have offered to leave their current practice and join Patch's cause."
All the acting is good but Robin Williams as Patch gives an interesting performance. Even though he delivers sidesplitting humor, I felt that it wasn't over-the-top and is balanced quite well with the inspiring, dramatic, and true story. I was also surprised by Daniel London's excellent performance as Truman, Patch's sidekick. Monica Potter's Corinne character is somewhat one-dimensional but she makes the best of it. Philip S. Hoffman also does a good job as the serious medical student named Mitch.
I also enjoyed the background music. It adds to each scene of the movie.
Some people (including Roger Ebert) don't seem to like this movie. However, according to Amazon's "Theatrical Release Information" (see above), this movie whose budget estimate was $50 million has taken in $194 million worldwide garnering a profit of almost $145 million. So the big question is, "Why don't some people not like this movie." The main reason, I think, is that (believe-it-or-not) some people are satisfied with the traditional medical system as it is today and don't like anything (such as this movie) that criticizes it. Thus, I would not recommend this movie to such traditionalists.
Finally, the DVD (collector's edition) has excellent picture and sound quality. There are a few extras, all of them interesting.
In conclusion, this is an inspiring movie based on a true story that effectively displays Robin Williams' comic and dramatic talents. It is not to be missed!!
(1998; 1 hr,50 min; widescreen)
+++++

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Patch Adams (1998) Review

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Patch Adams - DTS (1998) Review

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Stone (2010) Review

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(More customer reviews)Robert DeNiro plays a parole officer about to retire and Edward Norton is cast as a convicted arsonist, trying to convince him that he should get an early release from prison in this gripping "noirish" thriller from director John Curran.
Rather than "convince," the wily Norton is, actually, trying to "manipulate" DeNiro into writing a favorable assessment. He even goes so far as having his beautiful, off-the-wall wife (Milla Jovovich) seduce the corrections official in order to accomplish that.
Though Angus McLachlan's screenplay sometimes tends to meander, it is populated with a quartet of fascinating multi-dimensional characters, none of which are particularly likable, yet all who are seeking some sort of spiritual enlightenment.
DeNiro, in a loveless marriage (to Frances Conroy), finds that his church going cannot help him avoid his darker impulses, while Norton, after he witnesses a fellow prisoner being murdered, claims to have had a religious epiphany. The operative word here is "claims," because we're never quite sure if he's telling the truth or if this apparent change is simply a ruse to get what he wants.
What makes STONE so compelling is its performances. DeNiro, in one of the most complex roles he has had in years, plays a man fighting the evil within him, while Norton utilizes his unique talent to bring to life a chameleon-like sociopath. Though she does not have a lot to do, Ms. Conroy is brilliant as the mostly silent, religious wife who has bargained away her life out of fear.
Certainly Ms. Jovovich, cast as the bold, sexy wife who will stop at nothing to get what she wants, delivers the most colorful and surprising performance. Part bimbo and part seductress, this is one of those women of film noir who would give Barbara Stanwyck's "Phyllis Dietrichson" (DOUBLE INDEMNITY) a run for her money. And, it is also prime evidence that Ms. Jovovich is capable of doing material much more interesting than the RESIDENT EVIL franchise.
The DVD from Anchor Bay Entertainment contains a "Making of" featurette.© Michael B. Druxman

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Academy Award winner Robert De Niro and Oscar nominee Edward Norton deliver powerful performances as a seasoned corrections official and a scheming inmate whose lives become dangerously intertwined in this 'gritty and engrossing thriller" (Steve O'Brien, WCBS-FM).Jack Mabry (De Niro), a parole officer days away from retirement, is asked to review the case of Gerald 'Stone" Creeson (Norton), in prison for arson. Now eligible for early release, Stone needs to convince Jack he has reformed, but his attempts to influence the older man's decision with his wife Lucetta (Milla Jovovich) have profound and unexpected effects on them both.This tale of passion, betrayal and corruption skillfully weaves together the parallel journeys of two men grappling with dark impulses, as the line between lawman and lawbreaker becomes precariously thin.

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MAS*H - Season Ten (Collector's Edition) (1972) Review

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(More customer reviews)Season 10 is probably one of the finest seasons of M*A*S*H since this would be the time that most of the 4077 would get ready for what would be the next to last season of the show. Thus this show would feature some great episodes!! Here is an overview.
1.) That's Show Biz (10/26/1981)
A touring USO show brings an unexpected touch of vaudeville to the 4077th when the star showgirl requires an emergency operation. And wouldn't you know, the comedian is Klinger's hero!
2.) Identity Crisis (11/2/1981)
Father Mulcahy counsels a GI who is plagued by guilt because he has swapped tags with a dead colleague. Meanwhile, B.J. and Charles consider ways of keeping a soldier-salesman quiet.
3.) Rumor at the Top (11/9/1981)
The latest scuttlebutt affects everyone's behavior when a visiting is rumored to be recruiting for a new M*A*S*H unit. The gang fears that the 4077th will be split up.
4.) Give 'em Hell, Hawkeye (11/16/1981)
Hawkeye writes a heartfelt letter to President Harry Truman to protest at the continued fighting in Korea. Meanwhile, Colonel Ditka has promised a much-needed water-heater if the 4077th beautifies the camp.
5.) Wheelers and Dealers (11/23/1981)
On the eve of a big poker game, B.J.'s pride is bruised when he finds out his wife is working as a waitress. And Potter takes driving lessons from Klinger.
6.) Communication Breakdown (11/30/1981)
Winchester infuriates the camp when he hoards his stateside newspapers, and Hawkeye reunites two Korean brothers who have been fighting on opposite sides of the war.
7.) Snap Judgment (Part 1 of 2) (12/7/81)
The military police think they've solved a rash of thefts at the 4077th when they apprehend Klinger with Hawkeye's stolen camera.
8.) Snappier Judgment (Part 2 of 2) (12/14/81)
B.J. and Hawkeye resolve to clear Klinger's name after he chooses Winchester to defend him at his military court-martial.
9.) 'Twas the Day after Christmas (12/28/1981)
To boost post-yuletide morale on Dec 26, Potter has the officers and enlisted men change places for the day.
10.) Follies of the Living - Concerns of the Dead (1/4/82)
Whilst suffering a fever, Klinger communicates with the spirit of a dead soldier, Private Weston, who stays on to witness his own last rites.
11.) The Birthday Girls (1/11/82)
Margaret's birthday plans are spoiled when she and Klinger get stranded on a desolate roadside. Meanwhile, Charles gives a lecture for Margaret, and the surgeons assist in the delivery of a calf.
12.) Blood and Guts (1/18/82)
Hawkeye is outraged when a sensationalistic war correspondent, Clayton Kibbee, reports irresponsible G.I. stunts as tales of military valor. Kibbee: "As for the last two pints of blood, there's no big finale, no heroes. They helped an old soldier, who'd had visions of glory but finally got it through his thick head how tragic and inhumane war can be. Maybe he'll know better next time."
13.) A Holy Mess (2/1/82)
An AWOL soldier, Nick Gillis, seeks sanctuary in the mess tent, after Father Mulcahy's service. At the same time, a special Sunday brunch is due to be served, following the donation of some eggs to the camp by a grateful farmer.
14.) The Tooth Shall Set You Free (2/8/82)
Charles has a serious toothache, but hates the thought of having anything done about it. The doctors suspect prejudice when an inordinate number of black casualties are brought in from a single unit, led by Major Weems.
15.) Pressure Points (2/15/82)
Potter sends for Sidney Freedman when he loses confidence in his surgical abilities, and Winchester loses patience with his bunkmates' sloppiness.
16.) Where There's a Will, There's a War (2/22/82)
Hawkeye goes to help at an aid station, and under heavy shelling he draws up a will, leaving various items to his friends at the 4077th.
17.) Promotion Commotion (3/1/82)
Winchester, Pierce, and Hunnicutt find themselves in the sticky position of having to decide which enlisted men to recommend for promotion. For Winchester it could be a matter of life and death.
18.) Heroes (3/15/82)
Hawkeye is the golden boy of the world press when he treats a celebrity prizefighter, 'Gentleman' Joe Cavanaugh, who has a stroke at the 4077th. Father Mulcahy finds the news hard to take, as Cavanaugh was a hero of his.
19.) Sons and Bowlers (3/22/82)
After losing to the Marines once again, Colonel Potter wishes there was one sport the 4077th were any good at. When Klinger mentions he can bowl, the Colonel decides to have a bowling competition. Unfortunately, he and Klinger are the only 2 good bowlers in the camp, so BJ and Father Mulcahy are "recruited" to the team. Colonel Potter becomes obsessed with winning the game, and excludes Margaret from the team because she helped the team lose at softball. Then the 4077th team hear the Marines have got a "ringer" in their team after pulling some strings..... Meanwhile, Hawkeye finds out his father is in hospital and tries to speak to him over the phone, watched by Charles, who envies Hawkeye's close relationship with his father.
20.) Picture This (4/5/82)
Potter's attempts to assemble the crew for a family portrait are thwarted by a feud between bunkmates Pierce, Hunnicutt, and Winchester. Things are not helped by the efforts of Margaret, Klinger and Mulcahy to bring the Swampmen back together.
21.) That Darn Kid (4/12/82)
Klinger buys a goat, with the intention of getting rich by selling it's milk. Then the goat eats the 4077th's $22,340 payroll, leaving paymaster Hawkeye holding the bag. Meanwhile, Charles also thinks he can make a killing when he sees an ancient vase.
Look fo MASH The final season later this yaer to complete the MASH series! Good luck!

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Relive your favorite M*A*S*H moments with this three-disc DVD Collector's Edition containing all 21 classic Season Ten episodes!They were the 4077 MASH (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) unit stationed three miles from the front during the Korean War. As the war drags on it begins to take a toll on the docs and nurses who day after day fight to save the incoming wounded helicoptered in directly from the front lines. But as much as the gang of the 4077 cared for the wounded soldiers they also cared about each other. And that camaraderie coupled with a liberal dose of hijinks and hilarity served to make their tour of duty in Korea an experience none of them would ever forget.System Requirements:Running Time: 561 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre:TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS UPC:024543241409 Manufacturer No:2234140

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Patch Adams (1998) Review

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Driving Lessons (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)DRIVING LESSONS is a little film that sneaks up on you. What at first seems to be a bit of fluffy nonsense comedy British style is at its base a very fine story about coming of age and the needs for significant friendship of both the young and the elderly. Writer Jeremy Brock ('Mrs. Brown', 'Charlotte Gray', 'The Last King of Scotland') here directs his own screenplay and the result is a cohesive, progressively involving tale filled with fascinating and diverse characters, each performed by sterling actors.
Ben Marshall (Rupert Grint, standing firmly on his own as a developing actor post 'Harry Potter' series) is a quiet, plain little poetic seventeen-year-old living with his bird watching Vicar father (Nicholas Farrell) and his obsessive compulsive, rigid, evangelical do-gooder mother (Laura Linney) in a home where 'needy people', such as the murderous cross-dressing Mr. Fincham (Jim Norton), take precedence over family matters: the mother is by the way having an affair with priest Peter (Oliver Milburn), using Ben as her cover!
Sad Ben is among other things attempting to learn to drive a car. His mother is a poor teacher and decides he needs professional lessons AND needs to get a job to help pay for poor Mr. Fincham's needs. Ben follows an ad and meets Dame Eve Walton (Julie Walters), an elderly has-been actress who is as zany as any character ever created. She hires Ben and the fireworks begin. Through a series of incidents, including a camping trip Evie demands they take, the two learn life's lessons missing from each other's natures: Ben learns self respect and self confidence and Evie finds a true friend who will allow her to drop her stagy facade and be the dear human being she has been hiding.
Julie Walters, always offering the finest skills of acting in every character she creates, finds a role like no other here: she is outlandishly wild and lovable. Rupert Grint is exactly the right choice for the challenged coming of age Ben. The chemistry between the two is as tender as that in the classic film 'Harold and Maude'. Laura Linney is as always a superb actress playing a role quite different from her usual repertoire. And the supporting cast is a panorama of fine characterizations. This film is a delightful surprise and one sure to warm the heart and entertain those who love fine writing and direction and acting - and message! Grady Harp, July 07

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Oscar® nominee Laura Linney (Kinsey) stars as Laura Marshall, an overzealous, evangelical Christian do-gooder who fills her home with down-and-out boarders, including a senile, cross-dressing murderous mute. Desperate to expand his horizons, Laura's shy teenage son Ben (Rupert Grint, of Harry Potter fame) lands a job tending to self-proclaimed "Dame" Evie Walton (Oscar® nominee Julie Walters, Billy Elliot), an over-the-hill actress with the mouth of a drunken sailer and an insatiable lust for life. The battle for Ben's soul begins as Evie shanghais Ben away from his repressive roots and takes him on an adventure that transforms him from boy to man. A winning entry at the 2006 Moscow International Film Festival, Driving Lessons is an experience Stephen Farber of Movieline calls "a delightful coming-of-age story."

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The King's Speech (2010) Review

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(More customer reviews)There always seems to come a time in every British actors career where they must play the role of a historical British monarch. Riding on the success of his career defining performance in "A Single Man" and sampling the glory of Best Actor nominations across the award circuits, Colin Firth comes storming back with another film, determined, this time, to take the all the prizes with him too. But is "The King's Speech" worth its pre-Oscar hype?
Set across the years between the First and Second World War, "The King's Speech" concentrates on the rise of King George VI (Firth) and his personal woes, including his infamous stammer and disdain for public speaking. Obviously being royalty, having an ability to engage the public in moving and inspirational speeches tends to be a necessity of the job. In attempting to overcome this disability, he's entrusted in the care of the eccentric and flamboyant speech therapist, Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush).
Over the course of the film, the two men of distinctly different social classes come to blows but ultimately forge a friendship which will last a lifetime.
Colin Firth's portrayal of George VI (or simply Bertie to his family and friends) was a fascinating insight into the king's troubled personal life. His tragic inability to speak, both in public and to his family, was also tender and, in a way, heart-warmingly humbling.
While Firth will deservedly get the plaudits for his regal starring role, it was Geoffrey Rush's witty, genuine, off-the-wall performance as Logue which personally blew me away, with immense comic timing and inability to be overwhelmed while in the presence of his most prestigious client.
The supporting cast was littered with enough real quality to make any award body take notice, and make most audiences marvel in delight.
The graceful and articulate Helen Bonham Carter gives a honest and loving performance as the late Queen Mother, Elizabeth.
Michael Gambon is sharp and somewhat intimidating as Bertie's father, King George V. Guy Pearce is arrogantly brilliant as Firth's brother and predecessor, King Edward VIII.
While the excellent Timothy Spall shone once again, in his second portrayal as the great Winston Churchill (his first was in October's god awful stop animation, Jackboots on Whitehall). It was also a pleasure to see the classy Jennifer Ehle - who starred opposite Firth in, perhaps, his most famous role as Mr Darcy in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice - as Lionel's wife.
Hooper should also be credited for making a visually engaging period drama, which never once felt tired or dull on the eyes, as a lot of these quintessentially British affairs can so often become.
The film's themes are also an uplifting and enjoyable treat for all; a story of friendship between essentially a prince and a pauper, a man's journey to overcome his own personal adversaries and become the king he was born to be.
Yes we won't lie, this isn't original by any means: these are classic tried and tested formulas that transcends cinema of the ages - but rarely to this level of detail and panache.
Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush's performances make "The King's Speech" an enthralling journey which is heart-warming, humorous and genuinely sincere.
Highly recommended.
Andrew Moore
**** 1/2

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After the death of his father King George V (Michael Gambon) and the scandalous abdication of King Edward VIII (Guy Pearce), Bertie (Colin Firth) who has suffered from a debilitating speech impediment all his life, is suddenly crowned King George VI of England. With his country on the brink of war and in desperate need of a leader, his wife, Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter), the future Queen Mother, arranges for her husband to see an eccentric speech therapist, Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush). After a rough start, the two delve into an unorthodox course of treatment and eventually form an unbreakable bond. With the support of Logue, his family, his government and Winston Churchill (Timothy Spall), the King will overcome his stammer and deliver a radio-address that inspires his people and unites them in battle. Based on the true story of King George VI, THE KING'S SPEECH follows the Royal Monarch's quest to find his voice.

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Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Full Screen Edition) (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)Unlike the first two potter films released in "Ultimate Edition" form, the second two versions do not include their extended editions. This might not be a legitimate complaint if these versions of the films didn't already exist. In the US, they are aired quite regularly on ABC Family, and are quite good.
These extended editions of the film make the price point of the first two versions palatable, but their absence makes you wonder what exactly you're paying for with both this and the ultimate edition of PoA.

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When Harry Potter's name emerges from the Goblet of Fire, he becomes a competitor in a grueling battle for glory among three wizarding schools - the Triwizard Tournament. But since Harry never submitted his name for the Tournament, who did? Now Harry must confront a deadly dragon, fierce water demons and an enchanted maze only to find himself in the cruel grasp of He Who Must Not Be Named. In this fourth film adaptation of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, everything changes as Harry, Ron and Hermione leave childhood forever and take on challenges greater than anything they could have imagined.

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Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Full Screen Edition) (Harry Potter 4) (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)Unlike the first two potter films released in "Ultimate Edition" form, the second two versions do not include their extended editions. This might not be a legitimate complaint if these versions of the films didn't already exist. In the US, they are aired quite regularly on ABC Family, and are quite good.
These extended editions of the film make the price point of the first two versions palatable, but their absence makes you wonder what exactly you're paying for with both this and the ultimate edition of PoA.

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When Harry Potter's name emerges from the Goblet of Fire, he becomes a competitor in a grueling battle for glory among three wizarding schools - the Triwizard Tournament. But since Harry never submitted his name for the Tournament, who did? Now Harry must confront a deadly dragon, fierce water demons and an enchanted maze only to find himself in the cruel grasp of He Who Must Not Be Named. In this fourth film adaptation of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, everything changes as Harry, Ron and Hermione leave childhood forever and take on challenges greater than anything they could have imagined.

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