Patch Adams
1998 · Directed by Tom Shadyac
Original language: English
- comedy
- drama
The story
The true story of Dr. Hunter "Patch" Adams, who in the 1970s found that humor is the best medicine, and was willing to do just anything to make his patients laugh—even if it meant risking his own career.
What it’s like
Warm, bright and broadly sunny, with the look of a late-1990s studio comedy: saturated primary colours in hospital wards and rented apartments, soft overhead light, and plenty of wide, well-lit medium shots that keep faces easy to read. The camera stays conventional and unfussy, following the comedy beats with straightforward coverage, while the score is a bouncy, sentimental orchestral pop that swells whenever a patient cracks a smile. The 1970s setting shows up in wide lapels, shag carpets and station wagons rather than in any grit. Mood swings between cheerful and earnest, with brief dips into the dark territory of a psychiatric ward and a few suicidal-thought moments that are handled gently rather than graphically. Violence is essentially absent; any peril is mild and quickly defused. Intensity is low, with some mild profanity and one or two brief sad scenes. The arc follows an idealistic young doctor who learns that compassion matters as much as procedure, and it suits people who want an uplifting, feel-good watch for a cosy evening or a comfort rewatch.
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