Patch Adams
By Shaun

        This movie makes you feel like you are in a stage of decadence, if you do not cry there must be something wrong with you, it is a forceful tearjerker, and that goes against the whole purpose of movies, you should not be forced to release emotion. Based on a true story? Maybe the only truth to it is there there were once a medical student called Patch Adams, the antics that are performed here are beyond ridiculous, maybe even insulting. A man that does not take anything seriously does not belong in the hospital, he belongs in a sanitary or a circus. In "Life Is Beautiful" i understand why they would show a Jew speaking on the microphone to his wife in a concentration camp even though such a matter seems unrealistic, because it is a fable, but this film has no excuse to show us a cast of such distorted and insipid characteristics. I do not meant to sound rude but except for the ill patients I didn't care if any of the characters would die, because the acting is atrocious, it looked as if they were reading off note cards, these are professional actors acting haywire. Maybe it was not the actors fault as much as the writers, to type one obscene scene right after the next, if a few were omitted the film could have maybe had potential of being good. Although not all of Patch Adams is a failure, actually it started off pretty good.

        Meet Patch Adams (Robin Williams), a suicidal, manic depressive, dysfunctional man. One day he decides to commit himself into an insane asylum, he does not fit in the crowd, he is silent and not out of control. When he first arrives a crazy old man runs up to him and shoves his hand in Patch's face, then asks "How many finger do you see," when patch replies five withers away and sees that he just wasted his time. As time passes by Patch goes to the old man's room and when he is asked the same question he looks closely at his hand, he scrutinizes his hand five more fingers emerge. The doctors pay no real attention to him or anyone as a matter of fact they just ignore, and soon Patch learns that it's not the doctors who help him, but the patients. Once he sees that he too has the power to help, a determination to become a doctor rises in him.

        Patch meets some friends in school Carin (Monica Potter, whom he loves but she is the more serious type who wants to focus more on school then Patch's foolish gigs. He dorms with Mitch (Philip Seymour Hoffman), who is surprised at Patch's grades and is jealous of them as well.

        Once in medical school the film takes a slope so deep nothing can revive it except for maybe some hard hitting realism, this film is just too peachy to become a drama, and it definitely is not a comedy nor a fable, so what is it. I guess just another mediocre film from comic director Tom Sahdyac ("Nothing To Lose," "Liar Liar").

        This is basically a movie for people who want to cry for no reason, scenes so ludicrous occur that make you realize this movie is just to make money. A hollow film with plenty of rough edges and probably plenty of dissatisfied viewers.