Patch Adams
Patch Adams is a 1998 American comedy-drama film directed by Tom Shadyac. It stars Robin Williams, Monica Potter, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bob Gunton, Daniel London, and Peter Coyote. Set in the late 1960s and early 1970s, it is based on the life story of medical doctor Hunter "Patch" Adams and the book Gesundheit: Good Health Is a Laughing Matter by Adams and Maureen Mylander. The film received generally negative reviews from critics, with criticism for the sentimentality and direction. However, it was a box-office success, grossing $202.3 million against a $50–90 million budget.
Plot
In 1969, Hunter "Patch" Adams, after developing suicidal thoughts, admits himself to a mental institution. There, he finds that using humor, rather than doctor-centered psychotherapy, better helps his fellow patients and provides him with a new purpose. Because of this, he wants to become a medical doctor and leaves the facility. Two years later, he enrolls at the Medical College of Virginia as its oldest first-year student.
Cast
- Alan Tudyk
- Barry Shabaka Henley
- Bob Gunton
- Daniel London
- Dot Jones
- Ellen Albertini Dow
- Frances Lee McCain
- Greg Sestero
- Harold Gould
- Harry Groener
- Harve Presnell
- Irma P. Hall
- James Greene
- Josef Sommer
- Michael Jeter
- Monica Potter
- Norman Alden
- Peter Coyote
- Philip Seymour Hoffman
- Richard Kiley
- Robin Williams
- Ryan Hurst