Skip to main content

The Doctor (1991)

Sunday, March 22, 2009

The Doctor. Feature film. (1991, 122 mins) IMDB

...do they show this movie in medical schools?...

T

he last line of my notes is: It's not the first time I've seen this movie, but I love it. The question is why?

The simple answer is it moved me--emotionally moved me. In the theory of story, bringing emotion and understanding together is why we read novels and watch films.

The story can be summed up easily. A selfish surgeon gets a dose of his own medicine when he discovers he has throat cancer, decides he doesn't like it and changes as a result. I know, it doesn't move you, you have to watch the film to get that part.

There's the inciting incident when he realizes a cough isn't just a cough. Act I climax when he discovers he has to have a biopsy. Act II dealing with the hell of treatment. At one point he's mistaken for another patient and despite his protests is given an enema anyway. Act II climax with the news the radiation treatment didn't work. He never was closer to his own death. Act III the surgery, the death of his friend June, the reconciliation with his wife and the final transformation as he gives his interns a lesson on being a patient.

Here's an example of smart filmmaking. Our good doctor has just found out the devastating news the need for a biopsy. He arrives home in shock. His wife tells their son, "Go talk to you dad." The son runs to the phone, picks it up and speaks into the receiver. He doesn't expect his dad is standing in the kitchen next to him. So much said in such a short scene. The poetry of screenwriting.

The next time you get bad medical treatment, pull out a copy of this DVD and wave it around.

Posted 2009/03/22 at 20h34ET in Movie Commentary.

Labels

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

CRA & E-Filing

Tuesday, March 6, 2007 ... Online Tax Services Suspended by CRA ... I received an email press release from the Canada Revenue Agency late on Tuesday stating they were shutting down the computer that processed e-filed personal tax returns. For many tax preparers the announcement means they will have to file paper returns or wait for the system to come back on, but it could be a long wait. Until we can announce a business recovery date, the Agency will provide daily updates to the media on the steps we are taking. On the surface, e-filing a return makes sense because it is more efficient, but at present it only makes sense for simple returns. If you file a return beyond a T4 and an RRSP deduction, you can expect follow-up letters requesting original receipts. For accountants, this hassle means additional time—time that usually can't be recovered. As result, many accountants file paper returns for their benefit. What is required is a system that allows the recei...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Crusades (1935)

Sunday, March 29, 2009 The Crusades. Feature film. (1935, 125 mins) IMDB ... a Hollywood romance with swords thrown in ... T he title is extremely misleading. The film is not about the crusades but a love story set in the midst of a crusade led by King Richard. Richard never spoke English and barely even lived on the British isles. He was a Norman who spoke French, but you wouldn't know that from this film. The filmmakers also want you to believe the King would have been caught up in something as trivial as love. Not a chance. Marriage wasn't about love. It was about matters of state, about power, and with that power, wealth. A true-to-history film about King Richard and the Crusades would lack romance and therefore wouldn't appeal to a broad audience. What we have in this film is nothing more than a love story. Richard is betrothed to Alice, the sister of King Philip of France. He doesn't want to marry her. He decides to go on the crusad...
Post a Comment
Read more

If Only We Could Agree

Monday, June 11, 2012 ... have you been accused of misspelling a word you know is correct ... S usanne O’Leary wrote an interesting article on her experience with the variations of the English language in different countries. You know the obvious ones like colour with or without a “u” but less obvious ones like travelled versus traveled. Growing up in Sweden she learnt English in school—the UK variation. In publishing her books, she read reviews where she was criticized for improper spelling. False accusations as it turns out. While I write tire and cozy, it’s not incorrect to write tyre or cosy. Same language. Both accepted. Just different. You can read her write-up here along with the numerous comments posted by readers. I found it interesting, but that’s me. As a Canadian I deal with this issue everyday. I feel her pain when she’s criticized for something based on ignorance. No fun. I was told by a boss that “data are” isn’t correct. It should be “data is.” Read...
2 comments
Read more