Article 99 (1992)

A group of doctors in a veteran's hospital must contend with their hopeless situation: too many patients and not enough beds. The main cause of their problems is bureaucratic ... See full summary »

Director:

Howard Deutch

Writer:

Ron Cutler

Stars:

Ray Liotta, Kiefer Sutherland, Forest Whitaker

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ray Liotta	...	Dr. Richard Sturgess
Kiefer Sutherland	...	Dr. Peter Morgan
Forest Whitaker	...	Dr. Sid Handleman
Lea Thompson	...	Dr. Robin Van Dorn
John C. McGinley	...	Dr. Rudy Bobrick
John Mahoney	...	Dr. Henry Dreyfoos
Keith David	...	Luther Jermoe
Kathy Baker	...	Dr. Diana Walton
Eli Wallach	...	Sam Abrams
Noble Willingham	...	Inspector General
Julie Bovasso	...	Amelia Sturdeyvant
Troy Evans	...	Pat Travis
Lynne Thigpen	...	Nurse White
Jeffrey Tambor	...	Dr. Leo Krutz
Leo Burmester	...	Shooter Polaski

Storyline

A group of doctors in a veteran's hospital must contend with their hopeless situation: too many patients and not enough beds. The main cause of their problems is bureaucratic belt-tightening by the hospital administrators. The doctors are determined to give the best service they can, even if that means defying the orders of management and performing unauthorized operations.

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Plot Keywords:

hospital | patient | rage | post war | psychiatrist | 

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Taglines:

When the heroes are forgotten. When the stakes are life and death. There's one stand you've got to take. There's one rule you've got to break.

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Genres:

Drama | Comedy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 March 1992 (USA)

Also Known As:

99-es paragrafus

Filming Locations:

Kansas City, Missouri, USA

Box Office

Gross:

$6,375,979 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Orion Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Apparently Ray Liotta, as one of the "good guys" felt that he should dislike the actor playing a "bad guy", John Mahoney, both on and off the set; when he saw Mahoney in wardrobe or makeup, he would either rush out of the room or immediately end all attempts at conversation. At the end of the shoot, Liotta smilingly approached Mahoney and told him it was a pleasure to work with him, to which Mahoney replied, "I wish I could say the same."

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Connections

References The Oprah Winfrey Show (1986)

User Reviews

Veterans

Howard Deutsch's "Article 99" is a gripping satire about the Veteran Administration that is in charge of the health care for the men and women that served the country in foreign conflicts and who obviously, have no other means of getting health care. The film is more poignant to watch right now with the problems the country is facing in Iraq because today's soldiers fighting there might have to face the bureaucracy that rules what can, or cannot, be done to veterans without insurance, or money to pay for medical care.

We meet a group of dedicated doctors at a facility who are real professionals trying to go around the rules a tyrannical hospital administrator wants to impose on them. Thus, they will resort to stealing supplies that are denied to them in whatever form. It's an outrage to even think that medical care is denied to the people that were at the front lines to defend the country.

Ray Liotta is the best thing in the movie. His Dr. Sturgess is a maverick that can do things that others would not dare to do. Mr. Liotta gets a magnificent chance to shine as the idealistic doctor who will do anything to help his patients. Kiefer Sutherland appears as the young doctor assign to the hospital and has no clue what he has gotten into, but learns fast. Kathy Burke is also good as the doctor who opposes Sturgess' method, only to realize he was right all along. Among the staff we see familiar faces, Forest Whitaker, John McGinley, John Mahoney, Eli Wallach, Keith David, Julie Bovasso, Jeffrey Tambor and others that do ensemble acting in wonderful fashion under Mr. Deutsch's command.

The film is an eye opener as to how red tape rules a lot of government agencies.