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The Doctor (1991) 6.6
Jack McKee is a doctor with it all: he's successful, he's rich, and he has no problems.... until he is diagnosed with throat cancer. Now that he has seen medicine, hospitals, and doctors ... See full summary » Director:Randa Haines |
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Title: The Doctor (1991)
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| William Hurt | ... | ||
| Christine Lahti | ... | ||
| Elizabeth Perkins | ... | ||
| Mandy Patinkin | ... | ||
| Adam Arkin | ... | ||
| Charlie Korsmo | ... | ||
| Wendy Crewson | ... | ||
| Bill Macy | ... |
Dr. Al Cade
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| J.E. Freeman | ... |
Ralph
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William Marquez | ... |
Mr. Maris
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| Kyle Secor | ... |
Alan
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Nicole Orth-Pallavicini | ... |
Sarah
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Ping Wu | ... |
Jay-Jay
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Tony Fields | ... |
Roger
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| Brian Markinson | ... |
Michael
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Plot Summary
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Storyline
Jack McKee is a doctor with it all: he's successful, he's rich, and he has no problems.... until he is diagnosed with throat cancer. Now that he has seen medicine, hospitals, and doctors from a patient's perspective, he realises that there is more to being a doctor than surgery and prescriptions. Written by Murray Chapman <muzzle@cs.uq.oz.au>
Plot Keywords:
cancer | hospital | medical school | doctor patient relationship | surgeon |Taglines:
An Uplifting Story About Finding New Meaning In Life. See more »Genres:
DramaParents Guide:
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Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
24 July 1991 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Le docteur See more »Box Office
Gross:
$38,120,905 (USA)Company Credits
Show detailed
company contact information
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Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
DolbyColor:
Color (Technicolor)Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
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Dr. Jack MacKee: Yeah, like being incredibly hostile?
June Ellis: Like being honest and expecting people around me to do the same.
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Written and Performed by Jimmy Buffett
Courtesy of MCA Records
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Did You Know?
Trivia
Co-stars Christine Lahti, Mandy Patinkin, and Adam Arkin all played doctors on Chicago Hope. See more »Quotes
June Ellis: [suffering from an inoperable brain tumor] My tumor, I see it giving me certain freedoms I never allowed myself.Dr. Jack MacKee: Yeah, like being incredibly hostile?
June Ellis: Like being honest and expecting people around me to do the same.
See more »
Soundtracks
"Why Don't We Get Drunk and Screw"Written and Performed by Jimmy Buffett
Courtesy of MCA Records
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This film is an involving, serious and important reflection of what changes a doctor goes through when he is diagnosed with terminal cancer.
Dr. Jack McKee (William Hurt) is an arrogant self-satisfied surgeon on top of the world. He and his colleagues, Dr. Eli Blumfield (Adam Arkin) and Dr. Kaplan (very well-portrayed by Mandy Patimkin) are all successful surgeons. Some go through character transformation for the better when they learn that Dr. McKee has throat cancer.
An early scene in the film involves Dr. Abbot (great performance by Wendy Crewson as the ENT/throat surgeon who diagnoses his cancer). She is cold and clinical, and Hurt becomes angry. He tells her she is not treating her patients with any compassion or empathy. She basically responds by telling him her patients are basically an assembly line. Hurt used to be similar to Dr. Abbot, as we see in an opening scene he makes a cutting remark to a breast cancer patient.
The transformation also occurs as Hurt is waiting for an MRI. He meets June Ellis (Elizabeth Perkins) who has an advanced brain tumor. She talks with him, and tells him they got to the cancer too late. She is resigned to her death. Hurt is outraged as he notes that she was never treated appropriately for her illness, as an MRI test would have diagnosed the early stages of a cancer. She retorts that her insurance company refused to pay for an MRI.
Hurt's wife is well portrayed by Christine Lahti. She tries to help him, and he finds himself drawn to the patient, June Ellis. Hurt realizes that life is multi-faceted, and being a doctor is not the only thing that matters. Ellis teaches him to appreciate nature, they take a trip to the desert, there are some beautiful scenes and cinematography.
Hurt finally realizes he must first teach compassion and empathy. New surgical interns are trained by him and there are some amusing scenes where he makes them enact a role reversal, and put on hospital gowns; they are to be diagnosed with fictional illness and identify with the patients. My brother is a surgeon and went through similar training.
Overall an excellent and moving film not to be missed. Highly recommended. 9/10