The Clinic (TV 2004)

About a new graduate's first job as an intern at a rural veterinary hospital.

Director:

Neill Fearnley

Writer:

Charles Martin Smith

Stars:

Jonathan Scarfe, Mike Farrell, Ione Skye

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jonathan Scarfe	...	Andrew MacDonald
Mike Farrell	...	Dr. Cyrus Gachet
Ione Skye	...	Emma Matthews
Sebastian Spence	...	Kyle Southern
Bruce Davison	...	Martin Landrum
Reamonn Joshee	...	Freddie
Crystal Balint	...	Crystal Wu
Kira Bradley	...	Penny
Alexandra Harvey	...	Angel Landrum
Pascale Hutton	...	Sarah
Maureen Jones	...	Thea Hofferman
Frank Takacs	...	Roderick
Bharbara Egan	...	Woman with Pom
Chantal Perron	...	Woman with Beagle
Gary Lauder	...	Pete

Storyline

New veterinary school graduate Dr. Andrew McDonald encounters many challanges on his first day as an intern at a rural but busy veterinary hospital. Along with the beasts, there is legendary chief veterinarian Dr. Cyrus Gachet, the cynical senior surgeon Dr. Kyle Southern, and a pretty young vet Dr. Emma Matthews. There is a ferret, a wounded cat, a St. Bernard dog, two horses, a deer and a fire to endure.

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Official Sites:

Muse Entertainment Enterprises

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 January 2004 (USA)

Also Known As:

Animal Clinic

Filming Locations:

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

Craig Media, Equity Pictures Medienfonds GmbH & Co. KG, Muse Distribution International

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min 120 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

User Reviews

All creatures great and small, ER style

Low key made-for-TV effort looks like a pilot episode for a series that never eventuated with Mike Farrell as the sometimes challenging, but committed vet of a small, high demand veterinary clinic where intern Jonathan Scarfe comes to take on his first work assignment. Trouble is, the clinic is being threatened with closure for maintenance standard breaches, and Scarfe is supposed to be relocating with his girlfriend whose got a job in another city. Predictably, the various story lines intersect at the film's climax.

Scarfe and Farrell develop an almost father and son like relationship, the kind where one is passively challenged to surpass the other's limited expectations, but given the chance to succeed or fold. Attractive former teen leading lady Ione Skye has the role of the sexy female vet with whom Scarfe would surely end up in one of those on-again, off-again relationships, had the TV movie spawned a series. Bruce Davison is also on hand as the concerned father of an injured cat.

It's an urban "All Creatures Great and Small" fused with "ER", that probably could have made a minor impression with families had it become a series. Canadian locations and acting are serviceable, while screenwriter Charles Martin Smith ("American Graffiti) holds the soap for a couple of sentimental TV moments, disappointments, mild action and the usual hope and destiny conclusion.