Playing God (1997)

When he loses his job, a famed surgeon abandons his former life and enters the criminal underworld as a gunshot doctor for criminals.

Director:

Andy Wilson

Writer:

Mark Haskell Smith

Stars:

David Duchovny, Timothy Hutton, Angelina Jolie

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
David Duchovny	...	Dr. Eugene Sands
Timothy Hutton	...	Raymond Blossom
Angelina Jolie	...	Claire
Michael Massee	...	Gage
Peter Stormare	...	Vladimir
Andrew Tiernan	...	Cyril
Gary Dourdan	...	Yates
John Hawkes	...	Flick
Will Stewart	...	Perry
Philip Moon	...	Casey
Pasha D. Lychnikoff	...	Andrei (as Pavel D. Lynchnikoff)
Tracey Walter	...	Jim
Sandra Kinder	...	Sue
Bill Rosier	...	Jerry
Keone Young	...	Mr. Ksi

Storyline

Stripped of his medical license after performing an operation while high on amphetamines, famed LA surgeon Dr Eugene Sands abandons his former life only to find himself crossing paths with Raymond Blossom, an infamous counterfeiter. Employed as a "gun-shot doctor" when Raymond's associates cannot risk visiting a hospital, Eugene is lured deep into the criminal world and becomes entangled with his boss's girlfriend.

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Plot Keywords:

surgeon | doctor | drug addiction | drugs | shot through a pillow | 

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Taglines:

Power to heal. Power to kill. Hell to pay.

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Genres:

Crime | Thriller | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong graphic violence, gore, pervasive language and some drug use

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Russian

Release Date:

17 October 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

Playing Hero

Filming Locations:

6th Street Viaduct, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$12,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,937,374, 19 October 1997, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$4,052,347, 9 November 1997

Company Credits

Production Co:

Beacon Communications,Beacon Pictures,Club Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

David Duchovny plays a doctor asked by a criminal to help his friend. Duchovny says "He's dead." Pointing a gun at Duchovny, the criminal says, "Well, fix him!" Duchovny responds, "I'll see what I can do." Twenty years earlier, in A Bridge Too Far (1977), James Caan plays a soldier who takes a wounded comrade to a field doctor. After the doctor tells him his friend is dead, Caan points a gun at the doctor and insists that he look at his friend. The doctor replies, "I can give him a quick examination if you like."

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Goofs

Dance music is mixed in too quietly during a club scene; you can clearly hear the actors' feet shuffling on the floor, yet they're all shouting at each other.

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Quotes

Raymond: Hey, Eugene, have you ever thought about the idea that everything that happens, every action, causes a reaction? I mean, no matter how far away or obscure? Ah. A butterfly flaps its wings in Tibet, a car gets a flat in Toronto, a guy gets a blow job in Bangkok. All connected. All subject to the linkages of cause and effect, even if comprehensible only in retrospect.

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Connections

Referenced in Siskel & Ebert: Gattaca/The House of Yes/A Life Less Ordinary/FairyTale: A True Story/Sunday (1997)

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Soundtracks

Anything
Written by The Angel (as Angel C) and Angie Hart
Performed by The Angel featuring Angie Hart
Courtesy of Supa Crucial Recordings

User Reviews

not your everyday action flick

Normally, I don't watch action movies because of the fact that they are usually all pretty similar. This movie did have many stereotypical action movie scenes, but the characters and the originality of the film's premise made it much easier to watch. David Duchovny bended his normal acting approach, which was great to see. Angelina Jolie, of course, was beautiful and did great acting. Great cast all together. A must see for people bored with the same old action movie.