Patch Adams (1998)

The true story of a heroic man, Hunter "Patch" Adams, determined to become a medical doctor because he enjoys helping people. He ventured where no doctor had ventured before, using humour and pathos.

Director:

Tom Shadyac

Writers:

Patch Adams (book) (as Hunter Doherty Adams), Maureen Mylander (book)

Stars:

Robin Williams, Daniel London, Monica Potter

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 win & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robin Williams	...	Patch Adams
Daniel London	...	Truman
Monica Potter	...	Carin
Philip Seymour Hoffman	...	Mitch
Bob Gunton	...	Dean Walcott
Josef Sommer	...	Dr. Eaton
Irma P. Hall	...	Joletta
Frances Lee McCain	...	Judy
Harve Presnell	...	Dean Anderson
Daniella Kuhn	...	Adelane
Peter Coyote	...	Bill Davis
James Greene	...	Bile
Michael Jeter	...	Rudy
Harold Gould	...	Arthur Mendelson
Bruce Bohne	...	Trevor Beene

Storyline

Patch Adams is determined to become a medical doctor because he enjoys helping people. Unfortunately, the medical and scientific community does not appreciate his methods of healing the sick, while the actual patients, medical professors, and hospital nurses all appreciate the work *he* can do, because they are unable to do it.

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Plot Keywords:

character name as title | man wears eyeglasses | doctor | hospital | nurse | 

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Taglines:

Laughter is contagious.

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Genres:

Biography | Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some strong language and crude humor

Did You Know?

Trivia

Patch Adams: The real Patch Adams appears in the scene where the medical school staff returns with the verdict. He sits right behind Robin Williams.

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Goofs

Mitch rats on Patch for cheating since he never cracks open a book but still nearly got 100% in the course. How does Patch possibly score this high? The movie never shows Patch studying or reading.

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Quotes

Hunter Patch Adams: All of life is a coming home. Salesmen, secretaries, coal miners, beekeepers, sword swallowers, all of us. All the restless hearts of the world, all trying to find a way home. It's hard to describe what I felt like then. Picture yourself walking for days in the driving snow; you don't even know you're walking in circles. The heaviness of your legs in the drifts, your shouts disappearing into the wind. How small you can feel, and how far away home can be. Home. The dictionary defines it as both ...

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Crazy Credits

The Blue Wolf Productions logo after the end credits features a wolf looking to its left.

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Connections

Referenced in After Hours: Movie Epilogues That Would Have Been More Interesting to Watch Than the Movie (2014)

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Soundtracks

Into the Mystic
Written by Van Morrison
Performed by Van Morrison
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Records Inc.
By Arrangement with Warner Special Products

User Reviews

Devastating and joyful all at the same time

Robin Williams had so much joy in this, its so wonderful and heartwarming! Quite a few bleak characters and things that could have been avoided, otherwise I'd give it a 10. Excessive happiness should be fine, I don't understand why there's a boss that is a Debbie Downer, yeah ok he's serious about his job, but lacking sense of humor that is important for patients to enjoy. This is a powerful film and makes me bummed that Robin Williams is gone!

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 December 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Patch Adams

Filming Locations:

Asheville, North Carolina, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$90,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$25,262,280, 27 December 1998

Gross USA:

$135,026,902

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$202,292,902

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, Blue Wolf Productions, Farrell/Minoff

Technical Specs

Runtime:

115 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1