Touchstone and Beyond: "The Doctor"
Feature Presentation: The Doctor
Cast of Characters
- William Hurt as Dr. Jack McKee
- Christine Lahti as Anne
- Elizabeth Perkins as June
- Mandy Patinkin as Dr. Murray Kaplan
- Adam Arkin as Dr. Eli Bloomfield
- Charlie Korsmo as Nicky
- Wendy Crewson as Dr. Leslie Abbott
Elevator Pitch
Jack McKee is a brilliant doctor, with a life of luxury. He is the best at his job, and while Dr. Murry Kaplan is his friend, and Dr. Eli Bloomfield receives the butt end of Jack’s jokes, nothing can stop Jack in life.
Except when he is diagnosed with throat cancer, the superheroic surgeon becomes a patient in his own hospital. From the side of making decisions that change people’s lives, Jack feels like what it is like to have a doctor he doesn’t trust, in the form of Leslie Abbott, and meets fellow cancer patients and learns about how they deal with their diagnosis and how the hospital treats them.
Jack is forced to undergo throat surgery, and while his friendship with fellow cancer patient June inspires him to be better, he must also learn to make life at home for his wife Anne and son Nicky better.
Learning that there is more to life than just being the best at your job, Jack watches as other people suffer and learns the act of humility and how to ease people’s suffering rather than just getting in and fixing the surgical problem.
The Orson Welles Award of Brilliance
William Hurt is brilliant as Jack. His arc of invulnerability to cancer patient is well paced throughout the film, and while we the audience see Jack as a jerk, Hurt gives his character enough weight in all his scenes that allows us to empathize with his character. Jack isn’t a bad guy. He’s the best at his job, and arrogant. Hurt makes Jack’s cancer diagnosis a cathartic moment that enables Jack to grow and allows the audience to feel for what he is going through.
Elizabeth Perkins makes June vulnerable and powerful in her performance. I love how she wasn’t used as a tool for Jack to cheat on his wife. Instead, Perkins makes June be the driving force to make Jack permanently change. Her exuberance in the face of a terminal disease is what gives Jack the power to learn, and it is Perkins’ strength in each scene that makes June such a meaningful character.
Adam Arkin doesn’t get enough screen time, but he shines in his few moments.
The Alan Smithee Award of Anonymity
Anne could have had more screen time. Christine Lahti is an incredible actor who spends much of the film waiting to see what Jack will do. I wished she hadn’t been isolated so much from the main narrative.
Poor Charlie Korsmo had nothing to do as Nicky. It didn’t really seem like he had an affection for his father, and the scenes between him and Hurt were awkward at best.
Production Team
- Directed by Randa Haines
- Produced by Touchstone Pictures / Silver Screen Partners IV
- Written by Ed Rosenbaum / Robert Caswell
- Release Date: August 16, 1991
- Budget: $12 million
- Domestic Box Office Gross: $38,120,905
I Know Their Name
In Jack’s med student group, there is one doctor who stands out. Kyle Secor is Alan the wannabe doctor, and any fan of the glorious Homicide: Life on the Street will see Det. Bayliss no matter what character he plays.
Deep Dive Behind the Scenes
- Both William Hurt and Elizabeth Perkins were nominated for their work by the Chicago Film Critics Association.
- The movie was nominated for a Best Family Motion Picture by the Young Artist Awards.
- The movie is based on the autobiography of Dr. Ed Rosenbaum, ‘A Taste of My Own Medicine’. This book was the crux of the film’s narrative.
- The movie may take place in San Francisco, but during the rooftop scene between Perkins and Hurt, an eagle-eyed observer will notice several high rises in the background that can only be found in Los Angeles.
- When the film was released, it opened in limited capacity and only earned $165,392.
- 1990s television fans will notice that three leads of the film would go on to star in a CBS medical drama Chicago Hope, with Adam Arkin, Christine Lahti, and Mandy Patinkin.
- Supposedly, Warren Beatty was going to originally star in the film. He reportedly left after clash with the director over artistic differences.
- Ed Rosenbaum has a cameo in the film, as himself.
Bill’s Spicy Take
The 1990s really had no idea how to show a strong female character unless she was dying.
Oscar Thoughts
(These rankings are awarded based on my love for Hitchcock films)
{Frenzy Award-Skip this Film, Torn Curtain Award-Desperate for Something to Watch, For the Birds-A Perfect Film for Any Device, Rear Window Award- You Must Watch This Film on a Big Screen because this film is cinema.}
The Doctor is not a marvel of filmmaking. Rather it is a perfect example of when you have a brilliant lead actor like William Hurt, and a script that shows growth and human emotion, can result in an astounding drama of the heart.
I was captivated by how much I loved seeing Hurt on screen, and I was compelled to keep my eyes glued to the film. Hurt’s Jack is a man learning and trying to be better, and with the skill that Hurt brings to the character it is easy to love this guy, and to root for him.
The Doctor is a hidden gem of Touchstone history, and I give this film my For the Birds Award. It is the perfect film for any device. I just wish the movie was available on Disney+.
Coming Attractions
Touchstone and Beyond returns in two weeks with Paul Newman’s Blaze.