Touchstone and Beyond: "Gross Anatomy"
Marquee Attraction: Gross Anatomy
Release Date: October 20, 1989
Budget: $8.5 million
Domestic Box Office Gross: $11,604,598
Plot Synopsis
Joe enters med school and hopes to make a new future for himself. He comes from humble backgrounds, where his father was a fisherman, and Joe’s uniqueness to the approach of studying medicine ruffles the feathers of others, especially his teachers.
His gross anatomy partner Laurie is annoyed by his antics but then develops feelings for Joe. Dr Woodruff, his supervisory teacher, takes an interest in Joe, and tries to help further his schooling, only to be met with resistance and questioning by Joe.
As the year progresses and more students drop out, the success that Joe could have depends on his willingness to settle down and take his tests, even though the ‘system’ might not appeal to his own thinking.
Standing Ovation
Med school always produces some great dynamics in character and setting. I love the intricacies of the different people who come to med school and their reasoning for wanting to be a doctor. Gross Anatomy doesn’t disappoint in this avenue of storytelling.
Time for the Hook
Some movies have a main character who bucks the societal norms for a reason. In Patch Adams, the character is fighting against the compulsive need for conformity in medicine because he believes there is a better way to get to know the patients and to help them.
The problem with Joe and Gross Anatomy is that he has a chip on his shoulder. That’s it. It’s clear he has some feelings about the blue-collar history of his family, but I never understood why he tried to stand out in medical school. Would you as a patient want the doctor who didn’t take his studying seriously, to operate on you? That’s what I kept thinking throughout the film. If I saw Joe show up for my exam, I would ask for another doctor.
Daphne Zuniga is excellent in the film, but her character Laurie gets little development, other than she might be leading Joe on in their relationship area. Then at the end of the film, when Joe comes to find her, Laurie jumps up and down and says ‘yes’ aloud. This completely sidetracked her character from being a strong independent woman, to a girl who needs her man to like her.
Bit Part Player
Gordon Clapp as the Doctor at the hospital where Joe works. He has a small role, but anyone who has watched NYPD Blue will know his face, and say, that’s Gordon Clapp.
Did You Know?
- The film opened to a weekend gross of almost three million dollars.
- Director Thom Eberhardt was born in the hospital where Matthew Modine’s character works. It had long been closed as an active hospital and now acts as a stage for film and television.
- There was some controversy between the studio and the director about the love scene between Modine and Zuniga. The studio was pushing for a steamier scene than what the director had originally planned. The scene was shot, but when screened, it didn’t work with the film, the studio relented to the director’s original plan.
- The original cut of the film was over two hours, but after Disney told Eberhardt to trim it below two hours, he removed over thirty minutes of footage.
- The cadaver that Modine and Zuniga worked on was a detailed reproduction, not a real body.
- Film critic Roger Ebert found the film to be predictable, but he still gave the movie a three-star rating, stating “Most of the major events in the movie can be anticipated, but they are played with genuine grace." I disagree, Roger.
Bill’s Hot Take
Unless the movie has a particular point to make, the slacker lead character who breaks the rules is a pointless trope that doesn’t need a whole movie devoted to him.
Casting Call
- Matthew Modine as Joe
- Daphne Zuniga as Laurie
- Christine Lahti as Dr. Woodruff
Production Team:
Directed by Thom Eberhardt
Produced by Touchstone Pictures / Silver Screen Partners IV
Written by Mark Spragg / Howard Rosenman / Alan Jay Glueckman
My Critical Response
{Snub-Skip this Film, Lifeboat Award-Desperate for Something to Watch, Commuter Comforter-A Perfect Film for Any Device, Jaw Dropper- You Must Watch This Film on a Big Screen, Rosebud Award- This Film is Cinema.}
When I was a kid, one of the first movie posters I ever owned was one that I got for free from our local video store, Lazy Bob’s Flicks n Buns. That poster was Gross Anatomy. I kept it for years, until I moved away for college, and I never saw the thing again.
I had always been fascinated by the poster that had Modine and Zuniga looking so fresh and eager in their work, and now after seeing the movie, I can say, I will never miss that poster.
The movie sets up the idea that there is a rebel in the med school who is out to do some good. My problem as a viewer is that the film just doesn’t deliver. The character of Joe is nothing special. I can’t root for him, I don’t identify with his cause, whatever it is, and I doubt I would want him to be my doctor.
At the same time, I don’t dislike him or the movie. I think Gross Anatomy is a product of the time. It was a pseudo An Officer and a Gentleman type movie that never got off the ground. The audience doesn’t connect with Joe the way we need to, and the supporting cast doesn’t really have much to do in the film.
Gross Anatomy gets my Lifeboat Award. If you are desperate for something to watch then check out this film, but DO NOT cancel any of your plans to see this movie.
Coming Soon
Next week is a look back at the best and the not so great from a year of reviewing Touchstone and Hollywood Pictures movies.