On D List of Movie Reviews
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The Doctor (1991)
Rate:
5
Viewed:
6/16
6/16:
After working together in Children of a Lesser God, William Hurt and Randa Haines decided to re-team
for The Doctor.
William Hurt is all over the map as Dr. MacKee. Great, bizarre, good, annoying, honest, insincere, likeable,
and unlikeable...it's difficult to pinpoint the correct adjective that fits him the most. I hate his character,
don't care for him, and hope not to have a doctor like him.
The other problem is Randa Haines' direction. Although the movie looks medically professional, there are boring
parts and undeveloped subplots with no closure. MacKee's relationship with the woman who's diagnosed with a
grade IV brain tumor feels out of place. Ditto for his son. Coming out of the blue is Dr. Kaplan's malpractice
lawsuit which isn't clear, either.
Everybody is too healthy-looking to be sick with cancer. William Hurt also looks great in the beginning, the
middle, and the end despite his throat cancer and many sessions of radiation therapy. Elizabeth Perkins also
looks terrific for somebody who has brain tumor. It's amazing how they do it. By the way, Elizabeth Perkins
didn't shave her head for the role. Boo!
All in all, The Doctor makes a good point about doctors not showing compassion for their patients, but
the direction feels manipulative and smarmy.