movie: Patch Adams

[topaz]

I have a tendency to lose track of the movies I've seen and books I've read recently, so I'm making an effort this year to write at least a little bit about each book I read and movie I see this year.

A few weeks ago actjack  sent us a box full of movies and books he was passing along.  Patch Adams was one of them.

I liked this more than I expected to.  Okay, so it's sappy and sentimental and formulaic and predictable.  For all that, it's well-crafted, and the deep dark truth is that I have a certain weakness for Robin Williams.  (Note: this is not a total weakness.  I still have some defenses.  I did not, for instance, see either Jakob the Liar or Death to Smoochy.)

There were a couple of things in particular I liked.  One was Philip Seymour Hoffman, who was mostly wasted in his role in the role of "sniveling tool" -- but he had a couple of moments where he was actually able to make the character sympathetic.  Hoffman has made a cottage industry out of playing damaged people, and for him to bring any depth at all to a role like this speaks volumes about his skill as an actor.

The other was Monica Potter, playing another Hollywood archetype, that of "cold and aloof romantic interest who is inevitably brought 'round by the hero's charm and lucky persistence."  What made this interesting was that even after being won over, she remained cold and aloof.  The movie gave us a reason why she had an all-business attitude all the time, and the actress made it part of her personality.  She played "exasperated" and "amused" in exactly the right combination.  It worked well.

I wouldn't watch this movie again and wouldn't disagree with anyone who disliked it, but it was a fine way to pass a snowbound evening. :-)

Comments

[rwx.livejournal.com]

i really liked death to smoochy.

[weegoddess.livejournal.com]

I've never seen "Patch Adams", but add in my vote for "Death to Smoochy". That was a really scathingly fabulous movie.

'Bitingly snarky' should be a genre all in itself. ;-)

[tamidon.livejournal.com]

me too

[penk.livejournal.com]

My brain keeps conflating Patch Adams with Awakenings - both have Robin Williams playing a doctor with a human / personal side.

I keep flashing to Robert DeNiro with his quirky half smile "... but I'm not asleep now!..." - owait! wrong movie!

[qwrrty.livejournal.com]

Hee! That's a great scene, too.

[pumpkin-pi.livejournal.com]

So, I assume that means you never saw one of the most painful movies of this century, RV (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0449089/)? I watched it while trapped on an airplane, and was this close to gouging my eyes out. I think they should have stuck with the German title, "Chaoscamper RV, Die"

[qwrrty.livejournal.com]

You are correct! Based on the reviews here it sounds like I shouldn't have written off Death to Smoochy, but I still have had no desire to see RV. Wisely, I gather. :-)