Sufferin'
Surgeons!
©
Jon
Dunmore,
14 May 2006.
Many
times The Doctor crouches about to pounce on intrinsic
deficiencies beclouding medical bureaucracy, then shies away
at almost every opportunity. While Doctor MacKee (the remarkable
William Hurt) does undergo certain difficulties when diagnosed
with throat cancer and thrown in amongst the afflicted rabble
- in accessing his files, being patronized, filling out forms,
etc. - his ultimately smooth operation and recovery tempers
the humiliating tribulations he was made to suffer.
And
he's a doctor. His wallet is completely unaffected, thereby
negating whole chains of effects which compound problems
between patients, their afflictions and hospitals.
Second
act enters Chick Flick mode when MacKee's marriage falters
(with Christine Lahti - who does a great "sad smile"
- playing the troubled wife because plot device calls for
it) and he leans on fellow patient (pert, young and pale
Elizabeth Perkins) for psychological support. Platonically.
Doubt this faux-romance would have flared up had Perkins
been 58 and slightly paunchy.
The
disdain that the black hole vortex of the medical profession
affords us non-medical civilians cannot be assuaged by this
shallow fantasy, which ends with MacKee reconciling his
marriage (after his platonic pillar dies) and then forcing
his med students to pretend patienthood for 72 hours to
experience patient humiliation.
Though
addressing the problem from the wrong end, it is a nice
sentiment. But absolute malarkey.
END
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