For years now Robin Williams has been packing cinema seats all over the world. He has made us buckle in pain with laughter and he has made put a hand to our face to cover up a tear of sentimentality. Now it is this diversely that has made Williams both loved and hated by cinema-goers everywhere, sometimes by the same person. You may have loved his hysterics of Good Morning Vietnam and yet have drowned in the doe eyed drippings of Dead Poets Society. And when Williams saw the script for Patch Adams he must have screamed


"Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Me, Me, Me"


So, here in "Patch Adams" you have all of the above Williams' in one two hour setting. Good idea or bad idea? Just read on.


To begin with, Hunter "Patch" Adams is a little bit tired with life and commits himself to a psychiatric hospital. Here with the help of the other patents and a rich insane old guy, who isn't that insane ( aren't they all ), he discovers his calling in life is to help people in need of medical assistance. From here he goes to med school and the comic antics begin. Now, instead of treating just the disease, he believes the person must be treated as well and the best way to treat a person is with laughter (would Mr. Williams please stand-up). So from here we get loads comic set pieces, an ocean of predictable weepy scenes and a nasty Dean.


Tom Sadayac directed this film, his previous efforts were Ace Ventura and Liar Liar, each starred Jim Carey, so Sadayac is quite familiar to working with a sometimes over the top comedian. But Sadayac has never had to mould comedy and drama together before and that shows at times because the film doesn't get the balance between the two right, we are thrown too quickly into the funny Patch Adams from the suicidal Adams. The drama is drippy and the comedy is somewhat staged, all which could have been ironed out with a little bit more pacing.


Now, as I said before, Williams must have loved this role. It has everything that he is good at, hysterical comedy and a chance to hug and cry over another characters troubled past. I loved Williams in almost all of his other films, but here, sadly, he annoyed the hell out of me. For most of the film he reminded me of one of those people who you just could never have a serious conversation with, always laughing and avoiding the present. I know, I know, he isn't like for the whole film, but he was for some of it, that got to me and I wanted to throw things, big, sharp, poisonous devil objects at the screen that would stop him from begin such an annoying pranny. And it's not even Williams fault, some "Einstein" decided that Adams should be dragging the laughs out of us from the very start. Wrong. I declare sinanigans on that prat. And just who decided on that "Oh doctor, my doctor" finish, idiot. KILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILL


Okay, back to reviewing the film. What saved this film a lot of embarrassment was a fine supporting cast. Daniel London, who plays Adams nerdy friend, gives his character a sense of dignity, that in other hands would have made him simply "geeky". And how nasty can you get with a Dean played by Bob Gunton, this guy would have kicked ass in those 80's collage films. But what truly saved the day for me was Monica Potter, Adams "love interest". She handles the part wonderfully, a strong graceful performance, one of the most real characters in the film.


By reading this you may think I didn't care for the film that much. But strangely, I felt entertained after watching it. It had its faults, but if your looking for something to laugh or cry with, you could do worst than seeing this film. Enjoy.


(Dear reader,
I am sorry for the obscure and uncalled for out burst in a review of Tom Shadyacs production "Patch Adams" dated the 25-03-99. I sincerely regret any mental stress that may have been caused to "Mr. Einstein" or to Mr. Shadyac and his family. It has been proven that I , "Mr/Mrs/Miss/Dr Reviewer", was temporarily insane on and about the date the review was written on. The insanity was not brought on (as I had stated in a letter dated 26-03-99 to Mr. Shaydac) by "A unbalanced piece of old fart which made me cover an amazing radius of 20 feet in my bile infested puke and that I would rather lick the sweat off my grandmothers back, while taking her from behind, than watch that piece of old shit again". The insanity was in fact caused by an unfortunate fire which burnt down the local tulip factory ( which was my place of abode for over 15 wonderful and loving years), there, I had many friends and loved ones rooted peacefully in the horse manure covered soil. God rest their souls. So from now on I will stay at least at a 30 foot distance from the above and their families, I will wash dry and fold their underwear and return them to the above as ordered, I will buy the above a new cat and remove the old cats head from the church gate and bury it with its body when I retrieve it from the witch doctor. I will also release the twelve hostages I am holding on board Air France flight 407 and I will do my very very best to sow that kids finger back on.


Signed
_______________)

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