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The Hospital
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Date  Helpful Rating 0 out of 0 users found this helpful  Bad medicinePosted: 4/23/2003A review of The Hospital by flshpnt1 The main spoiler in this review is Paddy Chayefsky's gutless script, which sandbags anyone foolish enough to follow the satirical set-up. But George C. Scott fans still may enjoy his masterful performance as an aging, bitter, alcoholic, impotent medical director at a major hospital. Hey, that's no performance, that's George. His dyspeptic personality matches up perfectly with the witty lines Chayefsky feeds his character. In the first two-thirds of the movie, Scott makes us feel Dr. Herbert Bock's exasperation and desperation as things fall apart around him. The harshly lit sets seem just as inhumane and unappealing as a real hospital, a proper home for the black comedy of the first part of the movie. Geroge C. Scott is surrounded by a good supporting cast, but that turns out to be a waste since Chayefsky has written only one real character. That might work if the script kept to comedy. But Chayefsky begins pulling his punches with a lot of reverential blather about the noble wealthy, middle-aged white professional. No character but Dr. Bock is a real person. That's particularly unfortunate for the others who do get some screen time, notably Barnard Hughes as a hammy coma patient and Diana Rigg as `the girl.' That character is a cartoon, cliches about swinging hippie chicks mixed with middle-aged male wish fulfillment, with a rape as the love scene. There are fleeting glimpses of Diana Rigg's pancake chest, but that will interest only her most diehard fans. For most viewers, only George C. Scott makes this movie watchable to the end. It's probably best viewed as a warm-up to Chayefsky's somewhat better `Network.' Was this review helpful? Sign In 1-1 of 1 Per Page | ||
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