The Doctor

1991
PG-13
2h 2m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

When a self-centered doctor is diagnosed with cancer, he becomes better able to empathize with his patients and appreciate a life outside his career.When a self-centered doctor is diagnosed with cancer, he becomes better able to empathize with his patients and appreciate a life outside his career.When a self-centered doctor is diagnosed with cancer, he becomes better able to empathize with his patients and appreciate a life outside his career.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.9/10

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 3 nominations total

Photos32

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
This movie is based on the real-life story of Ed Rosenbaum, M.D. Dr. Rosenbaum wrote an autobiography entitled "A Taste of My Own Medicine: When the Doctor Becomes the Patient." This book formed the basis for the movie and is presently out of print.

Goofs
In a scene supposedly set on the roof of a San Francisco office building, between William Hurt and Elizabeth Perkins, well=known Los Angeles high-rises can be seen in the background.

Quotes
June Ellis: There was a farmer who had a lot of fields, and he kept all of the birds and creatures away from his crops with traps and fences. He was very successful... but he was very lonely. So, one day, he stood in the middle of his fields to welcome the animals. He stayed there from dawn to dusk, with his arms outstretched, calling to them. But, not a single animal came. Not a single creature appeared. They were terrified, you see, of the farmer's new Scarecrow... just let down your arms, and we'll all come to you.

Connections
Featured in Siskel & Ebert: The Doctor/Dutch/Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey/My Father's Glory/My Mother's Castle (1991)

Soundtracks
Big Girls Don't Cry
Written by Bob Gaudio and Bob Crewe
Performed by Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons
Courtesy of Bob Gaudio and Frankie Valli
dba The Four Seasons Partnership

User reviews34

Review

Featured review

9/10

Well worth the time

This movie came out about a year before I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, and I watched it during my recovery from surgery and radiation treatments. It helped me to understand the relationship between doctor and cancer patient. William Hurt is indeed excellent in this film, but I have always liked his understated presence and aloof yet empathetic evocations. Recently, a colleague was diagnosed with a serious cancer and he continues to undergo his treatments. I think the American medical community has made great improvements in the emotional component of care for cancer patients, but in 1992 Hurt's portrayal was close enough to echo my observations of how I was cared for then.

So, though it's a bit of a tearjerker and has a happy ending that reality will not always produce, I think it is a meaningful film and especially for those who are facing a serious diagnosis or caring for those who are.