Laughter is Good Medicine
But Patch Adams is Hard to Swallow

It is truly endearing to see Robin Williams using his gift for laughter to reach ill children in his new movie, Patch Adams. As the title character he appeals to the best humanity has to offer, and he lets the audience share in the magic of his gift.

But interwoven into Patch Adams, is a story of sadness. From the very beginning when a young, suicidal, Hunter Adams admits himself into a mental institution, it becomes apparent that his life will not be all beer and skittles. He soon discovers that by helping others he is able to ignore his own problems, and he makes the decision to check out of the institution so he can pursue a career in medicine.

In the first year of medical school, Adams becomes instantly disillusioned with the medical community's practice of distancing themselves from their patients. His desire to make a connection to other people leads him to spend time wandering the hospital, visiting the sick, and making them laugh.

But the story hits a sour note when one of the deans of the school (Bob Gunton) confronts Adams and bans him from the hospital. The situation is made more serious when another student accuses Patch of having cheated on a test. All of this is swept away after Patch speaks to the head of the administration, yet the problems go on.

Other students in the medical school are played by some relatively new faces, although they have been seen before. Monica Potter plays Carin, a beautiful woman who is determined become a doctor and seems immune to Adams' charm. Philip Seymour Hoffman portrays Adams' arrogant roommate Mitch. Also appearing is newcomer Daniel London who plays Patch's friend, Truman, a lanky, nerd who immediately follows Adams' lead and joins his crusade.

Although it is based on a true story, I find it impossible to believe that all of the events happened as depicted here. Many of the comedic moments are so over-the-top or in such poor taste that I must believe they came from the writers or Williams' own improvisation. In addition, it often seems hopelessly predictable and contrived. With one exception, there are no plot twists to this story.

In the end, Patch Adams is hard to distinguish from Williams' previous work in Dead Poets Society. There are moments of comedic style tempered by an underlying sadness, but it lacks the heart to make audiences cheer for it. Nevertheless, I applaud the efforts of Williams and the others for making this offbeat movie.

MY RATING: 6 out of 10.

RATED: PG-13
RUN TIME: 115 min.