Patch Adams
Universal Pictures | Release Date: December 25, 1998
6.6
USER SCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 121 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
73
Mixed:
20
Negative:
28
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User Reviews

User scoreBy dateMost helpful
0
JHawkinsSep 4, 2005
Robin Williams singularly bastardizes the perfectly (worthwhile??) work of Patch Adams (well, maybe not...). At any rate, this film is unendurable, and appeals only to those of prurient taste.
1 of 1 users found this helpful
1
GilbertMulroneycakesFMJan 26, 2006
No. This is a very well made annoying film. I've often said that movies NEED to be manipulative, but they don't need to kick you in the crotch to make you cry. I'm really here to defend Robin Williams, who's a damn good No. This is a very well made annoying film. I've often said that movies NEED to be manipulative, but they don't need to kick you in the crotch to make you cry. I'm really here to defend Robin Williams, who's a damn good actor and turns out a great performance in the irritating central role of a doomed movie. Not enough to save it, because his good performance pushes with the tide instead of against it. You want a good film with Robin Williams in a serious role, rent Good Will Hunting or...there is another one. Awakenings, that's it. Or, at a push, What Dreams May Come, similarly manipulative to this film, but with imagination and life to balance it out.… Expand
1 of 1 users found this helpful
1
ThatoneguyMay 8, 2012
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This movie is absolutely terrible. It has nothing to do with the actual hunter Adams, and it practically refers to him as a criminal at one point. It also says that he worked without a license at one point, which he did not. Plus they made up a child molesting and murder story just for some cheap romantic character, which was actually Adams' friend, who was a man. This movie isn't just terrible, its absolutely disgusting. Everyone who gave this movie a positive review must be getting paid for their scores.… Expand
2 of 3 users found this helpful21
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10
BrianGNov 5, 2005
A very heartwarming movie. Not to mention funny as hell, of course, since Robbin Williams is the main actor. Ignore the ciritics on this one, afterall, it's their job to be critical.
0 of 2 users found this helpful
6
FrederickS.Sep 21, 2005
Underrated but no masterpiece.
0 of 1 users found this helpful
0
OmarS.Sep 4, 2005
Robin Williams is simply horrific in this leaden dud.
0 of 1 users found this helpful
9
LukeWAug 1, 2009
VERY underrated excellent movie.
0 of 1 users found this helpful
10
HarryMay 27, 2007
Nominated for two Golden Globe awards including best Picture (musical or comedy),
0 of 2 users found this helpful
0
FlippySuperOct 14, 2012
All idiots that say this movie is good are **** retards who shall burn in hell with no compassion or they are being paid for it. it makes no sense and it looks IMPOSSIBLE to take it seriously. its an insult to the real life men who i metAll idiots that say this movie is good are **** retards who shall burn in hell with no compassion or they are being paid for it. it makes no sense and it looks IMPOSSIBLE to take it seriously. its an insult to the real life men who i met once,he was normal,not like robin williams dirty piece of ****… Expand
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
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8
FadeBlackFeb 15, 2017
What a fantastically touching and heartfelt movie. One of Robin's best. I think the negative reviews need to get a bit of what Patch Addams was "afflicted with" - some excessive happiness.
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
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2
ardania22Apr 21, 2014
Robin William's funny antics and soft-spoken humanity are the only good things about this overly sappy movie. Between the flat characters, the mustache-twirling villains (the medical establishment, of all things), and the fact that the movieRobin William's funny antics and soft-spoken humanity are the only good things about this overly sappy movie. Between the flat characters, the mustache-twirling villains (the medical establishment, of all things), and the fact that the movie in no way accurately portrays the real life and character of Patch Adams, it's a wreck.… Expand
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
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8
Tss5078Aug 24, 2014
In arguably one of his best roles, the late Robin Williams portrays Patch Adams, a man who decided to make his life about helping others. Adams believes that patients need to be treated not just for their physical ailments, but also for theirIn arguably one of his best roles, the late Robin Williams portrays Patch Adams, a man who decided to make his life about helping others. Adams believes that patients need to be treated not just for their physical ailments, but also for their emotional well being. He also believes that like freedom of speech, healthcare is an inalienable human right that should be provided to everyone. This is a film that was written specifically for and with the help of Robin Williams. While Adams himself admitted that much of it was inaccurate, the film fulfills it's message, by using an extreme mix of emotion and humor. While watching this film you'll go between tears of laughter and tears of sadness, in a film that will really hit home with a lot of people. This is what Robin Williams was known for, he told his stories and got his messages out, while at the same time entertaining and inspiring people to be the best that they could be. If any other actor had played Patch, it probably would have been a slow moving drama, that just made everyone sad, but Williams made the story one that made you think and it sticks with you. As it recent weeks it has come to light that Williams himself was sick, and this may be the reason he took his own life, I can't help but wonder if on that night, had he watched this film, would the outcome have been different?… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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3
PacifistcriticJan 25, 2014
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. When I watched this movie Health class, I was interested to see what it was about. I was met with a gloomy, depressing scenario of Patch arriving to a mental asylum. I was happy so far when Patch met with someone to "look beyond" just 4 fingers and that Patch helped his roommate reach the bathroom with his childlike imagination. But then, everything got running downhill when Patch forced that mental hospital doctor to let him out and told him that he sucked at his job. Patch then proceeds to claim that he is helping people, even if he is acting very arrogant. Then, when I looked on the Internet, Patch Adams was actually a real person in real life. This movie, as it turns out, was not a correct description of the real Patch Adams. Unfortunately, in the movie Patch Adams was usually portrayed as a funnyman who tries to make patients laugh rather than truly cure them of their illnesses. The other characters, such as Carin, Patch's college roommate and the Dean, feel like they are just created to make Patch the most likable with their actions against Patch(ex.ignoring Patch's assistance, tattling on Patch, and threatening to expel Patch). That includes the people who love Patch, they are usually portrayed as the "nice" people just because of their affiliation with Patch. The way how the butterfly, ALONG with the sappy music playing during that scene made it's way to Patch suddenly was also rather shallow and cheesy. It feels like the butterfly was there to make the movie so charming too. I also did not like the way the mentally ill guy was portrayed in that movie, he was treated as "psychopathic" because of the way he gave "weird looks" to Carin, before killing her and himself. The scene when Carin gets killed felt forced and contrived in order to provoke drama so that Patch could commit suicide again. I even HATED that ending when Patch exposes his nude buttocks to the audience at his graduation ceremony, and... the movie suddenly ends with a note I can't remember.

Positives:Great acting, lessons about treating patients the right way, some jokes are rather funny

Negatives:Shallow music, flat characters, does not follow Patch's true nature, some jokes are too crude to be laughable, and silly situations… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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7
FilipeNetoFeb 13, 2022
The way people react to difficulties tells us a lot about them. There are those who get hysterical, there are those who care more about others than themselves, there are those who do the exact opposite and there are those who take everythingThe way people react to difficulties tells us a lot about them. There are those who get hysterical, there are those who care more about others than themselves, there are those who do the exact opposite and there are those who take everything calmly and try to act rationally. Illness and death are situations that no one likes to think about... but they are inevitabilities of life, and the way we face them tells us a lot about who we are. Patch Addams is a real-life doctor who advocates the use of joy and humor as part of medical therapy, and I agree with him. Here in Portugal, we even have a popular saying about it: laughs is always the best medicine.

In this film, we see Patch Addams' life course since he was admitted to a psychiatric clinic. The film is eloquent in the way it reveals the resistance of his university, which defended more impersonal methodologies, putting more distance between the doctor and his patient, and in the way it shows the modest beginning of the Gesundheit Institute, founded by Patch according to his view of medicine and medical practice. I don't know if the film was rigorous (I don't think so, since even Patch Addams himself repudiated the way he was portrayed by the film), but the truth is that the script works quite well, balancing between the funny and the sugary, and brings us a topic that makes us think.

I'm glad Robin Williams was chosen as the main character. He was the ideal person to give it a touch of irreverence that manages to kick the comedy to a level of true madness. It's not the actor's best work, but it's in the top ten. In total contrast, we have the characters of Phillip Seymour Hoffmann and Bob Gunton: the first is the model medicine student, studious, serious and committed, but also envious of his irreverent colleague; the second is the dean of the medical faculty, determined to forbid Patch's graduation despite the excellent grades he obtains in the several disciplines. They are cliché characters, quite stereotyped, but they work thanks to the performance of both actors, who give us a job of merit. Monica Potter is less interesting. She's pretty, but the chemistry with Williams is nil and their romance never feels as intense and solid as it should. The rest of the cast does what need to be done, without great notes to highlight.

The film is not a visual or effects show... that is not even desirable here. With such a solid story and good humorous premises, it is the script and actors that should be given the spotlight, and that is precisely what happens. Thus, we have a discreet cinematography that offers us an elegant look, but it does not stand out, with warm tones and good light and sharpness. The costumes and sets are within what we could expect, no surprises, and the filming locations were well-chosen. I especially liked some landscapes, like the mountains where Patch decides to found his hospital. The soundtrack harmonizes with this discreet tonic thanks to an orchestral and smooth sound.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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4
beeanadouJul 9, 2018
I admire the humanitarian spirit this movie expressed and also understand it is necessary to make adaptions in order to make it more drastic,but there is a lot of over-acting, and I'm afraid it presents inaccurate images about medicalI admire the humanitarian spirit this movie expressed and also understand it is necessary to make adaptions in order to make it more drastic,but there is a lot of over-acting, and I'm afraid it presents inaccurate images about medical schools and the affiliated hospitals.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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10
collinprocMar 2, 2019
Hilarious, feel good, and sad. It has an amazing meaning. You can't go wrong with this one
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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7
Experiment626Dec 26, 2020
Another great performance by Robin Williams. Amazing the range that Robin Williams was able to cover during his career.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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2
Apostle455Aug 28, 2019
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This movie made me wince a good amount. Everything about this movie was just...off. Patch was always either incredibly annoying or overly smug with very little in between. All the supporting characters are one-sided and have arcs that make very little sense. Taking Patch's real life friend and making him a woman in order to throw in a contrived love subplot was incredibly disrespectful, especially considering that said friend was murdered. The scene where Patch makes fun of the disabled man near the beginning was incredibly unfunny, and watching it made me want to die. The main conflict of the movie (Patch nearly getting kicked out of school) makes zero sense. He should have been kicked out of school with how he was acting, and the fact that he stays at the university just feels forced. It's sad that Robin Williams had to be attached to this garbage.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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2
Fixer84Mar 31, 2023
It wasn't one of Robin Williams' best acting performances, in fact, on the whole, it is actually one of the worst. The rather poor graphic quality cannot be justified by the fact that we were in 1998, especially if only a year before aIt wasn't one of Robin Williams' best acting performances, in fact, on the whole, it is actually one of the worst. The rather poor graphic quality cannot be justified by the fact that we were in 1998, especially if only a year before a colossal of the caliber of Titanic had been produced. Painful film to watch, not because its contents are painful, indeed, but precisely because it hurts your eyes.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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