Patch Adams

Patch Adams is based on the real-life story of Hunter "Patch" Adams, a doctor who rejected the detached manner of the medical establishment in favour of treating patients with humour and personal warmth. The film follows him from a stay in a psychiatric hospital through medical school in Virginia, where his colourful clothes and unconventional methods put him at odds with the dean and the school's rigid administration. Convinced that laughter and human contact matter as much as clinical treatment, he brings cheer to seriously ill patients, including children with cancer, and wins the heart of a fellow student, Carin. His efforts to set up his own free clinic put his career at risk.

Tom Shadyac directed the film, his fourth feature after Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Nutty Professor and Liar Liar, working from a screenplay by Steve Oedekerk. Robin Williams plays the title role, with Monica Potter as Carin, Philip Seymour Hoffman as Mitch, Bob Gunton as Dean Walcott and Daniel London as Truman.

Released in December 1998, the film had a budget of about 90 million dollars and took roughly 202 million dollars worldwide. On IMDb it holds a rating of 6.9/10 from around 129,000 votes, while on TMDB it stands at 7.3/10 from about 3,500 votes. A critics' rating of 4.6/10 from 69 reviews places it well below the audience scores.