Purported factual tale of a late-blooming doctor who champions bedside manner above all else: clown nose, angel costume, novelty-shop glasses, funny voices, whatever will raise a smile from the afflicted. His ultimate dream: the Gesundheit Institute, dedicated to healing through humor. What stands in his way is the sourpuss dean of Virginia Medical University, who faults him for "excessive happiness," among other things. In truth, the hero (Robin Williams, twinkle in eye, lump in throat) is no less sanctimonious than his adversary (he will not even balk at lecturing God Himself from the edge of a cliff: "You rested on the seventh day. Maybe you should have spent that day on compassion"), besides being more schmaltzy. The filmmakers -- director Tom Shadyac and writer Steve Oedekerk, past collaborators on The Nutty Professor -- are completely on one side of the fight, cheering their man on, all the way to a climactic standing ovation at a hearing of the Medical Review Board, followed by a sitting ovation when he moons the audience at the graduation ceremony (such a kidder!). With Monica Potter, Bob Gunton, Philip Seymour Hoffman. (1998) — Duncan Shepherd
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