Robin Williams is on target as unconventional medical student (and former psychiatric patient), who refuses to follow rules which he believes stifle his efforts to help the sick. Monica Potter is also very attractive as William's hesitant love interest. But the film is too much formula - the conformists are bad without any real explanation of their motivation, and the film squanders a solid resolution with too many last-chance confrontations and false endings. Even if the film faithfully depicted what actually happened to the real-life Patch (and that would be a first for Hollywood), it would have been more effective focusing on the initial premise - a unique, truly caring practice of medicine - and downplaying the flak Patch took for following his convictions. Watch the first half, your decision on the second half.
Review of Patch Adams
