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The Hospital

Play trailer Poster for The Hospital PG-13 Released Dec 14, 1971 1h 44m Comedy Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 13 Reviews 73% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
Herbert Bock (George C. Scott), the chief of medicine in a New York City teaching hospital, is contemplating suicide; he's impotent, his wife has left him, and his children aren't speaking to him. His hospital is also suffering from a recent spate of inexplicable deaths. In the midst of these setbacks, Bock is romantically drawn to the much younger Barbara (Diana Rigg), whose father is a patient. As Barbara restores Bock's will to live, it turns out that the hospital deaths are murders.
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The Hospital

Critics Reviews

View All (13) Critics Reviews
Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times The Hospital is a better movie than you may have been led to believe. It has been criticized for switching tone in midstream, but maybe it's only heading for deeper, swifter waters. Rated: 3/4 Oct 23, 2004 Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Paddy Chayefsky's Oscar-winning script is bilious and brutal in its look at the medical community. Rated: 3/4 Sep 18, 2021 Full Review David Nusair Reel Film Reviews ...rife with compelling sequences and spellbinding performances... Rated: 3/4 Apr 2, 2021 Full Review C.H. Newell Father Son Holy Gore It will have you pondering the effectiveness of the American healthcare system, one that hasn't changed (too) much since '71. Rated: 4.5/5 May 7, 2019 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com This darkly humorous satire of an urban hospital is probably the only decent movie that Arthur Hiller had directed, benefiting from Chayefsky's Oscar winning script. Rated: B+ Jan 29, 2012 Full Review Cole Smithey ColeSmithey.com Rated: 4/5 Apr 6, 2008 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Tyler B One of the most monologue/line heavy movies I've ever seen but WOW. It's a blast. On one hand it's a journey about a man's falling to the point of oblivion and back up again, on the other it's a romance, then there's a commentary on how inept d oul be along with cultural struggles of the time, an there's even slasher elements in it. It shouldn't work as well as it did but what a masterpiece this is. My favorite George Scott performance an I love Rigg as well. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 12/14/23 Full Review Audience Member Chayefsky’s expertly written satire of the U.S. medical “entity” is as darkly prescient as his own ‘Network’. Scott’s performance is perfection, despite his mid-film epiphany being brought on in a morally reprehensible manner. #nitrosMovieChallenge Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/28/22 Full Review Audience Member It leads you down fifty different hospital corridors, all interesting, but the sum is a confusing mess, despite strong performances by George C. Scott, Diana Rigg. "The Hospital" wants to be a diatribe on the inefficiency of the whole health system, but it feels more like a gripe about one crummy hospital. It also wants to be a treatise lambasting the "nuts" of left-wing protests, but the "heroes" of the film are too fucked up to offer any alternatives. Then it wants to be a mystery about one crazed doctor led by a vision to kill other doctors. Finally, it's meant to be a fizzled out lover affair between a man who's given up on life, and the young woman who resurrects him. All of writer Paddy Chayefsky's themes are later duplicated to an embarrassing degree in his brilliant "Network," only the comment on the health care system is swapped out for one on the power of television media. But the latter is taut and concise, where this feels meandering and flabby. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/19/23 Full Review Audience Member watched for the screenwriter. impressed with George C Scott. its such a mix of really serious grim reality and then these doses of ludicrous black comedy. wow. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/28/23 Full Review Audience Member a little dated but good Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Audience Member Caught this on TCM the other night, thoroughly enjoyed it and was surprised I'd never seen it before. Am a fan of dark comedy and this is as dark as it gets. The second half of the second act drags somewhat but otherwise it's nearly flawless. Scott is incredible as a suicidal doctor at Bellevue (unnamed but obvious). Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/28/23 Full Review Read all reviews
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Movie Info

Synopsis Herbert Bock (George C. Scott), the chief of medicine in a New York City teaching hospital, is contemplating suicide; he's impotent, his wife has left him, and his children aren't speaking to him. His hospital is also suffering from a recent spate of inexplicable deaths. In the midst of these setbacks, Bock is romantically drawn to the much younger Barbara (Diana Rigg), whose father is a patient. As Barbara restores Bock's will to live, it turns out that the hospital deaths are murders.
Director
Arthur Hiller
Producer
Howard Gottfried
Screenwriter
Paddy Chayefsky
Distributor
United Artists
Production Co
Simcha Productions
Rating
PG-13
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 14, 1971, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 16, 2008
Runtime
1h 44m
Sound Mix
Mono
Aspect Ratio
35mm
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