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The Carey Treatment

Play trailer Poster for The Carey Treatment PG 1972 1h 41m Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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60% Tomatometer 5 Reviews 30% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
Dr. Peter Carey (James Coburn) moves to Boston, where he becomes a pathologist at a prominent hospital and gets involved with Georgia Hightower (Jennifer O'Neill). Soon the teenage daughter (Elizabeth Allen) of the chief doctor comes into the hospital with severe injuries from a failed illegal abortion. After she dies, Carey's friend, Dr. David Tao, is arrested for performing the surgery. Carey knows that Tao is innocent, and he uses forceful detective tactics to determine who is guilty.

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The Carey Treatment

Critics Reviews

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Nick Pinkerton Film Comment Magazine 02/25/2014
The Carey Treatment ... belongs to its period more than to all time, but its ineffaceable qualities prove that [Blake] Edwards could never be reduced to quack or hack. Go to Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy 05/16/2022
2.5/4
It's given an enormous lift by James Coburn. Go to Full Review David Nusair Reel Film Reviews 03/24/2021
2/4
...at its best in its deliberately-paced yet mostly watchable first half... Go to Full Review Raquel Stecher Out of the Past 03/02/2019
Despite its flaws The Carey Treatment (1972) is a fun movie. It oozes with 1970s cool and has some great dramatic sequences Go to Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews 07/27/2011
C
Shallow character study murder mystery, that seems like a made for TV film. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Steve D @RT35616104 08/02/2023 Ok story surprisingly respectful. See more 04/16/2016 Director Blake Edwards disowned this film after battling the producer. The film tells the tale of Dr. Carey, James Coburn, working to clear the name of a fellow doctor, James Hong, of murder charges stemming from an illegal abortion. The film is based upon a novel written by Michael Crichton under the pseudonym Jeffery Hudson, though the film lacks the fun techno babble and scientific minutia of Crichton's best novels. The film kind of works as a mystery and Coburn is great as always, but the film does have many dull stretches where nothing in particular seems to happen. The only thing that makes this film worth watching is for is the political context of illegal abortions playing an important role in the plot in a pre-Roe v. Wade United States, though this film is not at all a political film and is at it's heart a corny whodunit. See more s r @ScottR 06/06/2015 Not a bad crime drama with a medical twist. I was skeptical given other ratings, but enjoyed it. Coburn delivers. See more 11/15/2012 this a lesser known and different work 4 director blake edwards (pink panther ,10) See more 09/20/2009 Serious but very entertaining thriller. Not for the squeamish, not to be watched with children. See more Read all reviews
The Carey Treatment

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Cast & Crew

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Blake Edwards

Director

James Coburn

Dr. Peter Carey

Jennifer O'Neill

Georgia Hightower

Pat Hingle

Capt. Pearson

Skye Aubrey

Nurse Angela Holder

Elizabeth Allen

Evelyn Randall

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The Carey Treatment

The Carey Treatment (1972) The Carey Treatment (1972) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Dr. Peter Carey (James Coburn) moves to Boston, where he becomes a pathologist at a prominent hospital and gets involved with Georgia Hightower (Jennifer O'Neill). Soon the teenage daughter (Elizabeth Allen) of the chief doctor comes into the hospital with severe injuries from a failed illegal abortion. After she dies, Carey's friend, Dr. David Tao, is arrested for performing the surgery. Carey knows that Tao is innocent, and he uses forceful detective tactics to determine who is guilty.
Director
Blake Edwards
Production Co
Geoffrey Productions
Rating
PG
Genre
Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Mar 29, 1972, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 8, 2017
Runtime
1h 41m