The Hospital

For a long time now I have been intrigued by a film called The Hospital.  I learned about it through David Thomson's Have You Seen? ... book.  But I never seemed to get around to watching it.

One of my fave things to do these days is spend an hour or so flipping through all the movie choices on OnDemand.  It is fun, even if I do not purchase anything and most of the time I do not.

A couple of nights ago I was scrolling through the Selected Directors page, Arthur Hiller, and there, indeed was The Hospital for 3 bucks.  I bought it.

It is delicious.  Black as tar, grainy, dark, dated, cynical, mean, ludicrous, hardly realistic, terribly theatrical (the best scenes involve long 'party piece' monologues), hilarious, head-scratching, awesome awesome stuff.  Paddy Chayefsky wrote it (his script before Network) and picked up an Oscar for it.  George C. Scott and Diana Rigg star.

George C. Scott is a hotshot doctor at a big Manhattan hospital.  He is separated from his wife, living in a hotel, impotent, and has not seen either of his two his children in years, having kicked out his 24 year-old "Maoist" son.  He is suicidal.

Meanwhile patients are dying in the hospital (natch) due to charts being mixed up, patients' rooms being switched, doctors trying to 'score' in empty rooms, etc, ... Plus the Hospital is enduring a massive protest just outside its' doors.  And doctors are mysteriously dying, as well.

Watching it I could not help but see the massive influence this dark dark satire has had on the great hospital TV shows such as St Elsewhere, ER, and House.  


And check out this cast (The Hospital came out in 1971):  George C. Scott, Diana Rigg, Barnard Hughes, Richard Dysart, Nancy Marchand, Katherine Helmond, and Frances Sternhagen.  Oh, and Chayefsky does the opening voice-over narration.  And Stockard Channing has a bit part.  Oh, and Christopher Guest has a bit part, too.

Cynical, mean, and dark.  Great for the Holidays, hunh? Highly recommended.