Doc Hollywood

source: Doc Hollywood

This movie was so painfully atrocious I went out of my way to make an IMBD account, just so I could reduce the overall rating of this abomination of a film. If a genie were to give me 3 wishes they would be: Erase this film from my memory &Give me those precious moments of my life back. If one and two cannot be granted, I wish to die an immediate death.

Star-vehicle for Michael J. Fox is a curiously flat comedy straight off the assembly-line. While on his way to California to practice plastic surgery on the Hollywood stars, a doctor gets stuck in a backwater town and quickly becomes smitten with the uneducated yokels residing there--hicks deemed lovable by virtue of their unspoiled lives. Another ridiculous attempt to sentimentalize the rural, homespun way of life by pitting it against the dirty and corrupt Big City. Three screenwriters, Jeffrey Price, Peter S. Seaman and Daniel Pyne (working from Laurian Leggett's adaptation of Neil B. Shulman's book "What?...Dead Again?"), deliver us a valentine to Hicktown, USA. Fox, looking bloated and sleepy, struggles valiantly through it; supporting players Woody Harrelson and Frances Sternhagen manage to give the stereotypical humor a little juice.

I love Michael J Fox but this film is terrible! Almost all Michael J Fox films have a special feel good magic feeling about them, just for the fact hes in the film, back to the future, life with Mikey, casualties of war, the secret of my success. But doc Hollywood just didn't have it. I didn't like the plot. I cant see Michael J Fox as a doctor. By the end of the film seeing Michael J fox do his usual flirting I felt depressed. The scenery of the Florida swamp is depressingly isolating. I tried giving this film another chance by watching it again, but I hated it even more. The only reason why I rated it 2 is because of MJF.

Minor SPOILERS ahead! I've never been able to watch "Doc Hollywood" the entire way through. There is something about it that I find very hard to focus on. No, I don't have a low attention span. The story just doesn't interest me. It's very rare for me, especially, to ever just "not" watch a movie - I'm the guy who has an unwritten law that restricts me from exiting a theater during a really horrible movie. When there's something on TV, and I start watching it, I sit through it all. "Doc Hollywood" had me eager to get up and do something else the entire way through. I was constantly trying to find justifiable opportunities to leave the room. The set-up is refreshing. I love the opening sequence with Chesney Hawks' "The One and Only." After that it goes downhill. The ever-likable Michael J. Fox plays a great surgeon who decides to move to Hollywood and became a plastic surgeon. Mid-way he wrecks his convertible and finds himself in some hillbilly town in the middle of nowhere, with an assortment of odd - but likable - characters. We get the stereotypical love interest...the clichéd subplots...the routine everything. The entire film is so predictable that major plot turns could literally be written on a small piece of paper: Guy gets new job, finds himself is weird town with different people, falls in love with the hard-to-get country girl, messes up and breaks up, then gets back together with her, stays in the town, lives happily ever after. I used to live in the sort of town portrayed in "Doc Hollywood." It's not very realistic, but that's OK, it's just a movie. Plus, Michael J. Fox is arguably one of the most likable actors of all time - always able to give his cute kid smile to warm up the audience. He's always an innocent, using this sort of continual character in projects such as "Casualties of War" (where he was the good guy against a bunch of bad guys in Vietnam) and, of course, "Back to the Future." The movie has a pretty great cast, including co-stars such as Bridget Fonda and Woody Harrelson, but it never amounts to much of anything at all. It's as if a bunch of loose puzzle pieces were placed together to form a rather haphazard and routine story. The movie relies on oozing charm to entice its viewers. Normally, a film such as "Doc Hollywood" works its magic on me, but there's something about this particular film that has never, ever appealed to me, and unfortunately I just don't think it ever will.

The title immediately put me off. The star, Michael J Fox immediately put me off. But once I got past those 2 major obstacles and settled in, I found a little gem of a movie. Fox's young doctor, all full of spit and vinegar, sets off across country to medical nirvana: a highly sought position in a prestigious Beverly Hills plastic surgery practice. On the way, Doc Hollywood is waylaid in definitive small town USA, Grady Ga. on the cusp of the annual squash festival. Am I boring you? Likely, but this film is never boring, a character driven comedy with superlative performances in each and every nook and cranny-particularly David Ogden Stiers (no Maj Winchester here) and Barnard Hughes. Woody Harrelson and Bridget Fonda have smallish parts. Even George Hamilton is bearable in a cameo. Liked it so much, I headed out to find director Michael Caton-Jones previous effort, Memphis Belle.

"Doc Hollywood" is an excellent film and very well done. The comedy is very good throughout the film and the characters are all very interesting. I personally, love small towns like the one depicted in the film. The cast in this film is very good as well. Michael J. Fox is excellent as always and rakes in a good amount of laughs in the film. Julie Warner is an excellent love interest for the film and looks fantastic in the film. Bridget Fonda looks better than ever and does a great job acting. Woody Harrelson does a fine job with his role, and plays a particularly interesting character. David Ogden Stiers plays a very likeable town mayor and does an incredible job with his role. The rest of the supporting cast is very good as well. Director, Michael Caton-Jones, adds another fine film to his list of films. I also feel I should mention the music in the film. I thought all the music was very likeable and very good choices. I especially like the title sequence and the song (I have no idea who the song is written/performed by). This is just a feel-good, fun movie. I would definitely recommend this film to anyone that likes stories about the small town lifestyle and romantic comedies. I hope that you enjoy the film as much as I did. Thanks for reading, -Chris

No surprises. No twisted plots. No complex love triangles. This movie is pure and simple entertainment. Okay, it's hokey and it's trite, and the acting at times is marginally acceptable. But it goes with the terrain, for this is America, this is life, this is real people. It's a nice movie. See it. Don't expect much, but do expect to enjoy it.

Entertaining little film that has Michael J. Fox on his way to Hollywood to take a job as a plastic surgeon. However, a freak accident causes his car to be wrecked in a small country town that he just cannot seem to get out of. Naturally his very expensive car needs special parts that are not available. Thus the townspeople try to get Fox to stay as the community doctor to take the place of the elderly acid-mouthed Barnard Hughes. While in town Fox locks horns with Woody Harrelson, becomes friends with the priceless Bridget Fonda (who has her eyes on Fox) and falls in love with ambulance driver Julie Warner. George Hamilton is also a real scene-stealer as the all-world plastic surgeon that Fox should be working with. A really good over-achiever that represents all the things that make Fox a likeable screen presence. Far from excellent, but a charming little production nonetheless. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Dr. Benjamin Stone (Michael J. Fox) has just finished his residency in the DC area and, now, is off to the big bucks in Beverly Hills! You see, the young croaker has an appointment with a famous plastic surgeon (George Hamilton) to become a member of his staff. There is little doubt in Stone's mind that he will be chosen because "he's not just anybody". But, as he begins the long journey with his Porsche, some construction and other rural hazards makes him lose his way. When he almost hits come cows crossing a road, he steers his auto into the fence of the local judge, totally destroying it. In return, the judge sites Ben for reckless driving and sentences him to 32 hours of service at the local hospital. Our Ben is livid! After securing another interview in California at a later date, Stone reluctantly begins his obligation in a town he describes as hee-haw hell. But, amazingly, it might not be as bad as the city doc thinks. First, the mayor (David Ogden Stiers) welcomes him with open arms and the town folk make a big fuss over Stone, too, hoping he might stay, since their resident physician, Doc Hoag (Barnard Hughes) is old. Then, a hotshot mechanic, Mel (Mel Winkler) fixes his precious car. Most importantly, a local gal who drives the hospital ambulance, Lou (Julie Warner) is a lovely divorcée with looks and smarts. Almost before they can believe it, these two are in an undeclared love. Will Ben be making the trip to California after all? This is a lovely and funny romance from over 20 years ago that is still fresh and appealing. Fox, naturally, is a charming comedian and the other cast members listed above as well as Woody Harrelson and Bridget Fonda are most delightful. The small city and its surroundings are rustic beauties while costumes, photography, script and direction are most worthy. Make an appointment with this Doc, y'all, you will be glad you did.