Article 99 (1992)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

Howard Deutch

Writer (WGA):

Ron Cutler (written by)

Release Date:

13 March 1992 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Comedy

Tagline:

When the heroes are forgotten. When the stakes are life and death. There's one stand you've got to take. There's one rule you've got to break.

Plot:

A group of doctors in a veteran's hospital must contend with their hopeless situation: too many patients and not enough beds...

Plot Keywords:

Hospital | Patient | Rage | Post War | Psychiatrist

Cast

Ray Liotta	...	Dr. Richard Sturgess
Kiefer Sutherland	...	Dr. Peter Morgan
Forest Whitaker	...	Dr. Sid Handleman
Lea Thompson	...	Dr. Robin Van Dorn
John C. McGinley	...	Dr. Rudy Bobrick
John Mahoney	...	Dr. Henry Dreyfoos
Keith David	...	Luther Jermoe
Kathy Baker	...	Dr. Diana Walton
Eli Wallach	...	Sam Abrams
Noble Willingham	...	Inspector General
Julie Bovasso	...	Amelia Sturdeyvant
Troy Evans	...	Pat Travis
Lynne Thigpen	...	Nurse White
Jeffrey Tambor	...	Dr. Leo Krutz
Leo Burmester	...	Shooter Polaski

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Argentina:16 | UK:15 | Australia:M | Iceland:L | Norway:15 | Singapore:PG | Spain:13 | USA:R | Canada:PG (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Kansas City, Missouri, USA

Company:

Orion Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Apparently Ray Liotta, as one of the "good guys" felt that he should dislike the actor playing a "bad guy", John Mahoney, both on and off the set; when he saw Mahoney in wardrobe or makeup, he would either rush out of the room or immediately end all attempts at conversation. At the end of the shoot, Liotta smilingly approached Mahoney and told him it was a pleasure to work with him, to which Mahoney replied, "I wish I could say the same."

Movie Connections:

References Catch-22 (1970)

Doctors Try to Save the World and it Almost Works

`Article 99' is a movie from director Howard Deutch (`Pretty in Pink', `The Replacements'). This movie aspired to be `The Mash of Veteran's Administration Hospital films', but never quite reached that height. It does, however, come up with a few funny one liners. The title refers to a loophole which legalizes denial of medical treatment to veterans unless their medical condition is directly caused by their military service.

Dr. Richard Sturgess (Ray Liotta) is a rebellious doctor. He is the leader of a group of vigilante doctors who are trying their hardest to conjure up nonessential surgeries just so they can get patients on the operating table. This is a method seldom seen in the medical profession nowadays. A group of doctors break into a medical laboratory and steal necessary tools which are being used for research, instead of used for people who need them and they get caught. Will they surrender at this point? Watch and find out. A new and eager Dr. Peter Morgan (Keifer Sutherland) starts his first day off not so great. Besides almost killing a man, and falling in with Dr. Sturgess and the other rebellious doctors he realizes it is hard work being a doctor in a VA Hospital. He soon adapts to the turfing of patients. Dr. Morgan Grows attached to an older male patient who knows about turfing and helps Dr. Morgan turf him to get testing. Co stars include Lea Thompson as Dr. Robin Van Dorn and Kathy Baker as Dr. Diana Walton.

We watch this movie waiting for surprise, and while this happens, it isn't what we expect, and this kind of disappoints us. Yes, we know the good guy always succeed in making the bad guy lose. This was is all this movie seemed to prove. I liked this movie. I feel though there could have been more of a plot. I think since the characters and actual problems were documented well for the time period. I would rate this movie one thumb up.