Medicine Man (1992)

User Rating:

5.6/10   

Director:

John McTiernan

Writers (WGA):

Tom Schulman (story)
Tom Schulman (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

7 February 1992 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Romance

Tagline:

On the trail of an amazing discovery he finds an explosive adventure!

Plot:

An eccentric scientist working for a large drug company is working on a research project in the Amazon jungle...

Plot Keywords:

Cancer | Jungle | Skinny Dipping | See Through Brassiere | Tribe

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Sean Connery	...	Dr. Robert Campbell
Lorraine Bracco	...	Dr. Rae Crane
José Wilker	...	Dr. Miguel Ornega
Rodolfo De Alexandre	...	Tanaki
Francisco Tsiren Tsere Rereme	...	Jahausa
Elias Monteiro Da Silva	...	Palala
Edinei Maria Serrio Dos Santos	...	Kalana
Bec-Kana-Re Dos Santos Kaiapo	...	Imana
Angelo Barra Moreira	...	Medicine Man
José Lavat	...	Government Man

Also Known As:

The Last Days of Eden

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | South Korea:12 | Australia:PG | Finland:S | Germany:12 | Spain:T | Sweden:11 | UK:PG (cut) | USA:PG-13 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Catemaco, Veracruz, Mexico

Company:

Cinergi Pictures Entertainment

Trivia:

Sean Connery's hairstyle in this movie was based upon composer Jerry Goldsmith's well-known ponytail. Meeting the composer at a cocktail party, Connery started the conversation by saying, "I want your hair." Goldsmith replied, "You can't have it, It's mine." Connery. and even the film's producers themselves, felt Goldsmith's "pulled back ponytail" fit the character of Robert Campbell very well.

Goofs:

Continuity: Dr. Bronx' harness appears on her before she dons it.

Quotes:

Dr. Rae Crane: You must have thought you were really on to something.
Dr. Robert Campbell: I don't think, I know.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Cure (1995)

Soundtrack:

That Old Black Magic

McTiernan excellently weaves science, ethics and humor in this story about the search for a cancer cure in the jungle

A fine movie, not to be judged on the basis of Hollywood's usual recipe for storymaking. The eccentric scientist Robert Campbell (Connery) who has found a cure for cancer out in the jungle but is not able to reproduce its exact composition. Biologist Rae Crane (Bracco) biologist has dropped in from academia to be his judge and jury and decide on Campbell's continued funding.

The film pays a fair amount of attention to scientific detail (such as "running baselines" and using "experimental controls") interpersing it throughout the lively and shrewd exchanges between Campbell and Crane. Add to that the mildly sarcastic observations on field work and fund-raising committees. Whilst this scientific sub-story line runs along, we are shown glimpses of life in a sympathetic tribe for which Campbell has become a sort of sugar daddy. Ethics and personal choice confront both scientists as they struggle with the decision to reserve the last bit of serum either for the good of humanity or the life of one of the tribe's children.

McTiernan has weaved all these elements excellently and Connery and Bracco play their roles so convincingly that you could be excused for thinking they may have scientific backgrounds in real life.

The film is a feast for educated people - which is probably the reason why many of the critics have missed the fine points and proceeded to rattle off some vitriolic commentary more aimed, in my view, at self-aggrandizement than enlightened film criticism. One even complained that Medicine Man didn't quite match up to Die Hard. Now there is a proper comparison for you.