EFL Movie Study Guide for:
Patch Adams
Story: In a mental hospital, Patch learns (from fellow patients) that
"if you focus on the problem, you can't see the solution," and this inspires
him to apply his brilliant mind to the field of medicine. In medical school
(1970s), fun-loving Patch tries to inject comedy and compassion into the
medical profession, believing that patients need both medicine and
friendship from their doctors. But can he face the problems and pain that
come with actually caring for needy people? Based on a true story. (1998;
Universal Pictures; Robin Williams; comedy, drama, US history; 115 minutes)
Setting: Starts in 1969, Fairfax Hospital Psychiatric Ward (mental
hospital); moves two years ahead (I970s), Virginia Medical University, and
nearby hospital and clinic
Characters:
Arthur Mendelson: a famous, wealthy patient in the mental
hospital (see dialog 1)
Carin Fisher: one of the eight women in Patch's 163-member
medical class
Dean Walcott (also spelled Wolcott in some subtitles):
at the medical school, this is Patch's dean; also chief doctor at the
university hospital (he doesn't like Patch, so he is the main
protagonist/enemy in this film)
Hunter "Patch" Adams: the central figure in this story
("Patch" is his nickname)
Larry (formal name is Lawrence Silver—this is important to
the story): a depressed, self-mutilating patient (i.e., sb with mental
problems who hurts himself)
Mitch Roman (in his first appearance, the subtitle says "Vroman"):
Patch's roommate in medical school
Nurse Joletta: a black nurse (probably the head nurse) at the
university hospital
Dr. Prack: head of the psychiatric hospital
Rudy: Patch's roommate in the mental hospital. He is afraid
of invisible squirrels ("one of the most amiable creatures on the planet")
Dr. Titan: an elderly doctor at the university hospital who
likes Patch, and later helps him.
Truman Schiff: Patch's best friend at medical school
Note 1: After their first exam, you briefly see their
grades: Carin "Fisher, C" earned a 79%, Mitch "Roman, M" got 94%, and Patch
"Adams, H" got 98% (second highest grade in the class).
Note 2: Comedians often rely on offensive sex jokes to
get a quick laugh (creating clean humor takes more effort). For example,
when Patch realizes that Dr. Prack is not listening to him, he says weird
things about body parts to get a reaction (unsuccessfully). Patch also
creates an "ass" joke when telling Dr. Prack he didn't care about his
professional opinion—Patch had decided to check out of the mental hospital.
Thus, this movie features crudeness, comedy and tragedy, but so does real
life.
Note 3: In the US, hospital patients often wear gowns
that have no "back" (for the convenience of examination and treatment). The
last joke of the movie relates to Patch's decision to "conform" and wear
this kind of gown.
Language note: Some characters (e.g., a black nurse in the mental hospital)
use non-standard English, so the subtitles might not help you understand
what they mean. Example: "You gon' love it here," which means "You are going
to love it here."
With medical students, I split this film into two parts,
ending the first part after Patch appears dressed like an angel.
*A few terms (vocabulary):
Part 1:
*to adjourn: (formal) to end a meeting, class, etc.
*amputation: a medical operation to cut off someone's arm,
leg, etc.
antics: strange, often humorous, behavior
catatonic: [medical] not able to move or talk because of an
illness
to conform: to act like others, esp. because "everyone" in
your group or society acts this way
have a crush on sb: to feel like you are in love (especially
as teenagers) and not sure that you want the other person to know (Patch
says to Carin: "I have a crush on you. Ha! I can't believe I just blurted
that out.")
*to be dismissed: to be given permission to leave a meeting,
or to be forced to leave a university, club, job, etc.
fantasy: in this film, "what's your fantasy" means "what is
something you wish you could do before you die from this disease" (One
patient dreams of "one last safari" and another dreams of swimming in a pool
of noodles!)
to flunk out: to fail, and therefore be dismissed from a
school
*genius: a person with exceptional talent or abilities (or
things such a person creates)
*the Golden Rule: "Do unto others as you would have them do
unto you" or "treat other people the way you want others to treat you"; this
is a quote from Jesus in the Bible, and for the first 200+ years of American
history, every school child memorized this "Golden Rule"
gynecologist (BrE: gynaecologist): a doctor specializing in
women's medical conditions and who delivers babies (a big joke about this
almost gets Patch dismissed from med school)
*infirmity: illness
meat packers: people who process meat to sell in grocery
stores (Patch attends a "meat packers convention"; that meeting is full of
puns, such as "Nice to meat you.")
narcolepsy: an illness where the patient can
suddenly fall asleep
*nickname: a short name or alternate name for someone (e.g.,
Patch for Hunter) (绰号; 雅号?)
*to patch: to fix (especially sth with a hole or tear)
a prick: a very offensive term for a stupid, unpleasant male
who "isn't fun to be around"
*pun (to make a pun): [c] words that sound alike, in such a
way that the result has two meanings and is often amusing; example: “Seven
days without food makes one weak/week.” (“one” could mean “someone” or the
number; orally, “weak” could mean “lacking strength” or “seven days”)
*to repel: opposite of attract; to forcefully push sb/sth
away
self-committed mental patient: a person who decides that he
needs emotional help, and checks into a mental hospital; self-committed
patients can also check out whenever they wish, but those committed (put
into the hospital) by a doctor, judge, etc., cannot just leave whenever they
want to.
*to steer clear: to avoid sb/sth unpleasant ("You can stay at
my university, but you WILL steer clear of Dean Walcott.")
transference: [technical] to unconsciously develop personal
emotions for patients, which might prevent/hinder you from making difficult
decisions regarding their treatment (In order to avoid transference,
doctors say "that cancer patient" instead of using the patient's name.)
Part 2:
adamant [adj]: with strong opinions
*backbone: the rows of bones down the middle of your back;
something important that gives an organization strength and structure ("This
is the backbone of our institution.")
bedpan: a pan used as a toilet by bed-ridden (confined to
bed) patients
to disband: to stop existing as a club, school, organization,
etc.
motif: theme, esp of decorations ("We should decorate with a
western motif.")
mockery, to make a mockery of…: to cause sth important to be
regarded as a joke or as useless ("You've made a mockery of our
distinguished guests.")
*murdered: intentionally killed ("She was murdered. There was a shotgun involved.
Then the murderer turned the gun on himself.")
pediatrics (BrE paediatrics): the field of medicine dealing
with children
proctology: [medical]
branch of medicine concerned with colon and anus (butt) disorders
*protocol: the official set of rules and practices ("Don't
get me fired. Just observe rounds and stay within hospital protocol.")
*stature: literally "height" but figuratively one's level of
respect ("Treat them according to their stature as doctors.")
thorn: a sharp barb (point) on some plants, like rose stems;
someone who annoys you like such a barb
Sentences or conversations from the movie:
Part 1:
1. Mental hospital nurse describes Patch: "Hunter Adams.
Self-committed. Suicidal. Slate him [for appointments] with Dr. Prack."
Mental hospital nurse describes Arthur Mendelson: "Brand
Beaton Industries. [That] guy was one of the most innovative minds of our
time. Look at him now. Self-committed. Genius syndrome. Constantly digging
into the creative potential of the human mind. I guess he dug too deep."
2. Arthur: How many fingers do you see?
Patch: There are four fingers, Arthur.
Arthur: [You are just] another idiot. No! Look at me. You're
focusing on the problem. If you focus on the problem, you can't see the
solution. Never focus on the problem! Look beyond the fingers. How many do
you see?
Patch: Eight.
Arthur: Yes! See what no one else sees. See what everyone
chooses not to see... out of fear, conformity or laziness. See the whole
world anew each day. Ah, the truth is, you're well on the way. If you didn't
see something here [in me] besides a crazy, bitter old man, you wouldn't
have come in the first place.
Patch: What do you see when you look at me?
Arthur: You fixed my cup. I'll see you around… Patch.
3. Dean Walcott's opening speech to medical students: It is
human nature to lie, take shortcuts, to lose your nerve, get tired, make
mistakes. No rational patient would put his trust in a human being, and
we're not gonna (going to) let him! It is our mission here to rigorously and
ruthlessly train the humanity out of you and make you into something better.
We're gonna make doctors out of you.
4. Carin: Please spread the word: I'm not here to date. I'm
not here to flirt. I'm here to study.
Truman: I thought only I could repel women with that kind of
raw efficiency.
Patch: Well, you just met your match. Patch Adams. (he
extends his hand)
T: Truman Schiff. (he shakes Patch's hand)
P: Nice to meet you, Truman.
T: So, why do you want to be a doctor?
P: I want to help. I want to connect with people. A doctor
interacts with people at their most vulnerable [time]. He offers treatment,
but he also offers counsel and hope. We want to become doctors because we
want to help people. We have to learn to treat the patient as well as the
disease.
T: I've always been fascinated by the development of the
human mind. We start out so open and spontaneous. We're real individuals.
Then somewhere along the way we're drawn to conform. It's as if we're conditioned by programmed responses.
P: Well, that's true, but sometimes you can alter the
programmed response, just by changing some of the conditions or altering the
parameters.
5. Dean Walcott: Hunter, Dr. Prack [a former colleague] tells
me that you have a brilliant mind, and, like many brilliant people, you
don't necessarily think the rules apply to you. (explanation: intelligent
people think they can do whatever they like, without obeying the social
rules that "lower" people must follow)
Patch: Not all the rules, sir, but the Golden Rule, I think
that applies to everyone. Don't you sir?
6. Patch (when caught clowning around): The American Journal
of Medicine has found that laughter increases secretion of catecholamines
and endorphins, which in turn increases oxygenation of the blood, relaxes
the arteries, speeds up the heart, & decreases blood pressure, which has a
positive effect on all cardiovascular and respiratory ailments, as well as
increasing the immune system response.
Patient (to Dean Walcott, referring to Patch's comment):
That's a smart clown.
7. Patch: You told Dean Walcott I cheated. Why?
Mitch: Look, cut the crap, Hunter. I live with you. I know
how much you study, or don't study. And you do better than me? Give me a
break.
P: You arrogant, pompous prick! Who appointed you custodian
of the medical profession?
M: I'm from a family of doctors. I know what it takes to look
in the eyes of dying people day after day, and [still be able to] come home
for dinner at night. You don't have what it takes. (explanation: you don't
have the emotional ability to become a doctor)
P: Why don't you like me? You're a prick and I like you.
M: Because you make my effort a joke! This isn't playtime;
this is serious business! The more I learn, the more likely I will have the
right answer at the crucial moment, and save a life. Maybe I am a prick, but
when death comes knocking at the door, people want a prick on their side,
not some kindergarten teacher.
Part 2:
8. Dean Anderson (university president?): Dean Walcott wants
you dismissed, but I've decided that you can still be in my school. I have a
source who informs me that your antics have improved the quality of life for
the patients. But you WILL steer clear of Dean Walcott. Just don't screw up,
huh?"
9. (this is rather condensed, not word-for-word)
Patch: What's going on here?
Nurse: Oh, drunk driver. She lost her husband and son. Her
daughter's in Trauma One, but it doesn't look good (i.e., she will probably
die). If she fills out the forms, she can see her daughter. It's hospital
procedure. (walks away)
P: It isn't right that a woman has to spend the last moments
of her dying child's life filling out forms.
Woman: Last year, I had to have my appendix out. I forgot my
insurance card, so they sent me home. My appendix could have burst.
Man: My antibiotics cost 100 bucks (dollars) a month. I paid
$250 for a sprained ankle.
Woman: You know what they need to do: the government needs to
pay for health insurance.
Truman: It's complicated. Health insurance companies are why
prices got so high in the first place.
Woman: So what do we do? What's the answer?
Patch: A free hospital! It will be the first fun hospital in
the world. We'll use humor to heal pain and suffering. Doctors and patients
will work side-by-side as peers. There will be no titles (like "doctor").
They'll be a community where joy is a way of life, where learning is the
highest aim, where love is the ultimate goal. We'll call it the Gesundheit
("Good Health") Institute. Arthur Mendelson is letting us borrow the land
till we can purchase it. Carin, I need you to help me with this.
Carin: Look, I'm not like you, Patch. I want the white coat.
I want people to call me doctor more than anything.
P: There is more to life than what Dean Walcott puts out
there; that's about power and control.
C: You know, you sit here and you talk about life without
limits and breaking the rules. But people get hurt that way. I have to go.
P: (as Carin walks away) I'm really starting to love the back
of your head.
10. Dr. Titan: Patch, you remind me of myself when I first
started out—on fire, wanting to save the world. But you lose a little of
that after a while. The system is what it is. It's not perfect, but it's all
we have.
Patch: Why can't it be changed?
T: You figure out how, and I'll be there for you.
11. Carin: It's amazing what you've done with this place.
These people we are helping would have had no where to go. You're a good
man.
Patch: What are we? (friends? lovers?) Are we just good
friends who occasionally kiss? Is it me? (i.e., have I done something
wrong?)
C: No…. Men have been attracted to me my entire life. (i.e.,
I was sexually abused as a child) When I was a little girl I would look out
my bedroom window at the caterpillars. I envied them so much. No matter what
they were before, no matter what happened to them, they could just hide away
and turn into these beautiful creatures that could fly away completely
untouched. I hated men so much… then I met you. The way that you help
people… the changes I see in everybody that's around you… I've loved you for
so long.
P (I think this is from Walt Whitman): I love you without
knowing how, or when, or from where. I love you straightforwardly without
complexities or pride. I love you because I know no other way than this. So
close that your hand, on my chest, is my hand. So close, that when you close
your eyes, I fall asleep.
12. Patch: So what now, huh? What do You [God] want from me?
[he looks over a cliff, and thinks about jumping to his death] Yeah, I could
do it. We both know you wouldn't stop me. So answer me please. Tell me what
you're doing. Okay, let's look at the logic. You create man. Man suffers
enormous amounts of pain. Man dies. Maybe You should have had a few more
brainstorming sessions prior to creation. You rested on the seventh day.
Maybe You should've spent that day on compassion. (As he turns away from the
cliff, he sees a butterfly on his medical bag, which reminds him of
something Carin said.)
13. Patch (puts a letter on Walcott's desk): Why?
Dean Walcott: Everything will be delineated (explained) in
your letter of dismissal. You don't fit in. There are standards and codes.
You make the patients and everyone else around you uncomfortable.
P: I make you uncomfortable. I wanna (want to) see my
records.
W: They're confidential. Only the staff is permitted to see
them.
(Patch steals his records, then finds Mitch)
Mitch: I like this. You need my help?
P: I prefer to think that I'm using you.
M: You have one shot (only one thing you can do). You'd have
to appeal to the state medical board. You claim that a prejudice and
injustice has occurred. They'll be worried about a law suit. They'll have to
investigate. They'll review your grades—which is good—but mostly your
behavior. Do you have any idea what Walcott has on you?
P: They can't prevent me from graduating because of a
personality clash, can they?
M: Hunter, this is a medical institution you're dealing with.
They draw their own law. You'll just have to get their focus on your high
marks and off of this (your strange behavior).
P: I'm screwed, aren't I? [screwed is an offensive term,
meaning "cheated out of sth"]
M: You're almost a doctor. They're a panel of doctors. Just
think of them as your peers. And return these stolen papers… and get a suit.
14. (at Patch's hearing before the medical board)
Doctor: Hunter Adams. You've been accused of running a
medical clinic without a license.
Patch: Is a home a clinic, sir?
Walcott: If you are admitting patients and treating them,
physical location is irrelevant.
Doctor: Have you treated patients at your ranch?
P: Yes, everyone who comes to the ranch is in need of some
form of physical or mental help, so they are patients. But each person also
takes care of someone else—cooking, cleaning, listening—so that makes them
doctors, too. At what point in history did a doctor become more than a
trusted and learned friend who visited and treated the ill?
Doctor: Did you consider the ramifications (consequences) of
your actions? What if one of your patients had died?
P: What's wrong with death sir? What are we so mortally
afraid of? Why can't we treat death with a certain amount of humanity and
dignity, and decency, and maybe even humor. Death is not the enemy
gentlemen. If we're gonna fight a disease, let's fight one of the most
terrible diseases of all: indifference. A doctor's mission should be not
just to prevent death, but also to improve the quality of life. You treat a
disease, [sometimes] you win, [sometimes] you lose. You treat a person, I
guarantee you, you win, no matter what the outcome. Now here today, this
room is full of medical students. Don't let them anesthetize you (numb you
out) to the miracle of life. Always live in awe of the glorious mechanism of
the human body. Let that be the focus of your studies and not a quest for
grades. And start your interviewing skills now. Talk to everyone… And
cultivate relationships with those amazing nurses that could teach you… they
have a wealth of knowledge, and so do the professors you respect. Share
their compassion. Let that be contagious….
Doctor: Mr. Adams! I demand that you turn and address the
board.
P: Sir, I want to be a doctor with all my heart. I wanted to
become a doctor so I could serve others, and because of that I've lost AND
gained everything. I've shared the lives of hospital patients and staff
members. We've laughed and cried. This is what I want to do with my life.
And no matter what your decision today, I will still become the world's best
doctor. Now you can prevent me from graduating and getting the white coat.
But you can't keep me from learning. So you have a choice—you could have me
as a passionate, professional colleague, or you can have me as an outspoken
outsider, still adamant. Either way, I'll probably still be viewed as a
thorn. But I am a thorn that will not go away.
Discussion:
Part 1:
1. Patch liked to ask patients: "What's your
fantasy?" Tell your partner the answer to this question.
2. Have you ever had a crush on someone? Tell
your partner about it—did you ever let this person know? Why or why not?
3. Look at dialog 2. Do you think Arthur is
right? Explain your answer.
4. Look at dialog 4. Tell your partner why
you want to be a doctor.
5. Read dialog 6. Does humor have a role or
function in the medical community? Explain your answer.
6. If you have stayed in a hospital, tell
your partner how you felt. What did you like and not like about the
experience? Would you have wanted someone like Patch to visit you? Explain.
7. Look at dialog 7. In
what ways is Mitch correct, and in what ways is he wrong?
Part 2:
8. Dialog 9 raises questions about the
medical system. Are medical/hospital forms (表格?) important? Should hospitals
treat (i.e., give medical care to) people without insurance (cards)? Should
medicines be cheap to help patients, or expensive so medicine companies can
do research and find new medicines? Is health insurance good or bad, and who
should pay for it? Would a "free" hospital work—how would doctors get paid,
and how would they pay for supplies? What do you think of Patch's dream?
Work with the people in your group to answer these questions.
9. Read dialog 14 and tell your group what
you liked most and least about Patch's speech.
10. People like Patch Adams are rare. They
are brilliant, and can see possibilities no one else thought of. But in the
real world, it takes time, money and effort to help all the people who need
help, and "the system" does it pretty well, considering the difficulties. As
Dr. Titan said, "The system is what it is. It's not perfect, but it's all we
have." What are the difficulties and advantages of "working under the
limitations of a broken system" and "working to change or reform the
system"?
11. Where do
revolutionaries fit into society? What happens if there are too many
revolutionaries, or if revolutions take place too often? History sometimes
honors those who rebel (like Patch, national "founding fathers," Martin
Luther King, Gandi), but it also sometimes kills them (think of all those in
your country's history who were executed as traitors or assassinated by
those who didn't want change). Discuss the difference between "doing what
you are told" and "breaking the rules to make things better." When and why
should you do either?
The board's decision: We
find your methods less than appealing. Your appearance and demeanor do not
reflect what we believe is necessary to earn the patient's trust and
respect. You openly accuse us of adhering to time-honored practices that for
years have been the backbone of the entire medical institution. However, we
find no fault in your attempts to improve the quality of life around you,
nor in your desire to expand upon existing medical practices and theories.
We applaud your love of the patient. Your grades are among the highest in
your class and, therefore, we find no merit in the decision to block your
graduation from medical school. Now, along with your crass and disdainful
behavior, you carry with you a flame, which one could only hope would spread
through the medical profession like a brushfire.
During the next 12 years (after Patch's graduation), Patch
Adams opened a home-based family medical practice and treated more than
15,000 people without payment, malpractice insurance, or formal facilities.
You can read more about the Gesundheit Institute (and the real Dr. Adams) at
http://www.patchadams.org/home.htm.
Footnotes: These dialogs have been
changed (but not much) for educational purposes. This isn’t a transcript of
the show!
To understand some of the medical terms I
looked at
http://www2.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/mwmednlm
*I want my students to learn these terms.
