Docteurs in love

Dr. Prang (DabneyColeman) is in surgery as he welcomes the new residents under his direction. Amid nips and tucks, he asks the gang to introduce themselves. Dr. Stephanie (Sean Young) says she is from Vermont and wants to practice rural medicine, like her father, in her home state. Others say they are interested in allergy care, pediatrics, or some other field. Then comes Dr. Simon (Michael McKean) who declares he is going to be a "great surgeon". Yes, he's brash but serious. The other residents laugh behind his back, as he is a buttoned-down stiff. Meanwhile, a mafioso who has been in hiding from a rival crime family, with his son Angelo (Hector Elizondo), suffers a stroke and can't speak. Disguising himself as a woman, the new "Angela" takes him to the hospital where he is given a private room. But, ho ho ho, the rival gang gets the info and sends bumbling henchman Malamud (Michael Richards) to knock him off at the first chance. Also, head nurse (Pamela Reed) keeps the key to the medicine cabinet around her neck and tolerates NOTHING. With Dr. Prang on the phone with his accountant more than instructing his underling doctors, this all might not end too well. In addition, will Stephanie fall for Simon, even as she has some ailment which makes her faint from time to time? This very funny film is not quite on par with Airplane! or Naked Gun but it has wonderful scenes, comedy, and gags. Richards is a hoot, long before Seinfeld, as he can't seem to knock off a stroke victim. just as the Coyote can't defeat the Roadrunner. Young and McKean make a nice, attractive twosome and the rest of the cast is good as well. Expect eighties costumes and just average sets and photography. Alas, there are a few risque situations. But, you will definitely have to watch it more than once to catch all of the rapid fire comedy elements. Young or old, you will love it!

A friend of mine knew I loved the movies "Repossessed" and "Silence of the Hams" along with the Zucker and Brooks films and introduced me to this one. Just as funny as those, this movie struck me with having just as many of the stars of the day as well as several up and coming future stars such as Ted McGinley, Richard Dean Anderson, Crystal Bernard, Rick Overton, Saul Rubinek and Michael Richards as a very Krameresque hit-man trying to bump off a underworld figure in the hospital. The main plot isn't as good as the sub-plots, but there's also some light nudity in order to really get your attention. Some of the jokes were later stolen to use in other parodies, but I was surprised to see an "E.T." reference since I was sure this movie predated that one. I don't know if this was shown theatrically, but I do consider myself lucky enough to find it on tape.

This, one could say, a uniquely fascinating spoof on hospitals, did provide some moments of real belly laughs. Not to say, this film isn't completely without flaws. The film has a number of likeable actors, some uncredited soapie stars, as well as a pre Seinfeld crazy, as is a great 95 minutes of spoof entertainment, while kind of at times, it feels more serious, if you judge the underlying story as to med student, Young's, ailing plight. Hector Elizondo of course, steals the movie as a disguised gangster figure, who's hiding his crime boss father in City Memorial, as being a marked man. A lot of jokes work, where some just sag, but there's a lot of clever ones at play, where some won't wash, but you admire the film for the clever ones. I really liked Michael Mckean (an ex Laverne And Shirley favorite) in this, as the no nonsense, "aspiring to be the greatest surgeon that ever lived" med student, a totally serious, likeable contrast, as to all the other hang back, partying collegues, and Dabney Coleman, the other top performance in this, shows us again, why he's such a great adept and versatile actor. YDIL is a standalone spoof, with some bouncing breasts, skating nurses, falls, spills, forgotten soapie star cameo's, even, a rectified too sudden actors. 7.5/10

Young Doctors in Love reminds me of the early 80s comedies Meatballs, Johnny Dangerously, and Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid. Spoof comedies that, despite the abundance of gags and running gags, just can't quite seem to match the comedic brilliance of something like Airplane. Although, Young Doctors in Love certainly fares better than some of the others, it too, offers humor that may wear thin after several viewings (Airplane, on the other hand seems to remain of timeless quality).

The film follows a handful of med school interns, although the movie itself really focuses on 1) the relationship between the emotionally void Dr. Simon August (Michael McKean) and the melodramatic, and soon-to-ailing love interest, Dr. Stephanie Brody (Sean Young); 2) the bizarre budding relationship between Dr. Phil Burns (played by the hilarious 80s bit-part regular, Taylor Negron) and the somewhat held-back but probably secretly kinky Nurse Norine Sprockett (Pamela Reed); and 3) my particular favorite, the interaction between Dr. Charles Litto and Angelo Bonafetti (played famously by Hector Elizando who's best was the deadpan delivery of "I used to play guitar and then I broke it over my brothers head and then I went to work"), a mobster who disguises himself as a woman to get his father in the hospital who is meanwhile always unsuccessfully threatened to be bumped off by his mafia rival, Malamud Callahan (played by a young Michael Richards).

There is a lot of course going on in the film, and it even uses the old PA background gags like we heard in Airplane and Meatballs. And it does have it's funny moments. But, as a mild spoof comedy of medical soap operas using humor that is somewhat outdated (on the order of like old dirty-joke joke books), it may best be reserved for the spoof cult crowd who can appreciate it best. If nothing else, tune it in to see big names in the old days (like Dabney Coleman, Harry Dean Stanton, Billie Bird, and more).

The title "Young Doctors In Love" is perhaps the most mis-leading title ever to be placed on a movie. It sounds like a passionate love story and not like a hilarious "spoof" movie that it is. This spoof movie is right up there with the "Airplane" and "Naked Gun" movies, and far better than the spoof movies of the 90's such as "Wrongfully Accused", "The Silence Of The Hams", "Hot Shots", and "Mafia". Rather than poking fun at other movies, "Young Doctors In Love" has an original idea for a spoof movie....A Total Satire On Hospitals!!!! It may sound crude or it may sound boring, but it's nothing less than hysterical and once you view it you'll find out for yourself. I loved Michael Richards' performance as a hit man who tries to assassinate a mafia godfather who is a hospital patient but has trouble finishing the job due to his mis-identity. Hector Elizondo is great as the godfather's son who dresses up as a woman to disguise himself from the other gangsters! There are great one-liners! Dabney Coleman was marvelous as an insane surgeon! Every doctor, along with the patients, have something comical about them that makes all of the jokes that are pulled in this film work 100%! If you love silly movies, then this one is a treasure! Stay tuned during and after the credits! Great fun from beginning to end!