Young Doctors in Love

When I was younger, this was one of my favorite movies. Don't ask why... just accept it. I remembered the little things. Michael McKean cutting out the pinatas appendix as a child. The kids imitating Sean Young as she goes into convulsions during a dance class. Gary Friedkin trying to hang up the phone (he's a 'little person'... you know the scene.) The Philadelphia F'in Philharmonic. Harry Dean Stanton... as though you need anything more, right?

I bought a used copy in the late 90s and watched it again... oh boy... nowhere near the film I thought it was. Then I realized it followed up Airplane! and several other like-minded spoofs of the day. It was confused in a lot of ways, as though it wanted to be raunchy but wasn't sure how to do it.

I still like the film in bits... some of them are genuinely funny. But as others said, it has a genuine sitcom feel to it. This is Marshall's first film after having worked in television for over 20 years and considering his track record since, you can tell he learned a few things from this film. After this, he went on to make Pretty Woman, the Runaway Bride, and Frankie & Johnny, all of which are decent films. Of course he also directed Exit to Eden (Rosie O'Donnell and Dan Aykroyd in bondage-wear? OUCH!) but we'll forgive him for that...

This is a great movie. The two subplots are almost better than the main storyline. I've always liked Michael McKean and it was nice to see him in a serious role. If you used to be hooked on General Hospital and recognize the characters in their cameo roles it's even funnier. It's very seldom seen on television but well worth watching, even though they will cut it up a bit.

In the tradition of other spoof movies, "Young Doctors in Love", a skewering of medical soap operas such as 'General Hospital', is the kind of thing that does require some attention to be paid, as there's a fair amount of detail to its presentation. It's handled by a group of TV veterans - Garry Marshall made his theatrical directing debut here, and the writers are Michael Elias and Rich Eustis, who also pack the movie with cameos by actual soap opera actors (you get to see a very young Demi Moore, who at the time was on GH). The main story line is of an arrogant, insufferable prick, Simon August (Michael McKean) who wants to be a top surgeon but who is scarred by a childhood prank, and the fellow doctor he loves, Stephanie Brody (Sean Young, looking just beautiful) and attempts to save after realizing she needs special surgery. Some gags are good, such as the pitiful fate of terminally unlucky hit man Malamud (Michael Richards, long before 'Seinfeld'), although it's some of the throwaway gags and lines that are the funniest. References to pop culture of the time are there, such as a line involving "E.T.". There's also the standard device of the popular man-in-drag idea as gangster Hector Elizondo (who as we all know became Marshall's good luck charm in all of his movies) disguises as a woman in order to smuggle his sickly dad (Titos Vandis), who's been targeted by other mob families, into the hospital. There aren't many performers here who did little else of note, and people will have a high old time noting all of the familiar faces. Ted McGinley, Taylor Negron, and Rick Overton are among the group of doctors, Dabney Coleman is the stressed out guy in charge, Patrick Macnee is utterly wasted in a next to nothing part, Crystal Bernard is an underage prostitute, Harry Dean Stanton is the expert in tasting bodily fluids, and Pamela Reed the dorky nurse who blossoms when she thinks Negron's doctor is interested in her (really, he just wants the key to the drug cabinet). It's a bit of a revelation that this first effort from Marshall is so unabashedly R rated with its sexual jokes and liberal use of profanity. It's not always terribly successful, but it does generate a pretty respectable amount of genuine laughs. What's amusing is the device it employs at the end, which we see sometimes in film, when the fates of the characters after the events of the movie are revealed, and the actors also get a roll call as well, which is nice. While "Young Doctors in Love" doesn't set off any real comedy fireworks, it's still not bad at all, and does present a respectable effort to go for a certain zaniness, even if it's not on the level of a "Blazing Saddles", "Young Frankenstein", or "Naked Gun". Generally likable. Seven out of 10.

Dr. Joseph Prang (Dabney Coleman) teaches the new batch of interns at City Hospital for the next twelve months. A mob boss in hiding has a heart attack. Angelo (Hector Elizondo) takes him to the hospital in disguise while hunted by a hit-man (Michael Richards). Intern Phil Burns (Taylor Negron) likes hard-nosed head nurse Norine Sprockett (Pamela Reed). Popular intern Dr. Bucky DeVol (Ted McGinley) falls for hooker Julie. Intern Dr. Stephanie Brody (Sean Young) is suffering from mysterious pains. Dr. Simon August (Michael McKean) is cold but can't help falling for Stephanie. He is desperate to be a surgeon but can't stand the sight of blood.

This Garry Marshall movie is part spoof of a soap opera like General Hospital in the vein of 'Airplane!'. There are some funny bits. I still remember the urine scene. However, the comedic jokes don't come quite as fast and furious as 'Airplane!'. It's pretty broad but not all of it works. The cameos don't work on me since I don't watch soap operas. Sean Young is great and her character is classic soap material. Michael McKean is less capable as a leading man. He doesn't have charisma. His character is suppose to be stiff but it doesn't work if the actor is too good at it. Overall, this needs more jokes.

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!