Patch
Adams
(1998)
- Information at Internet
Movie Database
- Hollywood
Jesus visual review.
-
"Meeting Patch Again for the First Time: Purity and
Compassion in Marcus Borg, the Gospel of Mark, and
Patch Adams," Jeffrey L.
Staley, Seattle University.
-
Cinema in Focus,
a social and spiritual commentary by Hal Conklin and Denny Wayman.
-
Movie Parables
review.
-
Review, Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality & Health -
Spiritual Practices for Human Being.
- Themes
- Baptism
- Patch Adams is visiting Arthur
in his room one night and gets his name "Patch." (James
Haskins)
- Call
- nothing will deter him from his heterodox practice
of medicine and his love interest in the move is killed simply
because she chooses to live with the new idea of medicine.
(Amy Wharton)
- responds to the urge within him to treat the whole
person rather than the disease, in spite of the cost of this
professionally? (Marie Loewen)
- Challenging God
- After his fiance is murdered
by one of Patch's psychotic patients, Patch contemplates suicide on a
steep mountain...and asks God why ? Didn't He
care ? Would He ever care to get involved with the pain and suffering of
the human condition ? (Ken Hilton)
- Conversion
- What about Patch Adams as an example of conversion?
He moves from seeing himself as the center of the universe to
helping others--from dis-ease to health in this way. (Bob Ferguson)
- Healing/Healers
- healing the whole person, not the disease
- The power of laughter to help in healing. (Alan
Missen)
- Concerning the idea of healed healers, there is a
scene in Patch Adams where Patch is describing his vision of a
hospital. He says that patients and doctors there would be
partners, that in any particular moment you would never know exactly
which partner was healing and which was being healed. (David Miller)
- Integrity/Honor
- Patch continues to practice medicine in the way
that he knows is best, despite the penalties for doing so.
- Rebirth - New Life
- traditional medicine is lifeless. Patch discovers
that spirit must be involved.
- Resurrection
- "I used Patch Adams for my Easter sermon last
year: Patch's unwillingness to conform to expectations and the
unwillingness of established authority to entertain his
eccentricities; Patch's resolve to do whatever is necessary to make
the connection with patients, even if it means breaking the rules as
an image for what God does in the Resurrection; and, of course, the
nearly explicit image of resurrection that is evoked when Patch is
questioning his own life's mission and a butterfly (the ancient
symbol of resurrection) is received as a message from God that gives
him hope to carry on. A red nose on Easter Sunday isn't too bad
either!" (Jed Holdorph, St. Lawrence Episcopal
Church, Libertyville, Illinois)
- Sacrifice
- his love interest in the move is killed simply
because she chooses to live with the new idea of medicine. (Amy Wharton)
- Servanthood/Obedience
- The fact that helping others puts ones own troubles
into the background. (Alan Missen)
- Submission
- After his fiance is murdered
by one of Patch's psychotic patients, Patch contemplates suicide on a
steep mountain...and asks God why ? Didn't He
care ? Would He ever care to get involved with the pain and suffering of
the human condition ? (Ken Hilton)
- Suffering
- The mystery of suffering--a brilliant part in the
movie when Patch (Robin Williams) is arguing with God after the
tragic death of the woman he loves. He turns away and God gives him
an amazing response. (Alan Missen)
- Wilderness
- I used a scene from Patch Adams last Sunday to
highlight potential wilderness areas in one's life. Corrine was
revealing to Patch the deep pain of sexual abuse that she carries
inside her. She tells him, "Men have always been attracted to
me." Then she looks him in the eye and gently emphasizes,
"Always." (Mark Sloss)
Index of Movie Titles
Index of Movie Themes
