Dr. T & the Women (2000)

To me, this movie is perfection.

best movie i've ever seen.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

Well, to make things short, this movie should not have been made. After watching it for the first and last time, I've simply taken the DVD out of the player an literally thrown it out the window waiting fr the first car to run over it. It's hard to believe that such movie was produced. As I've seen Mr. Gere is acting here I thought this is going to be a nice romantic or drama movie, but instead I got bad acting, almost no story-line and stupid ending. It's a complete waste of time and I do hope you all avoid watching this thing (not even a movie).

OK, I'm in the minority on this one. I liked it. And here's why:At the beginning of this quirky immersion in a world of women, I was reminded of George Cukor's classic The Women, where a live man is never seen on camera, but men are constantly being talked about; in this film, women are almost always on screen, talking about other women, and being watched by the benevolent Dr. T., beautifully underplayed in a wry performance by usual lady-killer Richard Gere.When men appear in this film, they are usually in camouflage of some sort , and they too, are talking about women. Though satirical in nature (the young guide who thoughtlessly points out grisly details of the Kennedy Assassination site in Dallas, the patient who absolutely has to smoke while having the most intimate exam, etc.), this is also an affectionate look at women who each has her own fantasy, her own desires, and some lucky few are able to realize them, often without the help of Dr. T. The narrative is indeed scattered, but Altman's strengths have never been homogenized storytelling; this is complex and witty fun for those in the mood. It is not a sweet little romance or does not seem to be a film about female bonding, but is a look askance at human behavior in one of it's many manifestations.

Handsome upper-class Dallas gynecologist Richard Gere (as Sullivan "Sully" Travis) is very popular with the many women he services. He fancies himself an expert on females, believing no two are exactly alike. Like snowflakes? Considering his profession, Mr. Gere (aka "Dr. T") should know. When not busy with his patients, Gere goes out to shoot birds, golf balls, and the breeze with his middle-aged buddies. Warned by his male friends that wet women are bad luck, especially when your first meet them, Gere blames men for making women wet. "Women are, by nature," Gere asserts, "they are saints. They are sacred and should be treated as such." The good doctor doesn't know it, but he doesn't know women at all. Gere is a loving and faithful husband, but he is attracted to golf pro Helen Hunt (as Bree Davis). Per his friends' warning, Ms. Hunt is wet when they meet. Gere's still beautiful wife Farrah Fawcett (as Kate) is coming down with the rare disease "Hestia Complex" which causes victims to strip naked in the fountain of a crowded mall. Visiting sister-in-law Laura Dern (as Peggy) is a likely alcoholic and fawning secretary Shelley Long (as Carolyn) desires her boss. Gere's engaged daughter Kate Hudson (as Dee Dee) is a lesbian, according to jealous sister Tara Reid (as Connie)... It took "Gosford Park" (2001) to make everyone sit up and take notice of Robert Altman's continued mastery of filmmaking in his 70s, but there were signs in this film. The legendary director receives great assist from writer Anne Rapp, cinematographer Jan Kiesser and editor Geraldine Peroni. The coordination of actors and the camera is marvelous. The film offers an ironic look at gender mystery and misunderstanding; the befuddled Gere and Mr. Altman lose to writer Rapp and the mostly female cast. But the ending gives us males some hope. Relatively unsuccessful, the ill-titled "Dr T & the Women" will certainly improve in stature over the years. ******** Dr T & the Women (9/12/00) Robert Altman ~ Richard Gere, Helen Hunt, Farrah Fawcett, Laura Dern

If you showed this movie to the survivors of the Rwandan genocide and asked them which was worse, seeing their families hacked to death with machetes or watching Dr. T and the Women…only some of them would choose the machetes.Dr. T (Richard Gere) is a gynecologist in Dallas, Texas. He has a wife (Farrah Fawcett) who's gone crazy, a daughter (Kate Hudson) who's getting married, another daughter (Tara Reid) who is half plot-device and half lame joke about the Kennedy assassination, a sister-in-law (Laura Dern)who is a lush and a horde of yapping women who jam his waiting room like it's an overstuffed hothouse of demanding Southern Belles. Though he's drowning in a stormy sea of estrogen, Dr. T is an insanely, sickeningly perfect man who is totally understanding of all of the crazy feminine behavior that buffets him every day. His only respite from it all are hunting trips with his buddies and an affair with the new golf pro at his country club, Bree (Helen Hunt).Like many Robert Altman films, the plot of this movie just sort of slowly spreads out in all directions like vomit on a bare floor. There's also enough trademarked Altman-babble in this thing to choke even his most devoted fans. Dr. T and the Woman is morally confused, emotionally phony, head-slappingly contrived and has an ending so stupid and bizarre that it would take an entire team of mental health professionals to figure out what the hell Altman was thinking. If there was ever a film that could be introduced at a competency hearing as evidence of senile dementia, it's this one.In fairness, most of the acting here is very mannered but relatively okay. The best performance actually comes from Shelley Long as Dr. T's long-suffering head nurse. She's funny and lively and the most enjoyable person on screen, until her character is brutally sacrificed on the altar of Altman's barnacle encrusted sense of humor. Helen Hunt might have been just as good as the independent Bree, but after creating the character it's really damn clear Altman didn't have the slightest idea what to do with her.If you're still not clear on how awesomely bad Dr. T and the Women is, Helen Hunt gets briefly but clearly naked in it and it's still unwatchable. That's right. It makes naked Helen Hunt unappealing. That's a magical feat on the order of turning lead into gold, which would make Robert Altman the master alchemist of cinematic suck.Now, if some Altman fans happen to stumble upon this review, I can already hear their excuses about how his films aren't meant to be conventionally entertaining and you have to appreciate his creative vision and I just don't "get it" and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. The fact that several decades ago he injected some juice into American movies should not give Altman a get-out-of-jail-free card for the rest of his career. The fact that he keeps recycling the same old bag of tricks is not creative vision. It's a guy who doesn't have anything new to say as a storyteller.This movie is terrible. Even if you've liked some of Altman's other work, do not watch it.