Coma (1978)

Surprisingly incoherent and boring

It is a performances centric movie

i must have seen a different film!!

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

Medical Thriller from Director Michael Crichton from the Best Selling Novel by Robin Cook. It is a Suspenseful Movie with Realistic Medical Procedures (that may send sensitive souls to the bathroom) with some Dark Upper Corridors and Dark Implications of Rich and Powerful People Playing Fast and Loose with Morally Questionable Control of Body Parts.It seems Folks aren't Dying Fast Enough Naturally for the Needed Transplants so the Doctors Assist Surgery Patients Along the Natural Life Cycle and are Used for Spare Parts for those Wealthy Enough to Write Enormous Checks for Maintenance.Genevieve Bujold and Michael Douglas Star and the Social Commentary is Heavy, not only with the Ethics and Criminal Behavior of the Medical Community but has a Distinctive and sometimes Over the Top Script about a Woman's Need for Liberation.The Domestic and Personal Relationship Dialog is "In Your Face" and Corny at times. Early On during a Lover's Spat Douglas Calls Her Honey and She Replies with a Stern Scorn and says "Don't call me honey!" Later in the Movie He Calls Her "Honey" so many times You Lose Count and the Aforementioned Scolding is Abandoned for more Dangerous Concerns.The Women's Lib Commentary is more Subtle and Effective Regarding Professional Inequality.Overall a Superior Entry in the Conspiratorial Films of the Seventies that Pay Homage to the Previously Unmentionable "Truths" Uncovered by Real Life Investigators of the Abuse of Power from the JFK Assassination to the Flying Saucer Coverups.

Coma is a medical drama about the scary side of the medical profession, the what if this could happen. It still makes the hairs on my neck stand up, one of Crichton's scariest films.The movie takes place at Boston General hospital. The two main characters, Michael Douglas(Dr. Mark Bellows) and Genevieve Bujold( Dr. Susan Wheeler). The two doctor's have a rocky relationship. They love each other, but they can get on each others nerves. Dr. Wheeler is a doctor who is smart and doesn't get the respect from some of her colleagues , because she's female.One day her best friend, Nancy Greenly goes in for a simple procedure, but does not wake up. She is in a Coma, on life support. When Wheeler finds out she is devastated, she wonders what went wrong? She is so upset she tells Mark, he explains to her that something must of happened with the anesthesia. At first you don't know if Bellows is on her side or not, because he doesn't seem that concerned. Then when another patient comes in for knee surgery, Sean Murphy(Tom Selleck) the same thing happens to him. Wheeler does some investigating, and finds out the two surgeries were done in OR 8. It gets around to Dr. Harris( Richard Windmark) about her snooping and she needs to drop it. In order to keep her position at the hospital she must also see a hospital psychiatrist. She is also warned by Bellows and this starts to put a strain on him , and his promotion. Bellow explains that these are powerful people, especially Dr. George(Rip Torn); the head of anesthesiology.She ignores the advice and finds out these coma patients are taken to The Jefferson Institute. A center for long-term coma care, among other things.One day Mark and Susan go away for the weekend, upon returning they pass The Jefferson Institute. Once there Wheeler is already suspicious. There she meets the nurse( Elizabeth Ashley). Susan believe she is getting closer to the truth and the answer lies her at the institute. She also thinks Mark is involved which really drives her into more hysteria. She learns that people are deliberately being put into comas. The next day one of the custodians approaches her, and tells her how they do it. When she goes back to the hospital to find out the mystery, she realizes she is being followed. The fixer( Lance Legault) chases her though out the hospital. She discovers the custodian has been killed, and how they are putting people in coma's. she is getting closer to the truth because of the looks she gets in the doctor' lounge especially by Dr. George. He dislikes her because she independent and nosy. She doesn't know who to trust, that day she arrives at the institute for the tour. Once there she finds out everything, the Jefferson Institute is a front. They are really harvesting and selling human organs to the highest bidder all over the world. Wheeler's next step is to find out who is behind it. Once back at the hospital She and Dr. Harris have a discussion about it. He is the the one who is behind it; and wheeler doesn't realize this until he tries to kill her. He schedules an unnecessary surgery, telling the other staff it's her appendix. He will try to kill her while making it look like an anesthesia reaction. When Mark arrives he doesn't think anything of it until Dr. Harris demands OR 8. It will be up to Mark to try and save her before it's to late.Coma is a classic suspenseful medical thriller. When I had my first surgery in 1998, all I could think of was this movie. We all think doctor's would do their best, when our lives are in their hands. COMA shows the dark side of the medical profession, that we hope never will happen. A great film I would recommend to anyone, a true classic.THX, Kris L. CocKayne

I was pleasantly surprised by this mystery thriller. Here we have a young nurse played by the for me unknown Geneviève Bujold who is shocked when her best friend goes into a coma after a pretty standard surgery. When she goes on investigation it seems her friend was not the only one, its is happening to pretty young and healthy people and this all in the same operation room with number 8. This leads our heroine to another hospital. Even when some people are trying to stop her she shows incredible dedication to continue. The scenes where she is stalked are really exciting and atmospheric. Especially that room full of dead bodies pending on a hook as if it were clothes in a shop is wonderfully gruesome. Despite its long duration it is one that didn't bore me a moment.

Plot : Geneviève Bujold investigates shady goings on in a Hospital and finds her life in danger.Acting : Serviceable, Richard Widmark was my fave performance, big fan of his movies from the 50's. Geneviève Bujold was not entirely likable throughout and i kind of wished Michael Douglas was lead character as his natural charisma shows here. saying that i thought Bujold did well and blame the writing more than her for how her character turned out.Action/Suspense : An unintentionally hilarious assassination aside i really enjoyed the few chase of hide and seek sequences in second half of movie. Best being a scene in the morgue, felt like a slasher movie. The Jefferson institute scenes were also compelling and the final few minutes offer great tension as Michael Douglas races against time to save his lady on the operation table.Cameos : Lois Chiles looking lovely as a soon to be unfortunate victim. Tom Selleck rocking an awesome pre Magnum mustache and Ed Harris in his first role with a fine head of hair looking like a young Will Patton. Nudity : A surprising amount for a PG movie including Geneviève Bujold having a shower,Music : The score doesn't kick in till second half of movie but Jerry Goldsmith music helps the suspense brilliantly and improves the film as a whole.Cinematography : Depressing hospital interiors aside there is a sequence in the middle of movie where Bujold and Douglas go on a day out and it looks all soft focus and inconsistent with look of the rest of movie.Directing : Unremarkable but solid.Overall : Saw this as a kid and always had a fondness for it, revisiting it twenty years later i am happy to say i still thoroughly enjoy it, an intriguing plot, suspenseful chases and a satisfying climax make for an entertaining and solid thriller.