Patch Adams (film)

Patch Adams is a 1998 semibiographical comedydrama film starring Robin Williams, Monica Potter, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Bob Gunton. Directed by Tom Shadyac, it is based on the life story of Dr. Hunter Patch Adams and his book, Gesundheit Good Health is a Laughing Matter, by Adams and Maureen Mylander. Despite being poorly received by critics and Dr. Adams himself, the film was a boxoffice success, grossing over twice its budget in the United States alone.

Adams begins a friendship with fellow student Carin Fisher Monica Potter, and develops his idea for a medical clinic built around his philosophy of treating patients using humor and compassion. With the help of Arthur Mendelson Harold Gould, a wealthy man who was a patient whom Patch met while in the mental hospital, he purchases 105 acres 425,000 m in West Virginia to construct the future Gesundheit Institute. Together with Carin, medical student Truman Schiff Daniel London, and some old friends, he renovates an old cottage into a clinic. When they get the clinic running, they treat patients without medical insurance and perform comedy sketches for them.Carin and Patchs friendship soon turns into romance. When she tells him that she had been molested as a child, Patch comforts her and reassures her that she can overcome her pain to help others. Encouraged, Carin wants to help a disturbed patient, Lawrence Larry Silver Douglas Roberts. However, Larry murders Carin then kills himself. Patch is devastated and guiltridden by Carins death, and begins to question the goodness in humanity. Standing on a cliff, he contemplates suicide and questions God about what happened. He then sees a butterfly which reminds him of Carins telling him earlier how she always wished she was a caterpillar that could someday transform itself and fly away. The butterfly lands on his medical bag and on his shirt before flying away. This reminds Patch of Carin and revives his spirits, and he decides to continue his work in her honor. ........

Source: Wikipedia