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About
The true story of Dr. Hunter "Patch" Adams, who in the 1970s found that humor is the best medicine, and was willing to do just anything to make his patients laugh—even if it meant risking his own career.
Theatrical
Dec 25, 1998
Box Office
$202.3M
Budget
$50.0M
Return
4.0x
DVD / Blu-ray
Jul 17, 2001
Theaters
1
Director
Tom Shadyac
Writer
Steve Oedekerk
Producers
Barry Kemp, Charles Newirth, Mike Farrell
Music
Marc Shaiman
Studio
Universal Pictures, Bungalow 78 Productions, Blue Wolf, Farrell/Minoff
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Quotes
See all →The Contagious Nature of Laughter
Taglines
Laughter is contagious.
Inspired by Real-Life Events
Taglines
Based On A True Story.
Defiance in the Face of Authority
Patch Adams
Now you have the ability to keep me from graduating. You can keep me from getting the title and the white coat. But you can't control my spirit, gentlemen. You can't keep me from learning, you can't keep me from studying. So you have a choice: you can have me as a professional colleague, passionate, or you can have me as an outspoken outsider, still adament. Either way I'll probably still be viewed as a thorn. But I promise you one thing: I am a thorn that will not go away.
Charlie
Is that all?
Patch Adams
I hope not, sir.
Exploring the Many Ways to Describe Death
Patch Adams
Preview of coming attractions.
Bill Davis
Nurse...
[calling out]
Patch Adams
Death. To die. To expire. To pass on. To perish. To peg out. To push up daisies. To push up posies. To become extinct. Curtains, deceased, demised, departed, and defunct. Dead as a doornail. Dead as a herring. Dead as a mutton. Dead as nits. The last breath. Paying a debt to nature. The big sleep. God's way of saying, "Slow down.
[reads from the book]
Bill Davis
To check out.
[he starts to yell at Patch but changes his mind]
Patch Adams
To shuffle off this mortal coil.
Bill Davis
To head for the happy hunting ground.
Patch Adams
To blink for an exceptionally long period of time.
Bill Davis
To find oneself without breath.
Cast
Full credits →R
Robin Williams
Hunter 'Patch' Adams
M
Monica Potter
Carin Fisher
P
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Mitch Roman
D
Daniel London
Truman Schiff
B
Bob Gunton
Dean Walcott
H
Harve Presnell
Dean Anderson
P
Peter Coyote
Bill Davis
M
Michael Jeter
Rudy
J
Josef Sommer
Dr. Eaton
I
Irma P. Hall
Joletta
B
Barry Shabaka Henley
Emmet
F
Frances Lee McCain
Judy
D
Daniella Kuhn
Adelane
J
James Greene
Bile
H
Harold Gould
Arthur Mendelson
B
Bruce Bohne
Trevor Beene
H
Harry Groener
Dr. Prack
S
Steven Anthony Jones
Charlie
R
Richard Kiley
Dr. Titan
D
Douglas Roberts
Larry
