WATCH NOW
From the trailers, I anticipated “Doc Hollywood” would lean more toward a comedy. While it certainly is a comedy, I was taken aback by how it unfolded into a love story. And what a love story it is! It’s one where the lovers are fully aware of the reasons that could cause them not to be together, yet their love grows beyond any concerns.
The movie features Michael J. Fox, who always had the charm and the ability to shut his mouth when necessary, which is helpful for his role as a graduate of a medical school traveling from Washington to Los Angeles.
He’s waiting to accept a position in L. A. as a plastic surgeon, which is rather exciting. One of his associates instructed him as follows: “It’s a nice specialty. You know, the surgery is neat, the pay is good, and nobody dies on you.” Fox feels some guilt about going into the field, but a lot of ambition, and man does he want that California paycheck.
While driving across the country, he stops at Grady, South Carolina, the “Squash Capitol of the South.” Here, he meets the local judge, whose fence his car literally drove through. As a result, he is sentenced to work-release at the local hospital. To his surprise, the locals put together a plan to convince “Doc Hollywood” to move to Grady. However, he is completely against it until he meets Lou, a stunning ambulance driver and law student.
Doc Hollywood is not a fast paced comedy. It is instead more sweet than witty. The film does seem familiar, however, it also has many unique attributes. The film was directed by Michael Caton Jones, who has a knack for casting the right character actors to provide the film’s unique attributes. Instead of the usual cliched rednecks and homespun philosophers, he uses good character actor David Ogden Stier’s as the local mayor and head of the recruiting effort, Barnard Hughes as the aging local Woody Harrelson. Bridget Fonda, as the local sexpot, and George Hamilton, perfectly cast as a plastic surgeon, are further examples.
The town of Grady (Actually Micanopy, Fl.) is a character in the movie with a statue of a local hero who sits with his squash in hand. Like all small towns in Hollywood movies, there is a parade, aniversay celebrations, and even fireworks throughout the story. However, Caton Jone decides to have a little bit of fun with the parade by including a lot of marching squashes. The backdrop of the carnival serves as the backdrop around a love scene that is tender, perfectly choreographed, and perfectly filmed. While Fox and Warner dance to “Crazy” by Patsy Cline, all the background people disappear and only the bright lights are left.
Fox and Warner do have on screen chemistry, which works especially since Warner is making her film debut after working in the “Star Trek: The Next Generation” series. They are good together, partly thanks to Jeffrey price, Peter S. Seaman and Daniel Pyne who are the screenwriters. The good part is that they give the actors reasonable things to say. With a few conversations, romance can blossom.
Love stories are by far the most challenging types of films to produce.
Sex and passion are easier to figure out. What love requires is the capacity to glorify the other person and to take pleasure in the fact that such a model of virtue has affection for one. Emphasis is put not on plot or dialogue, but rather on the idea that two people set their sights on each other exclusively. Fox and Warner generate those feelings and that is why “Doc Hollywood” is such a darling picture.
Also Watch for more movies like:
