Film Reviews:

MAY 2024:

Directed by Tom Shadyac, Screenplay by Steve Oedekerk, Based on "Gesundheit: Good Health Is a Laughing Matter" by Patch Adams and Maureen Mylander, Produced by Mike Farrell, Barry Kemp, Marvin Minoff, Charles Newirth, and Marsha Garces Williams, Starring: Robin Williams, Monica Potter, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bob Gunton, Daniel London, Peter Coyote, with Cinematography by Phedon Papamichael Jr., and Edited by Don Zimmerman, with Music by Marc Shaiman, Production companies: Blue Wolf, Bungalow 78 Productions, and Farrell/Minoff, and Distributed by Universal Pictures (1998)
Patch Adams (1998)

Patch Adams: Healing Through Laughter…

Gesundheit!: Bringing Good Health to You, the Medical System, and Society through Physician Service, Complementary Therapies, Humor, and Joy is a groundbreaking book co-authored by Dr. Hunter Doherty “Patch” Adams and Maureen Mylander. Published in 1993, this influential work offers a visionary approach to healthcare that emphasizes compassion, community, and the healing power of laughter.

In 1971, Dr. Adams and a few colleagues founded the Gesundheit Institute in Northern Virginia. During the next 12 years, they operated a home-based family medical practice and managed to treat over 15,000 people without payment, malpractice insurance, or formal facilities. Royalties will fund the Gesundheit Institute, a 40-bed free hospital in West Virginia. Published: January 1, 1992 Publisher: Robert Heard Publishing
Hunter Doherty "Patch" Adams (born May 28, 1945) is an American physician, comedian, social activist, clown, and author. He founded the Gesundheit! Institute as a not-for-profit in 1989. Each year he also organizes volunteers from around the world to travel to various countries where they dress as clowns to bring humor to orphans, patients, and other people. Adams is currently based in Urbana, Illinois. In collaboration with the institute, he promotes an alternative health care model not funded by insurance policies. Photo Credit: @patchadams/X
Maureen Mylander is best known for the story of Patch Adams and for her seminal critique of military leadership in The Generals: Making It Military-Style. Maureen Mylander majored in journalism at The George Washington University, which led to a career as a writer/editor for the U.S. Army Medical Service and the National Institutes of Health. She has since published an array of well regarded books and, for fun, she plays in a ukulele band. Photo Credit: MaureenMaylander.com

At its core, Gesundheit! is a manifesto for a revolution in healthcare—a call to action to transform the medical system from one focused solely on disease management to one that prioritizes holistic well-being and human connection. Drawing on his own experiences as a physician, clown, and social activist, Dr. Adams presents a compelling vision for a more humane and inclusive approach to medicine.

In 1971, Dr. Adams and a few colleagues founded the Gesundheit Institute in Northern Virginia. During the next 12 years, they operated a home-based family medical practice and managed to treat over 15,000 people without payment, malpractice insurance, or formal facilities. Royalties will fund the Gesundheit Institute, a 40-bed free hospital in West Virginia. Published: January 1, 1992 Publisher: Robert Heard Publishing

Born on May 28, 1945, in Washington, D.C., Dr. Hunter Doherty “Patch” Adams is a multifaceted individual whose life and work have left an indelible mark on the world. Trained as a physician, Adams quickly became disillusioned with the impersonal nature of traditional medical practice and set out on a quest to revolutionize the healthcare system from within.

The American physician, social activist, clown, and author Hunter Doherty "Patch " Adams attends a conference as part of the International Festival of Social Innovation FiiS 2015 at Bicentennial Park Vitacura on October 24, 2015 in Santiago, Chile. Photo by Sebastian Vivallo Onate/Agencia Makro/LatinContent via Getty Images
US doctor and clown Hunter "Patch" Adams (C) jokes with clowns during the photo call of "Clown in' Kabul" shown in special events at the 59th Venice Film festival, 07 September 2002. This film is the story of Hunter " Patch" Adams and 20 other doctors from all over the world, specialists of children, who went to Afghanistan to help children as doctors and clowns during the war. Photo by Gabriel Bouys/AFP via Getty Images
American physician, social activist, clown, and author Dr. Patch Adams delivers a speech during opening ceremony of the 1st Annual Ascent Expo at the Los Angeles Convention Center, on February 28 .The Ascent Expo, produced by eWorld Media, is an assemblage of cultural creativity, conscientious capitalism, and philanthropy to explore the future of commerce, sustainability, environmentalism, health, and self-actualization. Photo by Mintaha Neslihan Eroglu/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
The American physician, social activist, clown, and author Hunter Doherty "Patch " Adams attends a conference as part of the International Festival of Social Innovation FiiS 2015 at Bicentennial Park Vitacura on October 24, 2015 in Santiago, Chile. Photo by Sebastian Vivallo Onate/Agencia Makro/LatinContent via Getty Images
The American physician, social activist, clown, and author Hunter Doherty "Patch " Adams attends a conference as part of the International Festival of Social Innovation FiiS 2015 at Bicentennial Park Vitacura on October 24, 2015 in Santiago, Chile. Photo by Sebastian Vivallo Onate/Agencia Makro/LatinContent via Getty Images
The American physician, social activist, clown, and author Hunter Doherty "Patch " Adams attends a conference as part of the International Festival of Social Innovation FiiS 2015 at Bicentennial Park Vitacura on October 24, 2015 in Santiago, Chile. Photo by Sebastian Vivallo Onate/Agencia Makro/LatinContent via Getty Images

One of the central themes of Gesundheit! is the importance of physician service—not just as a means of treating illness, but as a way of fostering healing, empathy, and trust. Adams advocates for a model of care that goes beyond the clinical encounter, emphasizing the importance of building meaningful relationships with patients and communities.

In 1971, Dr. Adams and a few colleagues founded the Gesundheit Institute in Northern Virginia. During the next 12 years, they operated a home-based family medical practice and managed to treat over 15,000 people without payment, malpractice insurance, or formal facilities. Royalties will fund the Gesundheit Institute, a 40-bed free hospital in West Virginia. Published: January 1, 1992 Publisher: Robert Heard Publishing

In addition to conventional medical treatments, Adams espouses the use of complementary therapies such as art, music, and laughter in promoting health and well-being. He believes that humor and joy are essential components of healing and that by incorporating these elements into medical practice, physicians can create a more supportive and nurturing environment for their patients.

Clown Care, also known as hospital clowning, is a program in health care facilities involving visits from specially trained clowns. They are colloquially called "clown doctors" which is a trademarked name in several countries. These visits to hospitals have been shown to help in lifting patients' moods with the positive power of hope and humor. There is also an associated positive benefit to the staff and families of patients. Photo Credit: Wikipedia Commons

Throughout the book, Adams shares anecdotes and insights gleaned from his experiences working with patients at the Gesundheit! Institute, a holistic healthcare community he founded in West Virginia. These stories serve as powerful examples of the transformative impact of love, laughter, and human connection in the healing process.

The Gesundheit Institute is a 501(c)3 non-profit healthcare organization whose mission is to reframe and reclaim the concept of ‘hospital’. We are a model of holistic medical care based on the belief that the health of the individual cannot be separated from the health of the family, the community, the society and the world. From 1971 through 1983 we used our communal home as a hospital to test our ideas. From 1984 through now we have stopped seeing patients to devote our time to raising funds to build our fantasy hospital. We CANNOT see patients until a proper facility is built. We are a very radical project and most of our funding has been from friends like you. Our organization is founded on six principles that are at the heart of everything we do: Care is free; no third party reimbursement (private or public insurance) is accepted. No malpractice insurance is carried. Initial interviews with patients are 3-4 hours long. The health of the care-giver is as important as the health of the care-receiver. Patients are treated as friends. All complementary medicines are accepted. The Gesundheit Hospital Project is an experiment in holism with a medical focus, a sociopolitical act that grows out of our deep concern for the quality of people’s lives and health in a society dominated by the values inherent in greed and power. It consists of three distinct initiatives which address the yearning for a world that meets human needs unconditionally. There are countless opportunities to volunteer and support at least one of these initiatives. Photo Credit: patchadams.org
The Gesundheit Institute is a 501(c)3 non-profit healthcare organization whose mission is to reframe and reclaim the concept of ‘hospital’. We are a model of holistic medical care based on the belief that the health of the individual cannot be separated from the health of the family, the community, the society and the world. From 1971 through 1983 we used our communal home as a hospital to test our ideas. From 1984 through now we have stopped seeing patients to devote our time to raising funds to build our fantasy hospital. We CANNOT see patients until a proper facility is built. We are a very radical project and most of our funding has been from friends like you. Our organization is founded on six principles that are at the heart of everything we do: Care is free; no third party reimbursement (private or public insurance) is accepted. No malpractice insurance is carried. Initial interviews with patients are 3-4 hours long. The health of the care-giver is as important as the health of the care-receiver. Patients are treated as friends. All complementary medicines are accepted. The Gesundheit Hospital Project is an experiment in holism with a medical focus, a sociopolitical act that grows out of our deep concern for the quality of people’s lives and health in a society dominated by the values inherent in greed and power. It consists of three distinct initiatives which address the yearning for a world that meets human needs unconditionally. There are countless opportunities to volunteer and support at least one of these initiatives. Photo Credit: patchadams.org

Gesundheit! is not just a critique of the medical establishment; it is also a roadmap for change. Adams outlines practical steps that individuals, communities, and policymakers can take to create a more compassionate and inclusive healthcare system. From fostering interdisciplinary collaboration to promoting preventive care and wellness programs, the book offers a comprehensive vision for a healthier, more equitable future.

The American physician, social activist, clown, and author Hunter Doherty "Patch " Adams attends a conference as part of the International Festival of Social Innovation FiiS 2015 at Bicentennial Park Vitacura on October 24, 2015 in Santiago, Chile. Photo by Sebastian Vivallo Onate/Agencia Makro/LatinContent via Getty Images

Gesundheit!: Bringing Good Health to You, the Medical System, and Society through Physician Service, Complementary Therapies, Humor, and Joy is a visionary manifesto that challenges us to rethink our approach to healthcare. Dr. Hunter Doherty “Patch” Adams and Maureen Mylander have crafted a compelling argument for a more humane and holistic model of medicine—one that prioritizes empathy, community, and the inherent dignity of every individual. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in the future of healthcare and the pursuit of true healing.

Directed by Tom Shadyac, Screenplay by Steve Oedekerk, Based on "Gesundheit: Good Health Is a Laughing Matter" by Patch Adams and Maureen Mylander, Produced by Mike Farrell, Barry Kemp, Marvin Minoff, Charles Newirth, and Marsha Garces Williams, Starring: Robin Williams, Monica Potter, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bob Gunton, Daniel London, Peter Coyote, with Cinematography by Phedon Papamichael Jr., and Edited by Don Zimmerman, with Music by Marc Shaiman, Production companies: Blue Wolf, Bungalow 78 Productions, and Farrell/Minoff, and Distributed by Universal Pictures (1998)

Patch Adams is available to rent on all streaming platforms…

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