Article 99 ** (1992, Ray Liotta, Kiefer Sutherland, Forest Whitaker, John Mahoney, Lea Thompson, John C McGinley, Eli Wallach, Kathy Bates) – Classic Movie Review 6659

Director Howard Deutch’s 1992 comedy drama is an overwrought hospital saga, swinging uncertainly and hesitantly between comic satire and soapbox preaching, but with the young Ray Liotta and Kiefer Sutherland trying hard as Dr Richard Sturgess and Dr Peter Morgan, the principal doctors fighting the system at a corrupt war veterans’ institute.

Written by Ron Cutler, Deutch’s muddled but good-spirited and always intriguing comedy has a clever set-up and a tremendous cast. However, the characters do not entirely convince and the tone is too lightly comic for such a dark topic.

After it flopped in the US, grossing $6,375,979 on a cost of $18,000,000, it went straight to video in Britain.

Also in the cast are Forest Whitaker as Dr Sid Handleman, Lea Thompson as Dr Robin Van Dorn, John Mahoney as Dr Henry Dreyfoos, John C McGinley as Dr Rudy Bobrick. Kathy Bates as Dr Diana Walton, Eli Wallach as Sam Abrams, Keith David as Luther Jerome and Noble Willingham as Inspector General, with Julie Bovasso, Troy Evans, Lynne Thigpen, Jeffrey Tambor, Leo Burmester and Rutanya Alda.

Article 99 is an Orion film, it runs 100 minutes, is shot by Richard Bowen, and is produced by Michael Gruskoff and Michael I Levy, scored by Danny Elfman, with Production Design by Virginia L Randolph.

Article 99 renders many former US soldiers suffering from war injuries ineligible for medical benefits.

Sutherland and Whitaker later appeared in Phone Booth (2002).

David, Whitaker and McGinley had appeared in Platoon (1986).

It is said that Liotta playing a good guy treated Mahoney as his bad guy character on and off set till the end of the shoot, when Liotta told him it was a pleasure to work with him. Mahoney replied: ‘I wish I could say the same.’

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 6659

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com

John Mahoney plays Dr Henry Dreyfoos.

RIP John Mahoney, who plays Dr Henry Dreyfoos.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 6659

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com