Gross Anatomy (film)

Last updated
Gross Anatomy
Gross anatomy poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Thom Eberhardt
Screenplay by
Story by
Produced by
Starring
CinematographySteve Yaconelli
Edited by
Music by David Newman
Production
companies
Distributed by Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
Release date
  • October 20, 1989 (1989-10-20)
Running time
109 min.
LanguageEnglish
Budget$8.5 million [1]
Box office$11,604,598

Gross Anatomy is a 1989 American medical comedy-drama film directed by Thom Eberhardt from a screenplay by Ron Nyswaner and Mark Spragg. The film stars Matthew Modine, Daphne Zuniga, and Christine Lahti.

Contents

Gross Anatomy was released in the United States by Touchstone Pictures on October 20, 1989.

Plot

Joe Slovak is a brilliant freshman medical school student whose nonconformist approach to life is tested when he enrolls in gross anatomy, the toughest course in med school. His schoolfriends and lab partners include Kim, a pregnant woman; Miles, a buttoned-down blue-blood; Laurie, an overly ambitious student determined to make it; and David, an overanalyzer who is also his roommate.

Joe's freewheeling, independent style immediately causes problems in the classroom, beginning with his constantly arriving late to class and using a door marked as "Do not enter", all of which annoy the class instructor Dr. Banumbra. Joe's antics become more serious, and put him at odds with the demanding department head, Dr. Woodruff, after Joe jokes about a cadaver in a disrespectful manner, prompting Woodruff to remind him that the bodies in the gross anatomy course were real people who donated their bodies to science and deserve respect. After Joe allows his roommate David to glance at his answers on an examination, Woodruff questions whether her easygoing "class rebel" has what it takes to be a doctor.

Meanwhile, Joe falls in love with his lab partner Laurie, who won't let anything, especially romance, interfere with her plans. While Joe's never done anything by the book, he proves he does have what it takes to succeed without changing his ways. However, Joe's ways and the ways of medicine come to a head twice, once when he discovers David has been taking amphetamines, which leads to his expulsion when he passes out in class and Joe reveals this to Dr. Woodruff. The other time is when Joe is ordered to do an extra credit assignment by Dr. Woodruff involving a complex diagnosis. Joe correctly diagnoses it as a serious, difficult-to-treat chronic illness and learns the patient is Dr. Woodruff herself.

Joe returns to class and his teammates help him get caught up with his studies. Kim goes into labor when the group is on the road, forcing them to deliver the baby in a truck stop. Joe takes the final exam, then is told that Dr. Woodruff died that morning. This renews Joe's dedication to learning medicine and he takes his studies and his future more seriously. He and Laurie successfully pass their first year of medical school and Kim vows to return. Although Miles ends up with lower grades than Laurie and Joe, he has also passed.

Cast

Reception

Gross Anatomy was released domestically on October 20, 1989, earning $2,830,387 in 853 theaters during its opening weekend. After its theatrical run, the film brought in a total of $11,604,598 at the domestic box office. [2]

Upon its initial release, the film received mixed to negative critical response. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film a three-star review stating, "Most of the major events in the movie can be anticipated, but they are played with a genuine grace." [3] Janet Maslin of The New York Times also gave the film a positive review, describing the film as "mostly funny and engaging." [4] It holds a rating of 36% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 11 reviews. [5]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Flatliners</i> 1990 film by Joel Schumacher

Flatliners is a 1990 American science fiction psychological horror film directed by Joel Schumacher, produced by Michael Douglas and Rick Bieber, and written by Peter Filardi. It stars Kiefer Sutherland, Julia Roberts, William Baldwin, Oliver Platt, and Kevin Bacon. The film is about five medical students who attempt to find out what lies beyond death by conducting clandestine experiments that produce near-death experiences. The film was shot on the campus of Loyola University Chicago between October 1989 and January 1990, and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Sound Editing in 1990. The film was theatrically released on August 10, 1990, by Columbia Pictures. It grossed $61 million at the box office.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daphne Zuniga</span> American actress (born 1962)

Daphne Eurydice Zuniga is an American actress. She made her film debut in the 1982 slasher film The Dorm That Dripped Blood (1982) at the age of 19, followed by a lead role in another slasher film The Initiation (1984) two years later.

<i>Vision Quest</i> (film) 1985 film by Harold Becker

Vision Quest is a 1985 American coming-of-age romantic drama film starring Matthew Modine, Linda Fiorentino, Michael Schoeffling, and Ronny Cox. It is based on Terry Davis's 1979 novel of the same name.

<i>The Fly II</i> 1989 science fiction horror film directed by Chris Walas

The Fly II is a 1989 American science fiction horror film directed by Chris Walas. The film stars Eric Stoltz and Daphne Zuniga, and is a sequel to the 1986 film The Fly, itself a remake of the 1958 film of the same name. Stoltz's character in this sequel is the adult son of Veronica Quaife and Seth Brundle, a scientist who became a human-fly hybrid as a result of an experiment gone awry, played by Jeff Goldblum in the 1986 remake. With the exception of footage of Goldblum from the first film, John Getz was the only actor to reprise his role, with another actress filling the Geena Davis role as Quaife in the opening birth scene. Unlike the previous film, this film received negative reviews.

<i>The Sure Thing</i> 1985 American adventure comedy romance film by Rob Reiner

The Sure Thing is a 1985 American romantic comedy Christmas road film directed by Rob Reiner and starring John Cusack, Daphne Zuniga, Viveca Lindfors, and Nicollette Sheridan. The film chronicles the cross-country journey of college students Walter Gibson (Cusack) and Alison Bradbury (Zuniga) as they make their way from New England to Los Angeles over Christmas break, each in an effort to meet their ideal romantic match.

<i>Patch Adams</i> (film) 1998 film by Tom Shadyac

Patch Adams is a 1998 American biographical comedy-drama film directed by Tom Shadyac and starring Robin Williams, Monica Potter, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bob Gunton, Daniel London and Peter Coyote. Set in the late 1960s and early 1970s, it is loosely based on the life story of medical doctor Hunter "Patch" Adams and the book Gesundheit: Good Health Is a Laughing Matter by Adams and Maureen Mylander. The film received generally unfavorable reviews from critics, with criticism for the sentimentality and direction. It was a box-office success and grossed $202.3 million against a $50–90 million budget.

<i>Anatomy</i> (film) 2000 film

Anatomy is a 2000 German horror film written and directed by Stefan Ruzowitzky that stars Franka Potente. The film became the highest-grossing German-language movie in 2000. Columbia Pictures released the film's English-dubbed version in the United States theatrically. However, the dubbed version underperformed at the United States box office.

<i>Running on Empty</i> (1988 film) 1988 film by Sidney Lumet

Running on Empty is a 1988 American drama film directed by Sidney Lumet and written by Naomi Foner and starring River Phoenix, Judd Hirsch, Christine Lahti, and Martha Plimpton. It was produced by Lorimar Film Entertainment. It is the story of a counterculture couple on the run from the FBI, and how one of their sons starts to break out of this fugitive lifestyle.

<i>Married to the Mob</i> 1988 American film directed by Jonathan Demme

Married to the Mob is a 1988 American crime comedy film directed by Jonathan Demme, and starring Michelle Pfeiffer, Matthew Modine, Dean Stockwell, Mercedes Ruehl, and Alec Baldwin. Pfeiffer plays Angela de Marco, a gangster's widow from Brooklyn, opposite Modine as the undercover FBI agent assigned the task of investigating her mafia connections.

<i>School Ties</i> 1992 American drama film by Robert Mandel

School Ties is a 1992 American drama film directed by Robert Mandel and starring Brendan Fraser, Matt Damon, Chris O'Donnell, Randall Batinkoff, Andrew Lowery, Cole Hauser, Ben Affleck, and Anthony Rapp. Fraser plays the lead role as David Greene, a Jewish high school student who is awarded an athletic scholarship to an elite preparatory school in his senior year.

<i>Light of Day</i> 1987 film by Paul Schrader

Light of Day is a 1987 American musical drama film starring Michael J. Fox, Gena Rowlands and Joan Jett in her film debut. It was written and directed by Paul Schrader. The original music score was composed by Thomas Newman and the cinematography is by John Bailey.

<i>Modern Girls</i> 1986 film by Jerry Kramer

Modern Girls is a 1986 American comedy film directed by Jerry Kramer, starring Virginia Madsen, Daphne Zuniga, and Cynthia Gibb. Set during a single night in Los Angeles, it follows two young women who, while venturing through the city's nightclub scene, befriend their roommate's blind date.

<i>Just Cause</i> (film) 1995 film by Arne Glimcher

Just Cause is a 1995 American crime thriller film directed by Arne Glimcher and starring Sean Connery and Laurence Fishburne. It is based on John Katzenbach's novel of the same name.

<i>Leviathan</i> (1989 film) 1989 film by George P. Cosmatos

Leviathan is a 1989 science fiction horror film directed by George P. Cosmatos and written by David Webb Peoples and Jeb Stuart. An international co-production of the United States and Italy, it stars Peter Weller, Richard Crenna, Ernie Hudson, Amanda Pays and Daniel Stern as the crew of an underwater geological facility stalked and killed by a hideous mutant creature. Its creature effects were designed by Academy Award-winning special effects artist Stan Winston.

<i>Off Limits</i> (1988 film) 1988 film by Christopher Crowe

Off Limits is a 1988 action-thriller film set during the Vietnam War starring Willem Dafoe and Gregory Hines and directed by Christopher Crowe. The term "off limits" referred to the area where the original crime took place, an area of Saigon off limits to military personnel. The name of the film was changed to Saigon or Saigon: Off Limits when it was released throughout the rest of the world.

<i>If Lucy Fell</i> 1996 American film

If Lucy Fell is a 1996 American romantic comedy film written and directed by Eric Schaeffer, who also co-stars in the film alongside Sarah Jessica Parker, Ben Stiller and Elle Macpherson. It was released on DVD on January 30, 2001.

<i>Slaves of New York</i> 1989 film by James Ivory

Slaves of New York is a 1989 American comedy-drama Merchant Ivory Productions film. Directed by James Ivory and produced by Ismail Merchant, it stars Bernadette Peters, Adam Coleman Howard, Chris Sarandon, Mary Beth Hurt, Mercedes Ruehl, Madeleine Potter, and Steve Buscemi.

<i>Private School</i> (film) 1983 film by Noel Black

Private School is a 1983 American teen sex comedy film, directed by Noel Black. Starring Phoebe Cates, Betsy Russell, and Matthew Modine, it follows a teenaged couple attempting to have sex for the first time, while their friends engage in sexually minded practical jokes.

<i>Funny About Love</i> 1990 American romantic comedy film

Funny About Love is a 1990 American romantic comedy film directed by Leonard Nimoy and starring Gene Wilder in his first romantic lead. With a screenplay by Norman Steinberg and David Frankel, the film is based on the article "Convention of the Love Goddesses" in Esquire Magazine by Bob Greene.

<i>Housekeeping</i> (film) 1987 film by Bill Forsyth

Housekeeping is a 1987 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Bill Forsyth, starring Christine Lahti, Sara Walker, and Andrea Burchill. Based on Marilynne Robinson's 1980 novel Housekeeping, it is about two young sisters growing up in Idaho in the 1950s. After being abandoned by their mother and raised by elderly relatives, the sisters are looked after by their eccentric aunt whose unconventional and unpredictable ways affect their lives. It was filmed on location in Alberta and British Columbia, Canada. It won two awards at the 1987 Tokyo International Film Festival.

References

  1. "Gross Anatomy". AFI Catalog of Feature Films . Retrieved November 3, 2021.
  2. "Gross Anatomy (1989)". IMDb . Box Office Mojo . Retrieved January 25, 2013.
  3. Ebert, Roger (October 20, 1989). "Gross Anatomy". Chicago Sun-Times . Retrieved November 3, 2021.
  4. Maslin, Janet (October 20, 1989). "Med School Madness In 'Gross Anatomy'". The New York Times . Retrieved January 25, 2013.
  5. "Gross Anatomy". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved July 2, 2022.