From the “heavy” to the hilarious, we’ve picked a dozen movies about doctors we think you’ll enjoy. A synopsis of each film’s plot is provided, and we’ve even included a link to the movie trailer for each of them.
Let us know if you’ve seen any of the doctor movies we’re recommending — and tell us what you thought about the film. We know we left some great doc flicks off this list; can you recommend other movies about doctors that you’ve enjoyed watching?
You colleagues want to know your favorite movie about doctors, so why not post your personal pick today.
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The Last King of Scotland (2006)
Portrayal of a young, idealistic yet opportunistic personal physician to Idi Amin, the former brutal dictator of Uganda. Forest Whitaker, who played Amin, won an Oscar for Best Actor.
The Painted Veil (2006)
A British bacteriologist fights a cholera outbreak in a small Chinese village, while also being trapped at home in a loveless marriage to an unfaithful wife. This is a remake; the original movie was made in 1934 and starred Greta Garbo. Why not compare the two versions!
M*A*S*H (1970)
The staff of a Korean War field hospital use humor and hijinks to keep their sanity in the face of the horror of war. This classic film takes a most irreverent look at surgeons and “surgical humor.”
John Q (2002)
Denzel Washington plays a down-on-his-luck father who, after being told the insurance company will not pay for his son’s heart transplant, takes the hospital’s emergency room hostage until the doctors agree to perform the operation. Also stars Robert Duvall.
Something the Lord Made (2004)
A true story about 2 men who broke and bent rules in order to design a unique method of performing heart surgery. One of the men, a janitor, winds up working side by side with a cardiac surgeon to help him develop medicine and techniques that save lives.
Patch Adams (1998)
Based on a true story about Dr. Hunter “Patch” Adams who, illegally, used a variety of tactics, including humor, to put his patients at ease as well as heal them through his unusual practices. Stars Robin Williams.
The Doctor (1991)
William Hurst stars in this film about an arrogant doctor with a horrible bedside manner who finds out that he has cancer and is then treated by other physicians who have the same bedside manner for which he is known.
Doc Hollywood (1991)
Michael J. Fox plays a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon who wrecks his Porsche in a small country town and is sentenced to work for several days at the town hospital. The experience has the doctor questioning which job would make him happier.
The Cider House Rules (1999)
This film is about a compassionate young man, raised in an orphanage and trained to be a doctor there, who deals with real, sometimes extremely controversial issues at the time of the second World War. Stars Michael Caine.
Article 99 (1992)
Ray Liotta, Kiefer Sutherland, and Forest Whitaker star in this film about a group of doctors in a veterans hospital who must contend with their hopeless situation: too many patients and not enough beds. They break rules and defy the establishment to help their patients.
The Verdict (1982)
Stars Paul Newman as a lawyer who sees the chance to salvage his career and self-respect by taking a medical malpractice case to trial rather than settling. The trial is about a group of doctors who had a nurse falsify documents after a pregnant mom aspirated and died.
White Coats (2004)
Follows the misadventures of a group of young interns at a hospital/medical school who are dealing with the pressures of school and love.
Have you seen any of the above movies? What did you think? Can you recommend other movies about doctors that you’ve enjoyed watching? We know we left some great doc flicks off the list, so why not post your favorite doctor movies below!
