Article 99
| Article 99 | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical Release Poster | |
| Directed by | Howard Deutch |
| Produced by |
Michael Gruskoff Michael I. Levy |
| Written by | Ron Cutler |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Danny Elfman |
| Cinematography | Richard Bowen |
| Edited by |
Richard Halsey Colleen Halsey |
| Distributed by | Orion Pictures |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 100 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $18 million |
| Box office | $6,375,979 (US)[1] |
Article 99 is a 1992 American dramedy film written by Ron Cutler and directed by Howard Deutch. It was produced by Orion Pictures and starred Kiefer Sutherland, Ray Liotta, Forest Whitaker, John C. McGinley, Rutanya Alda and Lea Thompson. The soundtrack was composed by Danny Elfman. The film's title supposedly refers to a legal loophole, which states that unless an illness/injury is related to military service, a veteran is not eligible for VA hospital benefits.[2]
Plot
When Dr. Peter Morgan (Kiefer Sutherland) begins his medical internship at a Veteran's Administration hospital, he expects to breeze through on his way to a cushy practice. Instead, he's thrust into a bizarre bureaucratic maze where the health of patients is secondary to politics. And the temperature really rises when he teams up with some freewheeling physicians, led by Dr. Richard Sturgess (Ray Liotta), who think they've learned how to break the rules-and save lives-without getting caught.
Cast
- Ray Liotta as Dr. Richard Sturgess
- Kiefer Sutherland as Dr. Peter Morgan
- Forest Whitaker as Dr. Sid Handleman
- Lea Thompson as Dr. Robin Van Dorn
- John C. McGinley as Dr. Rudy Bobrick
- John Mahoney as Dr. Henry Dreyfoos
- Keith David as Luther Jermoe
- Kathy Baker as Dr. Diana Walton
- Eli Wallach as Sam Abrams
- Troy Evans as Pat Travis
- Noble Willingham as Inspector General
- Lynne Thigpen as Nurse White
- Jeffrey Tambor as Dr. Leo Krutz
- Rutanya Alda as Ann Travis
Production
The film was filmed in Kansas City, Missouri. Many downtown landmarks can be seen in the introduction to the movie and throughout, including the Liberty Memorial. The hospital that was used in the film was known as St. Mary's Hospital that sat across the street from Liberty Memorial in Kansas City. The former hospital was slated for demolition in 2004, and razed in 2005 to make way for a new Federal Reserve Bank building.[3]
Kiefer Sutherland in one scene wears glasses and a fisherman's cap pulled over his eyes, which is a tribute to his father, Donald Sutherland, who sported this look in MASH (1970).
Reception
The film earned $2.46 million ($4.16 million in today's terms) in its opening weekend (March 13, 1992), screening in 1,262 theaters, and ranking it as the number 6 film of that weekend. It earned a total domestic gross of $6.38 million ($10.8 million in today's terms).[1]
The film has received mixed reviews, currently holding a 46% "rotten" rating on rotten tomatoes based on 13 reviews.
See also
References
- 1 2 "Article 99 (1992)". Box Office Mojo. IMDB. Retrieved 7 August 2011.
- ↑ http://www.screenarchives.com/title_detail.cfm?ID=1792
- ↑ http://www.catholickey.com/index.php3?issue=20040709&article_id=2988
External links
- Article 99 at the Internet Movie Database
- Article 99 at Rotten Tomatoes
- Article 99 at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (US distributor)
- Movie Review: Article 99, Deseret Morning News, Mar. 13, 1992