''Bad Medicine'' is a 1985 American

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

starring

Steve Guttenberg Steven Robert Guttenberg (born August 24, 1958) is an American actor, author, businessman, producer, and director. He is known for his lead roles in Hollywood films of the 1980s and 1990s, including '' Cocoon'', ''Police Academy'', ''Three Men a ...

Alan Arkin Alan Wolf Arkin (born March 26, 1934) is an American actor, director and screenwriter known for his performances on stage and screen. Throughout his career spanning over six decades, he has received various accolades, including an Academy Award ...

and

Julie Hagerty Julie Beth Hagerty (born June 15, 1955) is an American actress. She starred as Elaine in the films ''Airplane!'' (1980) and '' Airplane II: The Sequel'' (1982). Her other film roles include ''A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy'' (1982), ''Lost in Am ...

. The film was written and directed by Harvey Miller, and was based on the novel ''Calling Dr. Horowitz'', by Steven Horowitz, MD and Neil Offen. The film was criticized for its negative ethnic stereotypes. Although the film is set "Somewhere in Central America," it was filmed entirely in Spain. It was released by

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...

, and was one of three 1985 films to feature Hagerty in a starring role, the others being ''

Lost in America ''Lost in America'' is a 1985 American satirical road comedy film directed by Albert Brooks and co-written by Brooks with Monica Johnson. The film stars Brooks alongside Julie Hagerty as a married couple who decide to quit their jobs and travel ...

'' and ''

Goodbye, New York ''Goodbye, New York'' is a 1985 Israeli-American comedy drama produced, directed and written by Amos Kollek, who also co-stars in his directorial debut. Plot A ditzy New Yorker (Julie Hagerty) is devastated to learn that her husband has been unfa ...

''.

Plot

Below-average pre-medical student Jeffrey Marx (Guttenberg), after being rejected by prestigious

medical school A medical school is a tertiary educational institution, or part of such an institution, that teaches medicine, and awards a professional degree for physicians. Such medical degrees include the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS, M ...

s, is sent by his father (

Bill Macy Wolf Martin Garber (May 18, 1922 – October 17, 2019), known professionally as Bill Macy, was an American television, film and stage actor, best known for his role in the CBS television series '' Maude'' (1972–1978). Early life Bill ...

) to a seemingly sub-standard medical school in Central America. He and his fellow American students struggle with exams, the effects of pep pills, and the language barrier. Jeffrey eventually discovers the plight of local villagers in need of medical assistance. With the help of fellow students (including romantic interest Hagerty, who steals medicine and prescription pads), he illegally provides medical services to the villagers, including delivering a baby whose enraged father had earlier shot him in anger. A comic scene shows three students trying to hide a stolen corpse. Eventually, the school's authoritarian, macho dean (Arkin) discovers the students' activities and decides to prosecute, while also trying to romance a reluctant Hagerty. However, the dean dismisses the charges at the urging of the villagers.

Reception

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' gave it a positive review but was critical of the ending, which the reviewer felt undermined what had gone before.

References

External links

* * * * 1985 films 1985 comedy films 20th Century Fox films 1980s English-language films American comedy films Films scored by Lalo Schifrin 1980s American films {{1980s-comedy-film-stub