Coma (1978)

Good suspense thriller

Good suspense thriller that demonstrates that you do not need a megabudget of special effexts to make a good movie May 9, 2008

believeable

I saw this film - Coma - many years ago, and it starts out very nice with the kind atmosphere you`ll find in a hospital. Some kind low voices, and some intercom orders that tells the "people in white" something. But after sometime you are shown a side of a hospital that is raising the hair on your head and make you think: I hope I will stay healthy. And you feel the scaryness when you start to be aware of that you might not come out of the hospital again - alive.
But what makes this film so special to me? I have been in the technical department of a hospital for 28years, and I will assure you that this film is showing that what happens here is truely possible.
Th Myrseth
Molde Norway (stay healthy - remember, "one apple a day, keeps the mur... away" - dont go to sleep after seeing this film ) May 5, 2008

COMA-A Silly but Entertaining "Medical" Conspiracy Film

COMA was a very entertaining four star movie starring Michael Douglas. The plot involved a medical conspiracy at a major Boston hospital resulting in several murders disguised as adverse drug reactions during surgery. All this was performed in order to gather suitable doners from which to harvest and market organs to the highest bidder (I said it was silly).

Naturally, the individual suspicious of a conspiracy is accused of being paranoid by management and required to see a shrink in order to maintain her hospital position. The shrink recommends that she be given time off from her demanding job. This provides her with the additional time to consider the facts, investigate and only get herself deeper in trouble and ultimately become the target of the conspiracy.

The story line contains all sorts of effective elements for a conspiracy story including a politically important staff member married to a wealthy hospital contributer, the federally run Jefferson Institute for the support of comatose patients actually harvesting organs, a clumsy and ineffective hit man constantly underfoot and an improbable hospital administrator who believes that government and ordinary individuals are not capable of making important life and death decisions. Although a bit silly, this film was very well made and kept my interest until the exciting ending. April 30, 2008

Different from the book but not bad

Made a year after the publication of the Robin Cook novel of the same title, and written and directed by Michael Crichton (if you like Robin Cook's novels, you'll probably like Crichton's, and vice-versa), the movie version of "Coma" is a reasonably faithful adaptation of the novel, but with a number of changes made, too (mostly involving the nature of Susan's relationships to the other characters). The basic plot is as follows: young medical student, Susan Wheeler (Genevieve Bujold) attempts to solve the mystery of why so many seemingly "healthy" patients are slipping into comas at the Boston Memorial Hospital.

I saw the movie immediately after finishing the book and was somewhat disappointed. Even though I am a fan of Michael Crichton's other work, I found the script to be a bit clunky and found Susan Wheeler to be very annoying (whereas I liked her very much in the novel), although the latter could be due to Genevieve Bujold's acting, rather than the writing. Also, a lot of the major "revelations" of the novel come earlier in the movie, and are literally spelled out to Susan by other characters, rather than being solved by her, making Susan seem less intelligent and more passive. Still, the movie is exciting, and my father, who hasn't read the book and so wasn't troubled by comparisons, really enjoyed it (but still agreed that Bujold was annoying).

Finally, look out for a cameo by a very young Tom Selleck, as one of the patients who falls into a coma.
April 12, 2008

Suspended Animation...

I love tough female characters. In COMA, Dr. Wheeler (Genevieve Bujold) is strong, smart, and unwavering in her quest to discover the truth behind the mysterious Jefferson Institute. In spite of the reprimands from her superiors, she keeps digging, ultimately risking her own life, in order to uncover the reason for the inordinate amount of coma cases at Boston General Hospital. Her fellow doctor / boyfriend (played by Michael Douglas), thinks she's just being paranoid. Or is he a part of the conspiracy? COMA is full of interesting characters, including Rip Torn as the mysterious Dr. George; and Elizabeth Ashley as the cold, methodical head of the Jefferson Institute. If you are addicted to thrillers, mysteries, and / or tales of suspense, then COMA may deliver the dose you're craving! Highly recommended... P.S.- Yes, Tom Selleck is in this as a doomed patient. Also watch for Ed Harris (The Abyss, Needful Things) in a tiny role as a pathology lab tech!... January 25, 2008

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