Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, March 14, 1992 TAG: 9203140118
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MIKE MAYO CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
It's got the same black sense of humor and the same conflict. Actor Kiefer Sutherland looks so much like his father, Donald, did when he appeared in Robert Altman's film that some scenes are almost eerie.
What "Article 99" lacks is Altman's anarchy. This movie follows the Hollywood formula - courageous young doctors vs. corrupt administrators - straight through to an unbelievable ending.
At the same time, it has some very funny scenes, and it addresses a serious problem, veterans' hospitals that are overcrowded and understaffed. If half the situations described on screen are real, it ought to anger everyone who sees the movie.
It begins on the day that veteran Pat Travis (Troy Evans) goes to a VA hospital to have his heart problems fixed. It's also the first day for intern Dr. Peter Morgan (Sutherland), who expects to spend a year or so there getting a little experience. They lose their illusions before lunch.
The evil administrators, led by Dr. Dreyfoos (John Mahoney), want to run an efficient, low-cost facility. The ones who suffer are the patients who find more and more treatments being denied.
But the doctors stand up for them. Led by Sturgess (Ray Liotta), Handleman (Forest Whitaker) and Bobrick (John C. McGinley), they steal equipment from research facilities; "turf" patients like Sam Abrams (Eli Wallach) by moving them from department to department before the bureaucrats can evict them; and even perform unauthorized surgery. Wheelchair-bound Luther Jerome (Keith David) is the vets' unofficial ombudsman.
Women are represented by Dr. Walton (Kathy Baker) and Dr. Van Dorn (Lea Thompson), and though they have some depth, the guys play the important roles.
Director Howard Deutch got uniformly excellent performances from this ensemble. Wallach is as cagey a scene-stealer as anyone in the business. The scenes between him and Sutherland are really touching. Deutch was equally effective in capturing the claustrophobic atmosphere of a hospital. The place feels real.
Ron Cutler's script presents such a large, systemic problem that it couldn't arrive at an ending that was both realistic and dramatically satisfying. He aimed for the latter, but the film still closes on a hollow note.
In the end, the good things about "Article 99" - its passionate belief that veterans deserve decent treatment, its contempt for officials who would treat individuals as budget items - outweigh the bad. Flaws and all, it's worth your attention.
\ `Article 99': **1/2 An Orion release playing at the Salem Valley 8 and New River Valley Mall. Rated R for hospital humor, subject matter, some sexual content. 99 min.
by CNB