Cheap Doc Hollywood (DVD) (Michael J. Fox, Julie Warner) (Michael Caton-Jones) Price

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Customer Reviews of Doc Hollywood

Dr. Ben Stone is leaving DC for a job doing plastic surgery for celebs in LA when he runs into a picket fence in a small Southern town and has to do 3 days of community service at their clinic as penance. His fancy sports car is totaled anyway and he has to get it fixed. Miffed at being waylaid in such a hokey place, he tries to get through the next few days in time for his new job.

He meets a wide cast of characters -- and to their credit, not everyone in a small town is so gosh-friendly. Some are mean, some are troubled, some are nice -- like any other array of people. Ben meets Lou, a single mother who drives the ambulance, as well as Nancy Lee Nicholson, a confused beauty who wants him to take her to LA.

This movie is great because it is about many people deciding for themselves how they want to live -- whether in a big city or in a small town -- and why they value what they do. It is also about an epiphany for Ben Stone and changing of his ways internally.

Warm and funny
With its "hardened city boy recognizes what is important in life" plot, as predictable as that might be, I found this movie to be warm, funny, and poignant. It fits my general criteria defining a good movie in that the lead characters were likeable with a good chemistry, the story is sufficient to keep my attention, and it has a happy ending. I have always enjoyed the romantic comedy genre and this movie fits the mold well.

The chemistry between Michael J. Fox and Julie Warner is good and the interplay with the other characters (played by David Ogden Stiers, Barnard Hughes, etc.) is enjoyable to watch. Coupled with the small town setting in rural GA, its simple truths and more relaxed view of life are vaguely reminiscent of the old Andy of Mayberry TV show - and that's not a bad thing.

While not the type of movie that ever receives critical recognition, this movie is simply a pleasure to watch. It does something I find all too rare in the films that tend to be recognized in the "let's-give-ourselves-another-award-for-making-a-deep-dark-and-brooding-film" world of the awards shows - Doc Hollywood left me feeling good and I enjoyed the time I spent watching it. Some would call this solely a "chick flick" but I grade it as a good, light romance for all and a DVD that's a must in your collection for those days when you just feel a desire to watch something "happy".

Maybe the best "date flicks" I've ever seen.
I normally cannot watch movies on airplanes for some reason. I first saw "Doc Hollywood" on the grueling Boston-LA flight, and it immediately captured and held my interest for the entire flight. More than anything, that fact illustrates that this is a truly engaging flick. This is a genuinely funny movie. One thing that this movie does is lay to rest any doubts anyone might have had about Michael J. Fox's acting ability. In my opinion he turns in a stellar performance, albeit supported by fine jobs by the supporting cast. The part where he finally goes to LA is absolutely hysterical, by the way.

The story is very simple (no spoilers here). The protagonist (Michael J. Fox) is on his way to a job interview for a position as a plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills. He has an accident in a small Southern town ("Grady") and is sentenced to several hundred hours of community service. The town needs a doctor, and its real purpose is to recruit him as a permanent resident physician. Naturally, Doc meets a nice girl and now the choice is between money as a big-shot LA plastic surgeon and lifestyle in a nice rural setting. There's a lot more. I won't spoil it for you. Doc's slow assimilation into the town of Grady is wonderfully done. This movie manages to be both touching and funny, and I say this as one who is normally not much for comedy or date flicks.

Michael J. Fox shows in this movie that he had the potential to go far, as indeed he did.