As TV Guide once put it, "a medical mystery thriller." Genevieve Bujold stars as Dr. Susan Wheeler, a med student at Boston Memorial Hospital. She uncovers a conspiracy involving the hospital and the mysterious Jefferson Institute when she goes digging after the unexplained coma and death of her best friend after a routine procedure. Solid support is provided by Rip Torn, Michael Douglas and Richard Widmark. Look for William Wintersole (Abrom from the Trek episode "Patterns Of Force") and Ed Harris (with hair) in small roles. Written for the screen and directed by Michael Crichton, based on the novel by Robin Cook. Rated PG (although if it were released today, I think it would get a PG-13) for violence, adult situations, some language and brief nudity
Twenty five years after the release of this film, it still give me the creeps, especially the Jefferson Institute scenes. The music score, by Jerry Goldsmith, is particularly effective. The first half of the film is devoid of music, save for a disco number used in an aerobics class. The DVD is especially reasonably priced, at 6 or 7 bucks in most stores, or on-line.
I could have sworn that I saw the same sign for the infamous "O.R. 8" used in at least one episode of St. Elsewhere.
The DVD will be re-released on 11/9/10. I don't think it has anything that the original edition didn't have. Even the package art is the same.
I made a pretty bad joke in reference to this film when I was being wheeled into surgery last year. ("I hope you won't be using OR 8 for me.") The nurse accompanying me didn't get it.
Here's a website that gives a bit of background information on the movie, including specific filming locations. It also includes the Mad magazine spoof "Coma-Toast."
A Blu-Ray edition will be released on July 10, 2012. I've been trying to find out if it has any extras, but it doesn't look like it does. Too bad; this is one of my favorite movies from the 70's (I saw it in a theater three times), and it deserves better than bare bones video releases.
And, in the "they can't leave well enough alone" department, Coma has been remade. This time, it's a two-part TV-movie, to be broadcast on the A&E channel in September 2012. Here's its IMDB page.
A Shout! Factory Blu-ray, with a commentary track, the original theatrical poster on the case, and I hope a really good transfer, will be released on 8/22/23. More here.