| Bad Medicine | |
|---|---|
Promotional movie poster for the film |
|
| Directed by | Harvey Miller |
| Produced by | Arlene Sellers Alex Winitsky |
| Written by | Harvey Miller |
| Starring | Steve Guttenberg Alan Arkin Julie Hagerty Curtis Armstrong Robert Romanus |
| Music by | Lalo Schifrin |
| Cinematography | Kelvin Pike |
| Editing by | O. Nicholas Brown John Jympson Keith Palmer |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
| Release date(s) | 1985 |
| Running time | 98 min. |
| Country | US |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $2,685,453 (USA) (sub-total) |
Bad Medicine is a 1985 comedy film starring Steve Guttenberg, Alan Arkin, and Julie Hagerty. 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, and was one of three 1985 films to feature Hagerty in a starring role, the others being Lost in America and Goodbye, New York.
Below-average pre-medical student Jeffrey Marx (Guttenberg), after being rejected by prestigious medical schools, is sent by his father (Bill Macy) to a seemingly sub-standard medical school in Central America. Jeffrey eventually discovers the plight of local villagers in need of medical assistance. With the help of fellow students (including romantic interest Hagerty), he illegally provides medical services to the villagers. Eventually, the school's authoritarian dean (Arkin) discovers the students' activities and decides to prosecute. However, the dean dismisses the charges at the urging of the villagers.
Rumor has it that the film is a parody to the Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara, in Guadalajara, Mexico. The film is actually banned in this school.