| Coma | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Michael Crichton |
| Produced by | Martin Erlichman |
| Written by | Robin Cook (novel), Michael Crichton (screenplay) |
| Starring | Geneviève Bujold, Michael Douglas, Elizabeth Ashley, Rip Torn, and Richard Widmark |
| Music by | Jerry Goldsmith |
| Cinematography | Victor J. Kemper |
| Editing by | David Bretherton |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| Release date(s) | February 1, 1978[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Coma is a 1978 suspense film based on the novel of the same name by Robin Cook. The film rights were acquired by director Michael Crichton, and the movie was produced by Martin Erlichmann for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The cast included Geneviève Bujold, Michael Douglas, Elizabeth Ashley, Meshach Taylor, Richard Widmark, and Rip Torn.
The film is in color with stereo sound and runs for 113 minutes. It is notable for the intense paranoia which pervades the film, similar to other films of the 1970s such as Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Conversation, The Stepford Wives, and earlier, Rosemary's Baby.
Contents |
Susan Wheeler (Geneviève Bujold) is a surgical resident at Boston Memorial Hospital, a close analogue of Massachusetts General Hospital. Wheeler is devastated when her best friend is pronounced brain dead and ends up in a coma after minor surgery at the hospital. Looking at the records, Susan finds that over the previous year a number of other fit young people have ended up the same way. She comes across two similarities to the cases - they all took place in the same operating theatre, and all the comatose bodies were moved to somewhere called the Jefferson Institute. She continues to investigate increasingly alone, starting to wonder if she can trust even her own boyfriend, Dr Mark Bellows (Michael Douglas).