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Paddy Chayevsky, the scriptwriter of this black comedy, also penned such paranoid classics as NETWORK and ALTERED STATES. He was known for his acerbic work that was often heavy on social commentary. With THE HOSPITAL, Chayevsky is spot on in his satire about modern bureaucracies. As a result, the themes in his films feel very current.Dr. Herb Bock (George C. Scott) is an alcoholic doctor-turned-administrator who tries to manage an overburdened and chaotic hospital with fatal results. In an absurd twist, it appears that they are losing patients left and right; even hospital workers are dying. Bock meets Miss Barbara Drummond (Diana Rigg, of THE AVENGERS), a woman waiting for her father to recover from a coma, and manages to bond with her over the ludicrous situations institutions impose on their patrons. The comedy here attacks the prestige surrounding the medical profession, and this cult favorite still rings true in our HMO age. Luckily, laughter is still the best medicine. THE HOSPITAL earned two Oscar nominations, including one for George C. Scott for Best Actor.

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