The Doctor (The Doctor)

Production and year: USA, 1991 Genre: Medical drama Director: Randa Haines Screenplay: Robert Caswell Cast: William Hurt, Christine Lahti Medical topic: doctor-patient relationship, laryngeal cancer Description: The main character, Jack MacKee (Hurt), is a doctor who has made fighting disease his life’s mission. Every day, he decides the fate of many people. He never hesitates, always choosing the solution that is best for the patient from a medical standpoint. He does not try to understand his patients, much less empathize with them. He also instills this objective approach to treating patients in his interns. However, the situation changes when the doctor begins to have problems with his voice and swallowing. He goes to an ENT specialist. The diagnosis is indisputable—Jack has laryngeal cancer. Now he becomes the patient and is placed under the care of doctors who act just as nonchalantly as he did before. How will he cope with this? Will he change his attitude toward patients? See for yourselves.