Joe Castagna
As a Gulf War Veteran who has tolerated enough crap from the Department of Veteran Affairs to last me five life times this movie nails the subject between the ears as it should be addressed. Those civilians who have never had to go through the most insane level of BS known to mankind have not a clue what the Veteran community tolerates as it pertains to acquiring services due the sacrifices we have made.This movie clearly represents the obfuscation, misinformation, lies, denial of services, and the withholding of information that those in charge of the VA tell the practitioners along with other employees to do. Very few times in life are there men and women who see all of the information, see the connections, see the injustice, only to take a step forward to put those in charge on their butt. These rare and rather heroic people stand up against the corruption as those who get the job done. Should you doubt what I am saying visit any VA Medical Center or federal office building where claims are filed in order to speak first hand to those who are in the middle of fighting for necessary services. Furthermore maybe, just maybe you can elaborate on why this movie was released in the shortest time frame only to be rushed through the country as quick as possible. As we certainly do not want to show "Any" government entity in a bad light
May God have mercy on the souls of those who delay, deny, and expect us to die as I along with many others shall have no mercy and give no quarter to such rats.
mycar2002
`Article 99' is a movie from director Howard Deutch (`Pretty in Pink', `The Replacements'). This movie aspired to be `The Mash of Veteran's Administration Hospital films', but never quite reached that height. It does, however, come up with a few funny one liners. The title refers to a loophole which legalizes denial of medical treatment to veterans unless their medical condition is directly caused by their military service.Dr. Richard Sturgess (Ray Liotta) is a rebellious doctor. He is the leader of a group of vigilante doctors who are trying their hardest to conjure up nonessential surgeries just so they can get patients on the operating table. This is a method seldom seen in the medical profession nowadays. A group of doctors break into a medical laboratory and steal necessary tools which are being used for research, instead of used for people who need them and they get caught. Will they surrender at this point? Watch and find out. A new and eager Dr. Peter Morgan (Keifer Sutherland) starts his first day off not so great. Besides almost killing a man, and falling in with Dr. Sturgess and the other rebellious doctors he realizes it is hard work being a doctor in a VA Hospital. He soon adapts to the turfing of patients. Dr. Morgan Grows attached to an older male patient who knows about turfing and helps Dr. Morgan turf him to get testing. Co stars include Lea Thompson as Dr. Robin Van Dorn and Kathy Baker as Dr. Diana Walton.We watch this movie waiting for surprise, and while this happens, it isn't what we expect, and this kind of disappoints us. Yes, we know the good guy always succeed in making the bad guy lose. This was is all this movie seemed to prove. I liked this movie. I feel though there could have been more of a plot. I think since the characters and actual problems were documented well for the time period. I would rate this movie one thumb up.
jane-42
This is clearly a film that has it's heart on it's sleeve and wants usto get outraged about the injustice and 'red tape' that is holding upour VA system. Made before the glut of hospital shows such as ER orChicago Hope, it features many of the same ideas and stories, but shotin a better way. The camera work is fine in this film, much better thaneither of those tv shows. The acting is too, for the most part. I feltthe film was stolen by the great Eli Wallach, who walks away with everyscene he's in. I ended up feeling sorry for Kiefer Sutherland who had toshare the screen with Wallach- it was like watching a kid playbasketball with Michael Jordan. Ray Liotta does a fine intense job, andthe supporting roles are all wonderful. The great Kathy Baker is all butwasted, but does a great job. Lynn Thigpen has a small role, but doesit with her usual dignity and grace. Kieth David, John Mahoney andJeffrey Tambor all bless us with their talents, and I ended up wishingthe movie focused more on them than on the 'pretty young things'. Ifanything does not work with this film I'd have to say it was thedirecting or the editing- for some reason it doesn't come together in asatisfying way, despite some fine performances. Also, I'd just recentlyseen M*A*S*H*, which sets the bar pretty high for this kind of movie.And not to compare apples and oranges, but if you're looking for a'things are screwy in the medical profession' film, M*A*S*H* would bethe best way to go.
MissMia
Set in a VA hospital, this movie illustrates what happens when "red tape" gets in the way of helping people. An enjoyable mixture of comedy and drama, it is reminiscent of the Altman classic M*A*S*H, staring Sutherland's father Donald. In fact, there's a nice salute to the elder Sutherland, during a scene between Keifer and an older hospital patient.Those who didn't "get" this movie were perhaps looking for the wrong things. I won't say this movie was meant to inform, though perhaps it was. But it definitely makes you think. Is a medical system where doctors have to steal supplies and schedule proxy operations really what our country's heroes deserve? Moving and entertaining, I would definitely recommend this movie.
AD
