Patch Adams (1998) review

Feeling depressed and suicidal, Hunter "Patch" Adams (Robin Williams) commits himself to a mental hospital where he discovers his real passion in life, which is to help sick people using humor - years later, when he's studying at the Medical College of Virginia, his constant antics annoy the school dean Walcott (Bob Gunton), his roommate Mitch (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and even fellow student Carin Fisher (Monica Potter) that he has a crush on.  On the surface, it would seem that casting Williams as the lead is an easy decision, except the movie, aside from making a few key points about the problems with health care (patients are dehumanized and reduced to their ailments, the cost of getting treatment is a national embarrassment, etc.) is deeply annoying, the "square" characters actually make sense regarding Adams' tomfoolery (he does go too far) and the last act is simply repugnant in its desperate pleas for pity: his love interest is murdered (not all disturbed individuals are "harmless"), an older woman receives her wish of bathing in spaghetti and Adams is placed "on trial" where he's afforded the opportunity to continue preaching his sermon.  This was widely criticized by major critics upon initial release and understandably so, but the actual "Patch" (who's currently in his late 70's) has supposedly done some good things with his not-for-profit Gesundheit! Institute ... although their use of "therapeutic clowning" sounds, to me at least, a little off-putting.  But if it's effective, run with it.