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Critical Care
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Critical Care (1997) More at IMDbPro »

Videos (see all 2)
Critical Care (1997) -- Open-ended Trailer from Live Video
Critical Care (1997) -- Sinematurk - Trailer (Flash)

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Overview

User Rating:
6.0/10   847 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 12% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers (WGA):
Richard Dooling (novel)
Steven Schwartz (screenplay)
Contact:
View company contact information for Critical Care on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
31 October 1997 (USA) more
Genre:
Tagline:
At Memorial Hospital no one ever dies... Until their insurance runs out.
Plot:
Werner Ernst is a young hospital resident who becomes embroiled in a legal battle between two half-sisters... more | add synopsis
Awards:
1 nomination more
User Comments:
A huge BOMB, despite the well known cast and director more (10 total)
US TV Schedule:

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)

James Spader ... Dr. Werner Ernst

Kyra Sedgwick ... Felicia Potter

Helen Mirren ... Stella

Anne Bancroft ... Nun

Albert Brooks ... Dr. Butz

Jeffrey Wright ... Bed Two
Margo Martindale ... Constance 'Connie' Potter

Wallace Shawn ... Furnaceman
Philip Bosco ... Dr. Hofstader

Colm Feore ... Richard Wilson

Edward Herrmann ... Robert Payne
James Lally ... Poindexter
Harvey Atkin ... Judge Fatale
Al Waxman ... Sheldon Hatchett (a Lawyer)
Hamish McEwan ... Dr. Hansen
Jackie Richardson ... Mrs. Steckler

Barbara Eve Harris ... Lucille (an E.R. Nurse)
Conrad Coates ... Dr. Miller
Bruno Dressler ... Mr. Potter
Caroline Nielsen ... Luscious Nurse
Gladys O'Connor ... Bed One
Kay Hawtrey ... Dr. Butz's Secretary
Don Carmody ... Maitre D'

Kim Roberts ... Intern #1
Naomi Blicker ... Intern #2
Merwin Mondesir ... Head Injury
Bruce Hemmings ... Orderly
Paul Brown ... Insurance Man
Michael Colton ... Mike (the Boy)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:

David Sparrow ... (uncredited)
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Directed by
Sidney Lumet 
 
Writing credits
(WGA)
Richard Dooling (novel)

Steven Schwartz (screenplay)

Produced by
Don Carmody .... executive producer
Sidney Lumet .... producer
Steven Schwartz .... producer (as Steven Schwartz)
 
Cinematography by
David Watkin 
 
Film Editing by
Tom Swartwout 
 
Casting by
Avy Kaufman 
 
Production Design by
Philip Rosenberg 
 
Art Direction by
Dennis Davenport 
 
Set Decoration by
Enrico Campana 
Carolyn Cartwright 
 
Costume Design by
Dona Granata 
 
Makeup Department
Rick Baker .... special makeup effects: Mr. Brooks
Patricia Green .... key makeup artist
Jay McClennen .... key prosthetics
Sylvia Nava .... hair technician: Rick Baker/Cinovation Inc.
Jennifer Bower O'Halloran .... key hair stylist (as Jennifer O'Halloran)
Evan Penny .... key sculptor
Kazuhiro Tsuji .... makeup application: Mr. Brooks
 
Production Management
Lilith Jacobs .... post-production supervisor
Joyce Kozy King .... unit production manager
Yalda Tehranian .... executive in charge of production
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Tom Quinn .... second assistant director
Michele Rakich .... third assistant director
Martin Walters .... first assistant director
 
Art Department
Tim Campbell .... head painter
Mike Franklin .... set dresser (as Michael Franklin)
Ross Fraser .... construction coordinator
Ron Hewitt .... assistant props
Michael Hyde .... head carpenter
Linda McClelland .... set buyer
Tanit Ann Mendes .... art department coordinator
Richard Reseigne .... construction coordinator
Vic Rigler .... property master
Jonathan Savan .... set buyer
Charles Sharun .... camera scenic artist
Michael Shocrylas .... graphic artist
Joe Ventura .... sculptor
Brian Verhoog .... graphic artist
Gordon White .... set designer (as Gord White)
 
Sound Department
Bruce Carwardine .... sound mixer
Kam Chan .... foley editor
Benjamin Cheah .... supervising foley editor (as Ben Cheah)
Bob Chefalas .... sound re-recording mixer
Kenton Jakub .... adr editor
Tom Lazarus .... recording engineer: Classic Sound, Inc.
Kimberly R. McCord .... assistant sound editor (as Kimberly McCord)
Peter Melnychuk .... boom operator
Glenfield Payne .... sound effects editor
Richard Portman .... sound re-recording mixer
Fred Rosenberg .... supervising sound editor
Jac Rubenstein .... foley editor
Paul J. Zydel .... adr engineer (as Paul Zydel)
Marko A. Costanzo .... foley artist (uncredited)
Dustin DuPilka .... assistant foley artist (uncredited)
 
Visual Effects by
Daniel Hopen .... CGI supervisor
 
Stunts
Dan Belley .... stunt double: Mike
Dan Belley .... stunt double: The Boy
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Ciaran Copelin .... assistant camera: "b" camera
Tony Guerin .... camera operator: "b" camera
Tim Guinness .... key gaffer
Duane Gullison .... best boy
Norman Laing .... camera trainee
Bruce Macaulay .... still photographer
Jim MacCammon .... key gaffer (as Mac MacCammon)
Christopher Nethercoat .... best boy
Harald Ortenburger .... camera operator (as Harald K. Ortenburger)
Ron Renzetti .... dolly grip
Ian D. Scott .... rigging gaffer
Takashi Seida .... still photographer
Dave C. Sheridan .... first assistant camera
Kevin S. Stewart .... second assistant camera
Randy Tambling .... key grip (as Randal Tambling)
Kris Wood .... video playback operator
 
Casting Department
Diane Kerbel .... casting: Toronto
Julie Lichter .... casting assistant: USA
Donna Dupere .... extras casting (uncredited)
 
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Lisette Lefevre .... seamstress
Robert Roberts .... wardrobe supervisor
 
Editorial Department
Phil Hetos .... color timer
Clare Larson .... first assistant editor
Lateefah Torrence .... second assistant editor
Bryan Ellenburg .... executive in charge of post-production (uncredited)
 
Music Department
Sadao Harada .... musician: cello
Kikuzi Ikeda .... musician: second viola
Kazuhide Isomura .... musician: first viola
Mikhael Kopelman .... musician: second violin
Patrick Mullins .... music editor
Philip Traugott .... music adaptor: Mozart string quintet
Philip Traugott .... music producer: Mozart string quintet
Pinchas Zukerman .... musician: first violin (as Pinchas Zukerman)
Bobby Muzingo .... orchestrator (uncredited)
 
Transportation Department
Jim Kennedy .... transportation coordinator
 
Other crew
Liz Amsden .... assistant: Don Carmody
Beth Boigon .... location manager
Camille Dan .... technical advisor
Greg Eby .... assistant accountant
Jennifer Zolten Freed .... post-production accountant
Paul Hiscock .... office production assistant
Lilith Jacobs .... assistant: Sidney Lumet
Mark Logan .... assistant location manager
Blanche McDermaid .... script supervisor
Trish McEvoy .... cosmetics: Kyra Sedgwick
Susan Mieras .... assistant: Kyra Sedgwick
Badgley Mischka .... evening suit: Kyra Sedgwick
Karen Pidgurski .... unit publicist
Tammy Quinn .... production coordinator
Karen Renaut .... on-set supervisor
Elizabeth Senyi .... assistant production coordinator
Elaine Thurston .... production accountant
Phillip L. Tomalin Jr. .... assistant: James Spader
Patrick Jack Lee .... production financing (uncredited)
Judy Sharinger .... credits consultant (uncredited)
 
Crew verified as complete


Production CompaniesDistributorsOther Companies
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Özel ilgi (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Cuidados Intensivos (Portugal) (video title) [pt]
En estado crítico (Spain) [es]
O Impaciente (Brazil) [pt]
Se mi amate (Italy) [it]
Sterben und erben (Germany) (TV title) [de]
Teholla (Finland) [fi]
more
MPAA:
Rated R for language and a scene of sexuality.
Runtime:
107 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Sound Mix:
Filming Locations:

Fun Stuff

Quotes:
Dr. Werner Ernst: If he's going to die, why should we proceed?
Dr. Butz: Where have you been all your life? It's called revenue!
more
Movie Connections:
References Beauty and the Beast (1991) more
Soundtrack:
Quintet in G Minor, K516 more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
1 out of 4 people found the following comment useful.
A huge BOMB, despite the well known cast and director, 14 January 2007
1/10
Author: Amy Adler from Toledo, Ohio

Werner (James Spader) is a resident at a large city hospital. He's just learning about the politics behind the supposed goal of saving lives, something his colleague, Stella (Helen Mirren) is already savvy on. This is especially true when Werner meets a beautiful young model (Kyra Sedgwick) whose father is a comatose patient at the hospital. It is the model's opinion that her father should be taken off life support; her sister insists that the father communicates with her (by squeezing her hand) and that he can recover. Although the model seems sincere in her concern for her father's state, it turns out that she will inherit a large sum of money upon his death. Which way will the winds blow through the halls of the hospital? This is an awful movie, just awful. For those attracted to the smiling Spader and Sedgwick on the video's cover, get over it. Although the actors are not the film's weakest point, they do an I'm-working-for-a-paycheck job at best. (How they convinced Mirren to join the film, I'll never know). And, there is absolutely no comedy in the film at all, just one depressing scene after another. Lumet, despite his reputation, is to be faulted mightily for the poor direction, and the script is beyond abysmal. Do not waste your time with this movie, unless you just want to see what a film "bomb" really is. It is a failure, and not even an interesting one, at that.

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