Patch's attempt to blur the line between doctor and patient results in tragedy for one of his cohorts, but he only gets bolder, fighting a state medical board and telling more jokes. The performances are great, especially Philip Seymour Hoffman as Patch's snotty roommate. Patch Adams is tailor-made for Robin Williams's gifts. It combines his frenetic comedic persona with the caring-healer character best seen in Awakenings. Like the star's last movie, What Dreams May Come, it assumes the audience will automatically buy the film's message without question.
Online romance is a weird way to meet.
People completely disconnected pour out the deepest thoughts to others through their modems. Usually reality kicks in to dash one's dreams of a soulmate, but sometimes it works. America Online and Compuserve really have spawned a lot of marriages. This time, stars Hanks and Ryan are both involved in dead-end cohabiting relationships. Ms. Ryan owns a cute independent bookshop being driven out of business by Mr. Hanks's book superstore.