We all know Robin Williams, suffering from depression, took his own life not long after this movie was made. I can't help wondering if his role here helped him make his ultimate decision.
Robin Williams is Henry Altmann, a bit more serious and less slapstick than many of his roles. He is an angry and frustrated man, a bit at odds with his lone surviving son, and more at odds with his wife. But when he goes for a doctor's appointment, and is forced to see a substitute doctor instead, things get a bit worse for him.
The substitute doctor is Mila Kunis as Dr. Sharon Gill. She too is a bit frustrated and overwhelmed that the need always seems to outweigh the time available. She is trying to break it to Henry softly, telling him his tests need to be brought to a specialist, but he presses her so she has to tell him, he has a brain aneurysm and he needs to have it seen by a specialist. Pressed more by relentless Henry she tells him he has 90 minutes to live.
So while Henry tries to say goodbye to everyone before 6:22 PM, Dr Gill and others try to round him up to get him to a hospital. The "90 minutes to live" had no basis in medical reality but Henry acted as if it did. And it includes jumping off the Brooklyn Bridge, but surviving after Dr Gill runs to shore and jumps in to save him.
There is a funny cameo with James Earl Jones as camera shop owner Ruben. As time runs out, and Henry needs to buy a video camera to record his message to his son, Ruben is a bad stutterer and Henry almost loses it waiting for Ruben to answer his questions.
Also good are Peter Dinklage as the brother and law partner, Aaron Altmann. As is Melissa Leo as the wife, Bette Altmann. And Hamish Linklater as the son, Tommy Altmann.
This is a quirky comedy, a farce, and I enjoyed it. My wife didn't enjoy it as much. On Netflix streaming movies.
Robin Williams is Henry Altmann, a bit more serious and less slapstick than many of his roles. He is an angry and frustrated man, a bit at odds with his lone surviving son, and more at odds with his wife. But when he goes for a doctor's appointment, and is forced to see a substitute doctor instead, things get a bit worse for him.
The substitute doctor is Mila Kunis as Dr. Sharon Gill. She too is a bit frustrated and overwhelmed that the need always seems to outweigh the time available. She is trying to break it to Henry softly, telling him his tests need to be brought to a specialist, but he presses her so she has to tell him, he has a brain aneurysm and he needs to have it seen by a specialist. Pressed more by relentless Henry she tells him he has 90 minutes to live.
So while Henry tries to say goodbye to everyone before 6:22 PM, Dr Gill and others try to round him up to get him to a hospital. The "90 minutes to live" had no basis in medical reality but Henry acted as if it did. And it includes jumping off the Brooklyn Bridge, but surviving after Dr Gill runs to shore and jumps in to save him.
There is a funny cameo with James Earl Jones as camera shop owner Ruben. As time runs out, and Henry needs to buy a video camera to record his message to his son, Ruben is a bad stutterer and Henry almost loses it waiting for Ruben to answer his questions.
Also good are Peter Dinklage as the brother and law partner, Aaron Altmann. As is Melissa Leo as the wife, Bette Altmann. And Hamish Linklater as the son, Tommy Altmann.
This is a quirky comedy, a farce, and I enjoyed it. My wife didn't enjoy it as much. On Netflix streaming movies.