Coma (1978)

Director:

Michael Crichton

Writers:

Michael Crichton (screenplay)
Robin Cook (novel)

Release Date:

6 January 1978 (USA)

Genre:

Thriller | Mystery

Tagline:

Imagine your life hangs by a thread. Imagine your body hangs by a wire. Imagine you're not imagining.

Plot:

A young woman doctor discovers something sinister going on in her hospital. Relatively healthy patients...

Plot Keywords:

Coma | Surgery | Hospital | Doctor | Dead Body

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Geneviève Bujold	...	Dr. Susan Wheeler (as Genevieve Bujold)
Michael Douglas	...	Dr. Mark Bellows
Elizabeth Ashley	...	Mrs. Emerson
Rip Torn	...	Dr. George
Richard Widmark	...	Dr. Harris
Lois Chiles	...	Nancy Greenly
Hari Rhodes	...	Dr. Morelind (as Harry Rhodes)
Gary Barton	...	Computer Technician
Frank Downing	...	Kelly
Richard Doyle	...	Jim
Alan Haufrect	...	Dr. Marcus
Lance LeGault	...	Vince (as Lance Le Gault)
Michael MacRae	...	Chief Resident
Betty McGuire	...	Nurse
Tom Selleck	...	Sean Murphy
Charles Siebert	...	Dr. Goodman
William Wintersole	...	Lab Technician
Ernest Anderson	...	First Doctor
Harry Basch	...	Second Doctor
Maury Cooper	...	Third Doctor
Joni Palmer	...	Dance Instructor
Joanna Kerns	...	Diane
Kay Cole	...	Sally
Tom Borut	...	Dr. Cowans (as Tom Borut M.D.)
Philip G. Brooks	...	Dr. Richards (as Philip G. Brooks M.D.)
Benny Rubin	...	Mr. Schwartz
David Hollander	...	Jimmy
Dick Balduzzi	...	1st Maintenance Man
Gary Bisig	...	2nd Maintenance Man
Kurt Andon	...	1st Cop
Wyatt Johnson	...	2nd Cop
Mike Lally	...	Security Man (as Mike Lally Sr.)
John Widlock	...	Norman
Duane Tucker	...	1st Man in Shower
Del Hinkley	...	2nd Man in Shower
Paul Ryan	...	1st Technician
Michael Mann	...	2nd Technician
Sarina C. Grant	...	Woman in Elevator
David McKnight	...	Man in Elevator
Gerald Benston	...	Anesthetist (as Gerald Benston, M.D.)
Robert Burton	...	Pathology Residents
Ed Harris	...	Pathology Resident #2
Joe Bratcher	...	Surgical Residents
Martin Speer	...	Surgical Residents
Roger Newman	...	Surgical Residents
Paul Davidson	...	Surgical Residents
Amentha Dymally	...	Nurses
Lois Walden	...	Nurses
Sharron Frame	...	Nurses
Sue Bugden	...	Nurses
Susie Luner	...	Nurses
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Gerald Berns	...	Security Guard
Jeffrey Corazzini	...	Patient (uncredited)
Bob Dio	...	Subway passenger (uncredited)
Edward C. Higgins	...	Security guard #2 (uncredited)
Gerry Vichi	...	Ambulance Driver (uncredited)
Donald Wayne	...	(uncredited)
Nicholas Worth	...	Patterson Institute chief of security (uncredited)

Directed by
Michael Crichton

Writing credits
Michael Crichton		(screenplay)
Robin Cook		(novel)

Produced by
Martin Erlichman	....	producer

Original Music by
Jerry Goldsmith

Cinematography by
Victor J. Kemper		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
David Bretherton

Casting by
Joyce Agu		(as Joyce Robinson)
Sam Christensen

Production Design by
Albert Brenner

Set Decoration by
Rick Simpson

Makeup Department
Carolyn Ferguson	....	hair stylist
Don Schoenfeld	....	makeup artist
Carrie White	....	hair stylist: Miss Bujold's hairstyle designer

Production Management
Phil Rawlins	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Alan Brimfeld	....	second assistant director (as Alan Brimfield)
Ronald R. Grow	....	assistant director (as Ron Grow)
William McGarry	....	assistant director

Art Department
Sam Moore	....	property master
V.R. Bud Shelton	....	assistant property master (as V. 'Bud' Shelton)
William Ladd Skinner	....	set designer (uncredited)

Sound Department
Bill Griffith	....	sound
Michael J. Kohut	....	sound
William L. McCaughey	....	sound (as William McCaughey)
John Riordan	....	sound editor
Aaron Rochin	....	sound

Special Effects by
Joe Day	....	special effects
Andrew Miller	....	special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Bill Hansard	....	process coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Gerald Hirschfeld	....	photographer: Jefferson Institute sequence
Bruce McBroom	....	still photographer
Doug Byers	....	electrician (uncredited)
Thomas P. Powell	....	rigging gaffer electric (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Yvonne Kubis	....	wardrobe
Eddie Marks	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Chuck Ellison	....	assistant editor
Steve Johnson	....	colorist (uncredited)

Music Department
Harry V. Lojewski	....	music supervisor
William Saracino	....	music editor
Arthur Morton	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Chris Hutson	....	technical advisor
John James	....	location manager
John Lugar	....	assistant to producer
Cydney Michaelson	....	technical advisor
Don Morgan	....	unit publicist
Betsy Norton	....	script supervisor
Brent Sellstrom	....	video coordinator

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (presents)

Distributors

• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1980) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• CIC (1978) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Cinéma International Corporation (CIC) (1979) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1978) (USA) (theatrical)
• Neue Visionen Filmverleih (????) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• MGM/UA Distribution Company
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (USA) (laserdisc)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (VHS)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (laserdisc)
• R.C.V.2001 Video (1982) (Belgium) (video)
• Vídeo Arte (Brazil) (VHS)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)  titles and opticals (as MGM)

Runtime:

113 min | Belgium:104 min (video version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:15 (video rating) (1986) | UK:AA (original rating) | Iceland:16 | Finland:K-16 (cut) | Finland:K-18 (uncut) | USA:TV-PG (2006) | Netherlands:16 | Norway:18 (1978) | Norway:18 | Sweden:15 | USA:PG | West Germany:16 (f) | Australia:M | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Beacon Hill, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Ed Harris's film debut.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Dark haired stuntman falling down the stepped aisle of the lecture theatre, in place of fair haired villain.

Quotes:

Dr. Susan Wheeler: You did it.
[Put people in irreversible comas]
Dr. George A. Harris: No decision is easy, Sue. It only looks that way when you're young. When you're older, everything is complicated. There is no black and white, only gray.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Remington Steele: A Good Night's Steele (#1.13)" (1983)

The standard setter for medical thrillers!

COMA: An extremely impressionistic medical thriller, which has since, set standards for many other thrillers of the type. The concept was novel, and surreal. Dr. Susan Wheeler, (Genevieve Bujold) is a successful, beautiful, and intelligent woman, at Boston Memorial Hospital. She has a love/hate relationship with fellow doctor Mark Bellows (Michael Douglas). She has no reason to suspect any sort of foul play at work, until she looses her best friend to an accident during surgery. A deep investigation leads on to the awful truth, that her friends death was no accident, and other deaths weren't either. Much more suspense and intrigue await at the Jefferson Institute, were the shocking truth is revealed. Michael Crichton is just as good a director as he is a writer. The two leads play great off each other, and Jerry Goldsmiths score will send eerie vibes through you goosebumped skin! The first, and best medical thriller, COMA has everything a proper, intellectual movie needs. Terrific introductions, affective development, twisted characters, and mystery for the bold, and brave. A classic to be known, and enjoyed over and over again.