This is an incredibly moving documentary, and if you have the chance - see it! Seeing the smiles on these kids faces when the clowns visit their hospital is something that I will remember for a long, long time. And who could have known a balloon could bring such joy? I recommend this movie with all my heart.
4 Reviews
A sentimentalized Jung
epetrov10 February 2003
A sentimentalized Jung, this documentary uses all the recent war in Afghanistan cliches. We have the wounded children, the burka-clad women, the sad-eyed amputees, all topped with an oversized dollop of Patch Adams' 60's style anti-war rhetoric. It's an interesting humanitarian concept- sending clowns to a war ravaged country to cheer the suffering inhabitants, but this film coverage teeters into sentiment and leaves the viewer with a vaguely uneasy feeling that the subject is being exploited.
Compassion in a time of war
playalindagirl27 April 2008
Being a fervent supporter of peace and being ashamed of the actions my govt. takes around the world to acquire natural resources (and that is what war is ALL about) I am pleased to see acts by Americans who are trying to "undo" the horror by our govt. by bringing medicine to the wounded and momentary joy to the youngest victims of our military aggression.
What Patch Adams did was to bring help & document the aftermath that the horrors of our military actions have taken by creating this powerful film. To minimize it is to denounce an act of love. For those who have panned this movie I ask ...Outside of the United States harming people around the world who is doing something to heal the planet? Compassion is a rare but necessary trait these days and Patch Adams is the doctor prescribing one form of treatment. I am grateful for his actions.
The music and the joyous expressions on the faces of the children reduced me to tears!!!
What Patch Adams did was to bring help & document the aftermath that the horrors of our military actions have taken by creating this powerful film. To minimize it is to denounce an act of love. For those who have panned this movie I ask ...Outside of the United States harming people around the world who is doing something to heal the planet? Compassion is a rare but necessary trait these days and Patch Adams is the doctor prescribing one form of treatment. I am grateful for his actions.
The music and the joyous expressions on the faces of the children reduced me to tears!!!
bathetic, maudlin, schmaltzy, mawkish to the point of being offensive.
niibu_yaa5 August 2004
Warning: Spoilers
There are several reasons why I dislike this movie. I think we're all smart enough to understand that war is a pretty horrible business. We don't need people dressed up in clown suits crying over a dying child to know this. The movie quickly loses it's point, and shifts to a 60's style anti-war romp. How many times must we watch the scene of a woman losing her Hi-Jab and becoming free. This is a scene that you'll find in Clown in Kabul. I think we even have Clowns acting it out at some point during the movie. Hmmmmm.....nice way to show how you're sensitive to the people you're trying to help. What a novel Idea: Let's send Clowns to a war ravaged country to cheer up the suffering masses....and film it so we can show others what great people we are for doing this. Why not send 1/3 the number of people over there next time, without clown suits, and a film crew. And with all the money you save, give them food and sorely needed medicals supplies instead of Balloon animals and face paint. Yeah laughter can help cure people in some ways, but no matter how hard you laugh, it won't cure hunger.
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