THE CAREY TREATMENT (A CASE OF MURDER)

US, 1972, 101 minutes, Colour.
James Coburn, Jennifer O’Neill?, Pat Hingle, Steve Aubrey, Elizabeth Allan, Dan O’ Herlihy.
Directed by Blake Edwards.

The Carey Treatment is based on a novel by Michael Crichton (who also wrote the medical novel Coma, drawing on his own medical background – which also extended to the television series Chicago Hope). The novel was adapted by veteran screenwriter, Harriet Frank Jr. It was directed by Blake Edwards who had emerged on the film directing scene in the 1950s, made quite a mark in the 1960s with a range of films including Breakfast at Tiffany’s, The Pink Panther and its sequels, Days of Wine and Roses and The Great Race. However, the 1970s were not strong for Edwards. After this film he made The Tamarind Seed with Julie Andrews and a couple of other Pink Panther films. However, he revived again with 10 in 1979 and continued through the 1980s with such films as SOB and Victor/Victoria.

James Coburn portrays a doctor who goes to a troubled hospital. The administration is under suspicion because of an alleged abortion gone wrong. However, the doctor investigates the accusations against his friend, a doctor in the hospital (James Hong) and uncovers a whole range of medical as well as criminal problems. The film probably plays better in later decades than it did at the time – and is for those who enjoy the genre of doctor-turned-detective.

1. Was this an entertaining murder thriller? Why? Was it an interesting thriller with its hospital background? Was there some satire and comment on hospitals in this film?

2. Peter Carey: was he a good hero? An independent type? A Right wing type? His friends and his relationship to them?

3. This Boston hospital as an image of American way of life? The power struggles, the cover-ups of inadequacy and ineffectiveness, the criminal actions going on underneath the surface, the resistance to being opened up?

4. Georgia Hightower: was she an attractive heroine, sympathetic? The reason for her liaison with Peter Carey? Did they love each other?

5. J.D. Randall: as a person, as the head of the hospital? What values did he stand for? What aspects of his personality were repellent?

6. Karen, as a sympathetic character?

7. The drug situation: was the film anti-drugs, trying to make moral issues out of addiction, murder, the length to which people will go for drugs, their degradation?

8. David Tao: as a person, as a doctor? His stand on abortions? Did you agree with him? The action that his fellow practitioners took against him on this point?

9. The murder itself, did it provide interest for the film? How?

10. The involvement of the police and their investigations? Peter Carey's individual investigations? The girl and the man from the sauna?

11. The threats in the hospital?

12. The presentation of rich Boston life? Randall and his home life? Was there any comment being made on this by the film?

13. The film dealt with integrity and compromises with integrity. How?

14. Were the final choices that had to be made? Were they well made, or with compromise? What should have been done? Is this symbolic or what happens in society? American society?

15. The film was criticised for its low tone. This would indicate the medical ethics background, abortion, drugs, murders, violence, especially the deaths, motor bikes? Why?

16. Was this a worthwhile film? Did it raise worthwhile questions for discussion?.