Antonius Block I'll start by saying there is a plot hole in 'Coma' large enough to drive a giant truck through, which will have almost all viewers absolutely howling. There is also some pretty poor acting from some of the supporting characters, particularly early on in the movie, and an overall feel that makes one think of 'made for TV' films from this time period. Stick with it, it gets better. Lastly, because we know at least most of what's going on pretty early in the film, a good portion of the potential tension is lost.And yet, and yet. Michael Crichton knew a good story when he saw, it and shows us one that was ahead of its time, touching on organ farming and the computerization of hospitals all wrapped up in a creepy conspiracy, and with a little feminism mixed in besides. Geneviève Bujold is fantastic as the surgical resident who early on makes it clear to her boyfriend, another resident (Michael Douglas) that she won't be pushed around in their relationship. She then begins investigating some odd circumstances surrounding patients at Boston Memorial Hospital who unexpectedly go into comas following routine surgeries, including her close friend. Douglas is good, and it's interesting to see Tom Selleck and Ed Harris in minor roles, but Bujold stars here. You can probably sense where the film is going, but it may surprise you a bit along the way, and there are several memorable scenes in the second half. You do have to forgive it for some of its character motivations, but it's well worth watching even close to 40 years later.

classicsoncall The main problem with the film watching it today is that it's almost four decades old as I write this, thereby having quite a dated quality to it. The story itself is a pretty good one with an element of suspense supported by the idea that maybe something like this could actually happen. If you think about it, the ebay for body parts concept is in full play today for important organs like the heart, liver and kidneys, so who knows if in the deep, dark recesses of medical malpractice something like this might be going on even now.What will really blow you away is when the story moves over to the Jefferson Institute and you get to see all those comatose bodies suspended in mid-air waiting for who knows what. That was just the absolute worst stuff of horror one could imagine if you were somebody like Dr. Susan Wheeler (Genevieve Bujold) investigating the sudden 'deaths' of patients coming out of Operating Room #8.So with all the possible nightmare conspiracy thoughts going through Wheeler's head, I was rather surprised that the story reverted back to a 'keep it simple' strategy by the outlaw doctors running this little medical scam. The carbon monoxide strategy filled that bill perfectly, but gee, wouldn't you think Dr. Bellows (Michael Douglas) could have just burst into the operating room when his girlfriend was on the table instead of taking the long way around through the labyrinth of storage rooms and duct work? At least he made the save, for a while there I thought he was in on the whole body parts business himself.Like any job I guess, one gets somewhat blasé about the work conditions and every day boredom that might set in, so that scene of the pathology residents, (one of which was Ed Harris) discussing 'complete squash rot' and 'total gomer' to describe their autopsy patients was a bit of comic relief for this viewer. If this film had been made about thirty years earlier, you might even have seen them lighting up a smoke as they went about their business.

gavin6942 When a young female doctor (Geneviève Bujold) notices an unnatural amount of comas occurring in her hospital she uncovers a horrible conspiracy.Maybe I am just too young, but I think of Michael Crichton as really blossoming in the 1990s. He had "ER", he had "Jurassic Park" and "Congo". It seemed like the height of his career. And yet, here we have 1978, he is already directing a very strong thriller. Maybe not well remembered compared to his other projects, but you still have a great movie with Michael Douglas in a big supporting role. (Bujold, though not as big of a name, has at least as distinguished a career.) "Coma" was Tom Selleck's first theatrical appearance. He would later work with Crichton again in the 1984 sci-fi thriller "Runaway". Composer Jerry Goldsmith would also work with Crichton on "Runaway", contributing his first--and only--all-electronic score.

henryvinson Coma is one of the greatest films of all times. Robin Cook is such a wonderful writer. His years of training as a physician makes for an intriguing plot and non-stop action. This movie still evokes a visceral response. The movie is captivating from the opening scene until the end. This complex movie is both captivating and action packed. I still watch the movie at least once a year. I love all the characters and find Dr. George just as great today as in 1978. This move is a must see in my opinion. Great lines and unforgettable scenes will make this a favorite for many people for years to come. Coma is one of my favorite films and Mr. Douglas played the part so well. Wonderful movie in 78 and in 2014.