Sadly Over-hyped

Good movie but grossly overrated

As Good As It Gets

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

These doctors ask the questions you HOPE your own doctors ask. They deal with conflicts and mistakes with the honest integrity we no longer expect. REALITY show it is not, something better. A show that asks us to think beyond our small personal universe. One of the good ones, so of course, it's taken off the air. It does for medicine what West Wing does for politics. Thanks to the actors and the writers.

There were three truly breathtaking dramas on American primetime TV during the 2000 season. This one was the best of them. The other two -- The West Wing and The Sopranos -- were (and ARE, as of April 2002) justly celebrated. Gideon's Crossing sadly and inexplicably never found an audience during its brief lifespan, in the press or apparently around the water cooler either. The writing was just as inspired as the other two, the acting just as superb, the content even more profound, and... I just don't get it. And I miss the show sorely, still. R.I.P. And curses to A.B.C., so often the most short-sighted and faithless of the television networks (ask Claire Danes, ask Ted Koppel, ask Sela Ward), for not supporting and nurturing it. In the last couple of episodes the Buddha-like Dr. Gideon's character was besmirched in a way I found incongruous with the earlier, more brilliant episodes. I don't know if this was some last ditch (misguided) effort to invoke better ratings or just an unprovoked lapse on the part of the creators but, whichever, all in all Gideon's Crossing remains -- will ALways remain -- a towering television drama.The Best Doctors Show Ever, in fact.

Good acting, as far as can be given with this rancid storyline. TV seems obsessed with the idea as medical person, or doctor as God. Ben Gideon would do much better to teach medicine, rather than give an overlong philosophical debate, aimed at high-schoolers to these boring unintelligent, god get-them-away-from-me group. If he did teach medicine, they might run into far fewer problems.1/10.

Okay, why I never even knew this brilliant show was still on ABC is probably a good explanatuon for why the network has steadily sunk in the ratings for the last three years. That they are not screaming from the treetops about this amazing, well-written, shockingly moving series is an outrage. Better than ER, which has steadily declined into weekly bus accidents or brain tumors, this series draws you in. Andre Braugher is someone I love to watch. Boy is he good. He makes me love an already pretty excellent show.