Absolutely the worst movie.

A Major Disappointment

This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

I can remember in the 1980s staying up till midnight to watch reruns of St. Elsewhere on weekdays, most of which I had to be up by 6am for work. The series was THAT good that I made the sacrifice.The final episode, like many final episodes of long-running series, has been controversial, with some viewers loving it and many hating it. One review here states that the last episode is absurd because it's impossible for viewers to believe that everything they've been watching for six years is a figment of someone's imagination.Well, that has to be the ultimate compliment to any writer (or crew of writers): that viewers and readers can't believe what they made up is not real! I guess St. Elsewhere was THAT "real" to people!

What makes "St. Elsewhere" stand apart from "E.R.", "Grey's Anatomy" or any other medical show in the last twenty years is a simple and yet timeless theme. The theme being people who are basically good, well intentioned but screwed up their personal lives. These people are also working in what is considered to be a second-rate hospital but you quickly realize they are first rate professionals and human beings.Since in the twenty-plus years since "St. Elsewhere" Aaron Sorkin has mastered the basics that made this show a pleasure to watch. Personally, I like watching a group of people who care in a difficult situation. That's the essence of good drama and something that's been seen less and less on networks in the last two decades. I won't spoil the end of the series but let me say this "aren't we all?"

Whenever the topic of "good television" comes up, inevitably someone brings up "St. Elsewhere." And it's usually me. After all these years I still miss it. It's among the only shows I have ever felt that way about--"Six Feet Under" and "Northern Exposure" being the only other two that I place in that category. ("The Sopranos" will be there all too soon, I fear.) It has never been replayed in this market, yet I still recall the juxtaposition of comedy and drama, and what an intriguing new idea that was at the time. Howie Mandel sings "Psycho Killer" one minute and Mark Harmon worries about accidental AIDS exposure the next. The casting was incredible...I particularly remember a very young Denzel Washington, but everybody was wonderful: Ed Flanders, Ed Begley , Jr. as Erlich, and William ("You're a Pig, Erlich!")Daniels. "St. Elsewhere" was the progenitor of "ER", and David Morse as Boomer Morrison was the progenitor of Anthony Edwards as Dr. Mark Greene. Let others play Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon; when I watch television or film I consistently watch for actors who were in or worked on "St. Elsewhere," among the finest television ever created (Joshua Brand and John Falsey)and produced (Bruce Paltrow).

Best television series ever for the 80's was "St. Elsewhere", best TV series for the 90's was "Northern Exposure" and best series for the millenium/00's is without a doubt, "The Soprano's". Is it any wonder that the underlying genius for writing credits in all three of these series comes from some of the same interconnected/co-influenced writing sources. But in the case of both St Elsewhere and Northern Exposure the primary writing sources that brought both of these wonderfully intelligent/original/GREAT FULLY Developed/HUMANELY REAL CHARACTERS and genuinely heartfelt (without being sappy) scripts to life were Joshua Brand and John Falsey. We are getting Northern Exposure GRADUALLY (too slow if you ask me) released out on DVD-so where is Saint Elsewhere? With such an award-winning show starring the then very young/unheard of Denzel Washington (truly the magnificent performance that launched his career) and other GREATS like Howie Mandel, William Daniels, Ed Begley Jr., Norman Loyd, Ed Flanders, (and who could ever forget the endearingly annoying character of Mrs. Huffnagel!!! I AM SHOCKED AND DISMAYED THAT A DVD RELEASE FOR THIS WONDERFUL SHOW HAS BEEN OVERLOOKED FOR SO LONG!!! PLEASE RELEASE ON DVD ASAP!!!