In the movie Patch Adams, Robin Williams plays a medical student who
             believes laughter has as much (if not more) healing power as medicine does.
             Patch is a passionate and dedicated doctor who truly wants to help his
             patients, and he does this by getting to know each one of them on a
             personal level. When he talks to them, he doesn't just ask about what
             hurts and how they are feeling; rather, he asks them about their lives,
             family, friends, interests, etc. He shows an interest in each one of his
             patients, and he's not just concerned about their sickness. He does this
             because he genuinely cares, and because he truly believes that making
             people laugh and feel happy inside, and making them talk about something
             other than their illness will take their mind off being sick and thus give
             them something positive to focus on. Patch thinks of this as alternative
             In the movie, however, he is at first scrutinized by his supervisors
             and his peers, who feel Patch should be there to treat illnesses and
             nothing more; they also feel that Patch does not take life seriously
             enough. But Patch feels it is just as important to treat a person as it is
             to treat that person's disease. In the movie, Patch often breaks the rules
             and goes on rounds when he's not supposed to; while he is breaking the
             rules, however, he is brightening someone's day. Many doctors in the
             healthcare system today feel that their role as a doctor is simply an
             occupation and nothing more. Therefore, they keep a strictly professional
             relationship with their patients. But Patch defies this by connecting with
             each of his patients. A great example of this is shown when Patch's
             roommate, Mitch, who is a control freak and disapproves of Patch's
             behavior, has a patient who refuses to eat. Mitch does not understand why
             she won't eat because he has followed every rule in every book he has ever
             studied. Finally, he breaks ...