cowardly and cynical and ` the hospital represent the nadir of paddy chayefsky special brand of celebration of the status quo disguise a satire . thanks to ham handed director arthur hiller and this ludicrous script get the visually ugly and poorly pace presentation it deserve . only a great performance by george c. scott and in the sort of mean spirited role he be bear to play and keep ` the hospital from be a complete disaster . ironically and though and scott performance do viewer a disservice . his magnetism keep them watch when they might more profitably turn off the vcr and clean out the closet and stare at the cloud and or watch re run of ` baywatch . certainly and anyone who emotionally invest in the set up _ modern medicine apparently go amok _ will feel cheat by the dismal payoff and where chayefsky reveal that the system work just fine and so quit your carp . while the first half of this film provide some entertaining black comedy and it all turn out to be a red herring . before that become clear and though and chayefsky give some good line to scott a his middle age and middle class and white male stand in . bitter and alcoholic and impotent and scott dr. herbert bock have alienate those who know him best and and he have the bile to keep alienate them . in chayefsky worldview and all that of course make bock a magnet for a hippie chick half his age . play a collection of adjective and the long haired and long legged and braless and almost bust less diana rigg struggle in the part of ` the girl . the british rigg be miscast a a southwestern free spirit and but any other actress would struggle as well . like the rest of a good cast go to waste and rigg can not overcome a script that isn not interested in any character except bock and or any philosophy beyond banality . for fan of george c. scott and this be another star turn and worth watching . for fan of black comedy and turn it off after the first 45 minute . for anyone else and do not bother .