absolutely corrosive . director arthur hiller and writer paddy chayefsky dismantle the american hospital system with this wicked comedy or drama or whodunit . the hospital depict here be fraught with problem . from protest neighbor to irate patient to a potential serial killer on the loose . george c. scott be the top doctor who and on the brink of his own nervous breakdown and get involve with free spirit diana rigg and her wacky father barnard hughes . alternately depress and uproarious and the hospital feature some of the most acid ting dialog imaginable ( note how scott describe his love making session with rigg ) . it also have a lot of great vignette represent scott berate head nurse nancy marchand after one of here underling accidentally kill a doctor while daffy administrator france sternhagen try desperately to collect insurance info from a wait room full of sick people while scott get sober advice from the hospital psychiatrist after tell him of his woeful home life . all of the acting be first rate . scott and rigg be dynamite and hughes be a real surprise . the movie be a masterpiece with chayefsky script earn a well deserve oscar ( over such stiff competition a klute and sunday and bloody sunday ) . the opening narration be priceless .