Gross Anatomy (1989)

Director:

Thom Eberhardt

Writers (WGA):

Mark Spragg (story) and
Howard Rosenman (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

20 October 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

No one thought a rebel like Joe Slovak would make it through Medical School. But they didn't know Joe.

Plot:

A smart first-year med student takes nothing seriously, except the pursuit of his Gross Anatomy (human dissection) lab partner...

Plot Keywords:

College | Medical School | Medical | Illness | Cheating

Cast

Matthew Modine	...	Joe Slovak
Daphne Zuniga	...	Laurie Rorbach
Christine Lahti	...	Dr. Rachel Woodruff
Todd Field	...	David Schreiner
John Scott Clough	...	Miles Reed
Alice Carter	...	Kim McCauley
Robert Desiderio	...	Dr. Banks
Zakes Mokae	...	Dr. Banumbra
Clyde Kusatsu	...	Interviewing Professor
John Petlock	...	Interviewing Professor
J. Patrick McNamara	...	Interviewing Professor
Jan Munroe	...	Interviewing Professor
Kay E. Kuter	...	Lecturing Professor
Michael Flanagan	...	Lecturing Professor
Don Perry	...	Lecturing Professor
J.C. Quinn	...	Papa Slovak
Rutanya Alda	...	Mama Slovak
Brandis Kemp	...	Aunt Rose
Ryan Cash	...	Frankie Slovak
Angus MacInnes	...	Dean Torrence
Lisa Zane	...	Luann
Alison Taylor	...	Cynthia Wilkes
Michael Stoyanov	...	Joel Cleaver
Max Perlich	...	Ethan Cleaver
Bruce Beatty	...	Kelly
John Short	...	Resident
Steven Culp	...	Jerry Fanning Forrester
Scott Allan Campbell	...	Ed McCauley
Elizabeth Gilliam	...	Nina McCauley
Gordon Clapp	...	Doctor
Jack Murdock	...	Old Man Patient
Kimberly Scott	...	Nurse Louise
Diane Robin	...	Waitress
Rick Goldman	...	Truck Driver
Tom Kurlander	...	Student
Susanne Goldstein	...	Student
Beth Hogan	...	Marie
O. LaRon Clark	...	Food Server
Russell Bobbitt	...	Gunshot Victim
Frank Torres	...	Gang Member
Bill E. Rogers	...	Cop
Frank Foti Jr.	...	Cop
Pola Del Mar	...	Gang Member's Mother
Jesse Anthony Gonzalez	...	Gang Member's Father
Arlin Miller	...	(voice)
Greg Finley	...	(voice)
Paige Pollack	...	(voice)
Cathy Cavadini	...	(voice)
Steve Alterman	...	(voice)
David Randolph	...	(voice)
David Coburn	...	(voice)
Vernon Scott	...	(voice)
Susan Napoli	...	(voice) (as Stephanie Ryan)
Richard Penn	...	(voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Charles Fleischer
Tracee Cocco	...	Med student (uncredited)
Walter Kim	...	Medical Student (uncredited)
Dana Vitatoe	...	Medical student (uncredited)

Directed by
Thom Eberhardt

Writing credits (WGA)
Mark Spragg		(story) and
Howard Rosenman		(story) &
Alan Jay Glueckman		(story) &
Stanley Isaacs		(story)
Ron Nyswaner		(screenplay) and
Mark Spragg		(screenplay)

Produced by
Carol Baum	....	executive producer
Sandy Gallin	....	executive producer
Debra Hill	....	producer
Howard Rosenman	....	producer

Original Music by
David Newman

Cinematography by
Steve Yaconelli

Film Editing by
Bud S. Smith
M. Scott Smith

Casting by
Judith Weiner

Production Design by
William F. Matthews

Art Direction by
P. Michael Johnston

Set Decoration by
Catherine Mann

Costume Design by
Gale Parker

Makeup Department
Edouard F. Henriques	....	makeup artist (as Edouard F. Henriques III)
Scott Oshita	....	special makeup effects artist
Elaina P. Schulman	....	chief hair stylist
Yolanda Toussieng	....	hair stylist
Brian Wade	....	special effects makeup artist: cadavors

Production Management
Morgan Michael Fottrell	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Richard Coad	....	second assistant director
Bruce Humphrey	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Russell Bobbitt	....	assistant property master
Roger Del Negro	....	property master
Ildefonso Goris	....	greensman
Keith A. Kropf	....	head painter
Lauren E. Polizzi	....	set designer (as Lauren Polizzi)
Claude F. Powell	....	construction coordinator (as Claude Powell)
Mark Powell	....	construction foreman
Jerry Wax	....	lead man

Sound Department
Ken Beauchene	....	boom operator
William C. Carruth	....	adr editor (as William Carruth)
Craig Clark	....	supervising sound editor
Mike Dobie	....	supervising sound editor
David J. Hudson	....	sound re-recording mixer
David Kern	....	sound editor
Mel Metcalfe	....	sound re-recording mixer
Colin C. Mouat	....	sound editor (as Colin Mouat)
Jack M. Nietzsche Jr.	....	sound effects assistant (as Jack Nietzsche)
Terry Porter	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jill Smith	....	sound effects assistant (as Jill C. Smith)
Ralph Stuart	....	sound effects assistant
James M. Tanenbaum	....	sound mixer (as Jim Tanenbaum)

Special Effects by
Calvin Joe Acord	....	special effects coordinator
Nick Benson	....	special effects

Stunts
Frank Torres	....	stunt coordinator (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Richard J. Cartwright	....	still photographer (as Richard Cartwright)
Jay Davis	....	grip
Scott Fieldsteel	....	best boy electric
Frank Keever	....	key grip
William Kenney	....	dolly grip (as William G. Kenney)
Ross A. Maehl	....	gaffer (as Ross Maehl)
Russell McElhatton	....	first assistant camera
Edward Morey III	....	camera operator (as Ed Morey III)
Joe A. Ponticelle	....	second assistant camera (as Joseph Ponticelle)
Phil Walker	....	best boy electric (as Philip Walker)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Lisa Lovaas	....	costume supervisor
Kenn Smiley	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Richard Alderete	....	first assistant editor
Gillian L. Hutshing	....	assistant editor (as Gillian Hutshing)
Craig Kitson	....	assistant editor
Michael Mulconery	....	second assistant editor
Robert Raring	....	color timer (as Bob Raring)

Music Department
Tim Boyle	....	music scoring mixer
Virginia Cook-McGowan	....	music editor
Craig Pettigrew	....	music editor
Steven L. Smith	....	music preparation
Tom Villano	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Tom Briggs	....	transportation captain
Tom F. Thomas	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
William Bowling	....	location manager
Seth Cirker	....	assistant location manager
Alex Cohen	....	production assistant
Pam Cornfeld-Walker	....	production coordinator (as Pam Cornfeld)
Camille Griffin	....	first assistant accountant
Lin Hempling	....	assistant: Mr. Rosenman
Beth Klein	....	production assistant
Linda Klein	....	medical technical advisor
Rob Meisenholder	....	assistant accountant
Lloyd Nelson	....	script supervisor
Susan Halli Shaffer	....	unit publicist
Sharon L. Simon	....	production accountant (as Sharon Simon)
Leslie Sungail	....	production assistant
Yvette Taylor	....	assistant: Ms. Hill
Donn Warr Lewis	....	intern
Wendy Kram	....	development executive (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Hill/Rosenman
• Sandollar Productions
• Silver Screen Partners IV
• Touchstone Pictures

Distributors

• Buena Vista Pictures

Special Effects

• Makeup Effects Laboratories

Other Companies

• Buena Vista Sound  sound re-recording
• Buena Vista Visual Effects  titles and opticals
• Central Casting  extras casting
• Movie Movers  cast trailers

Also Known As:

A Cut Above

Runtime:

Canada:109 min | USA:109 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (Technicolor)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Hill/Rosenman

Goofs:

Continuity: After being grilled by Dr. Woodruff, Joe Slovak closes the cadaver's chest cavity twice.

Quotes:

Interviewer: Tell me. Joe or Joseph, why do you want to be a doctor?
Joe Slovak: That's easy. I want to help people.
Interviewer: Come one Joe, you can be honest with me. Why do you want to be a doctor?
Joe Slovak: Well, uh, I want to make lots of money.

Soundtrack:

Burnin'

A nice dissection of year one in the life of a medical student

Joe Slovak (Matthew Modine) is the son of an east coast fisherman. Bright as a button, however, Joe wants to become a doctor and he gains acceptance into a medical school. Once there, his easy going style is at odds with those around him. Beautiful Laurie (Daphne Zuniga) is the privileged daughter of a wealthy doctor and wastes no time in telling Joe that her schedule has no room for casual dating. Then, too, Joe's anal roommate, David (Todd Field) is so uptight he has flossing on his daily schedule and his lab partner, Miles, has a silk shirt on every day. In addition to all of this, the school boasts a no-nonsense instructor (Christine Lahti) that uses ridicule as a teaching tool, if she so desires. Will Joe be able to sail the difficult waters of a first year medical student, without compromising his basic style and principles? This is a fine look at the first year in the life of a medical student. The workload is excruciating, to say the least, and even those who are smart and dedicated can fall between the cracks, failing examinations and more. All of the actors playing these roles are terrific, with Modine a delight as the atypical medical student and Zuniga very lovely as the determined but thoughtful doctor to be. Then, too, Lahti is wonderful as the much-despised instructor who uses her sharp tongue to weed out those who don't have what it takes to become competent doctors. You will like the costumes, sets, and look of this film very much, too. If you are contemplating a future as a doctor, you must get this film soon, as it will give you a taste of the intensity your life will take on for the next few years. But, even if you just love films about the medical profession or those that boast a nice little love story, this one is for you.