The true story of Dr. Hunter "Patch" Adams, who in the 1970s found that humor is the best medicine, and was willing to do just anything to make his patients laugh—even if it meant risking his own career.
Patch Adams is a 1998 American comedy-drama film directed by Tom Shadyac. It stars Robin Williams, Monica Potter, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bob Gunton, Daniel London, and Peter Coyote. Set in the late 1960s and early 1970s, it is based on the life story of medical doctor Hunter "Patch" Adams and the book Gesundheit: Good Health Is a Laughing Matter by Adams and Maureen Mylander. The film received generally negative reviews from critics, with criticism for the sentimentality and direction. However, it was a box-office success, grossing $202.3 million against a $50–90 million budget.