Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
After leaving Washington D.C. hospital, plastic surgeon Ben Stone heads for California, where a lucrative practice in Beverly Hills awaits. After a car accident, he's sentenced to perform as the community's general practitioner.
Doc Hollywood is a pleasant but formulaic fish-out-of-water romantic comedy that hits familiar beats without much surprise. Michael J. Fox is charming and the supporting cast (including Julie Warner and Woody Harrelson) elevate the material, but the acting rarely transcends the genre's modest demands. Cinematography is functional small-town fare with nothing distinctive. The plot follows a well-worn template — city slicker learns small-town values and finds love — executed competently but predictably. The ending is telegraphed well in advance, offering little emotional payoff beyond genre satisfaction. Novelty is low as the concept and execution are thoroughly conventional romantic comedy territory.