Vital Signs Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.0
Audio		2.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		2.0

Vital Signs Blu-ray Movie Review

Anchor Bay does nothing to make this release a vitally important purchase.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman October 27, 2013

Films centered around educational settings are, regrettably, not quite so commonplace. Compelling drama, competition, rise from obscurity, fall from the top of the class, student-teacher dynamics, motivation, and life lessons beyond classroom teachings define the best of the best, notably in classic films like Lean on Me and Stand and Deliver. Those films, beyond the periphery and at their core, are really about human drama rather than high-stakes competition, more about saving lives in a metaphorical sense rather than saving lives in a very much physical sense of the term. When films like Lean on Me graduate and go to college, however, they turn into movies like Vital Signs, an adults-only glimpse into the cutthroat world of medical school. Vital Signs examines the physical rigors, the emotional toll, the psychological challenges, and the ethical dilemmas of life deep into a top medical training program. Yet the film still shares that core of all academia-based films, capturing a very human essence about what it means to find success, to work hard, to even challenge the system and break from protocol when neither the system nor protocol appears to be working.

You mean...we have to...do THAT?

Third year medical students at a prestigious institution of higher learning find themselves faced with an incredible assortment of challenges, both personal and professional, as they vie for top honors in their groups in what is described as, and promises to be, the toughest, but most rewarding, year of their schooling. Michael Chatham (Adrian Pasdar) is a gifted student who's paying his own way through school, even though his father (William Devane) is himself a successful and wealthy physician. Also in his group is the newlywed Kenny Rose (Jack Gwaltney), Michael's toughest competition; Gina Wyler (Diane Lane), a beautiful student who shows promise and an interest in several of the men in her life; and Suzanne Maloney (Jane Adams) and Bobby Hayes (Tim Ransom), a couple of students whose relationship seems poised to enter another level. They work under the tutelage of the tough but fair Dr. Redding (Jimmy Smits) whose job is to not only teach them medicine but also how to deal with the ethical dilemmas of treating patients and the rigors of life in the medical profession.

The easiest and most relevant (it's always nice when such things are so neat, tidy, and simplified) comparison for Vital Signs is Gross Anatomy, a film released only months earlier and, of the two, the overall higher quality "Medical School Drama" experience. Gross Anatomy sports superior characters -- they're much easier to get behind and get to know -- and a tighter narrative flow. It's also a little bouncier than the slightly more serious Vital Signs. Both films introduce viewers to the challenges of medical school on the mind, body, and soul, and with characters that experience the difficulties of each with some degree of focus. Whether medical school be a hardship on their relationships, their personal constitutions, their tolerances for handling the very real human tragedies of an emergency, standing up against the demands of the classroom, or competing with their fellow students, both films manage a fairly wide berth of content that's suitably developed and always pertinent to the greater whole. Vital Signs enjoys the upper hand when it comes to digging into the doctor-patient relationship and finding a slightly more intimate, fully developed sense of medical ethics and drive in its characters. Both are hugely enjoyable films with quality casts, though there's certainly a sense of a slightly wider, more welcoming appeal to Gross Anatomy.

Though it's not quite as good as Gross Anatomy, Vital Signs still gets quite a bit right. The film soulfully creates drama and tension in the classroom, playing off several critical factors including the competition that forms between Chatham and Rose and the dynamics Jimmy Smits' character introduces into every scene. Smits is the film's best asset, a fully believable medical professional with a cool head under pressure and an understanding of how to push his students -- how far, how hard -- without breaking their will or skill. The students collectively enjoy a strong camaraderie and each is shaped by a quality performance. The highlight of the film, however, comes in the relationship that Chatham forms with a cancer patient (Norma Aleandro). Certainly, it drives the plot in the final act, but the film expertly constructs the relationship, from a frigid start to a very warm and, in many ways, platonically loving one. It's the film's strongest explosion of drama, a very centered, very human, very relatable, very honest part of the movie that is alone reason enough to watch.

Vital Signs Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Like most other 20th Century Fox titles distributed on Blu-ray by Anchor Bay, Vital Signs doesn't look great, but it doesn't look awful. It certainly appears dated and worn, not at all in any way restored or remastered. It doesn't look far and away better than a good standard definition title. Details are flat and uninspiring, mostly. Image clarity suffices, but there are no intimate, realistic textures to be found. Instead, faces, medical jackets, and other items appear with only basic detailing and improved quality thanks to the high definition resolution. Colors, too, fall rather flat and take on a slightly dull, uninspired appearance. There are certainly some instances of more robust shades, for example seen on fruits and potato chip bags in a grocery store. The image suffers from the occasional pop, speckle, and edge halo. Skin textures are adequate though slightly pasty. This is a watchable image, but forget about the opportunity to see Vital Signs as if it were fresh out of theaters.

Vital Signs Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Vital Signs' soundtrack isn't exactly perfect. The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack is good enough to get listeners through the movie, but it leaves much to be desired. The opening music -- and much of the cheery, light, whimsically magical late 1980s/early 1990s score -- plays too loudly at reference level. It's often overbearing and, worse, lacking much in the way of clarity. It comes across as shrill but at the same time very wide and well spaced, with ample surround support. Environmental ambiance generally impresses, whether the background din of chatty students in a crowded auditorium or the beeps of medical machinery operating in the background. Dialogue plays accurately and smoothly from the center, though it certainly lacks that lifelike sensation of better tracks.

Vital Signs Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Vital Signs contains no extras, and no menu is included. The film begins playback immediately after disc insertion.

Vital Signs Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Vital Signs may not graduate at the top of its class, but it's an entertaining and often compelling drama about self-discovery, saving lives, and the relationships that grow both weaker and stronger through the rigors of medical school. It's no Gross Anatomy, but this is a solid, dependable picture that's often captivating, always well acted, and built around fairly compelling characters. It does suffer from some bouts of predictability, but it's a worthwhile journey into a fascinating world. Anchor Bay's featureless Blu-ray offers medicare video and audio. Worth a rental or a purchase at a bargain price.