Coma (1978)

A female doctor (Genevieve Bujold) at a major Boston hospital is devastated when her best friend (Lois Chiles) goes into the hospital for minor surgery but goes into a coma and pronounced brain dead. Perplexed that a healthy young woman would go into a coma with no medical explanation, she begins to investigate. When another healthy young patient (Tom Selleck) goes in for minor knee surgery but goes into a coma, she is positive something suspicious is going on. She doesn't know that half of it! Based on the popular best seller by Robin Cook and written and directed by doctor turned novelist turned movie director Michael Crichton, this is a pulpy if competently made paranoid thriller with sci-fi/horror overtones. It starts off realistically before its narrative turns loopily far fetched. The film is lucky to have Bujold at its center. A talented actress like her is overqualified for a grown up Nancy Drew mystery like this. But Bujold doesn't condescend to the pulp material, she gives it all her skills as an actress so that you totally believe her despite the hard to swallow scenario. There's a nice Jerry Goldsmith underscore, too. With Richard Widmark, Elizabeth Ashley, Rip Torn, Ed Harris and Lance Le Gault.