# Medicine Man (film)
**Medicine Man** is a 1992 American adventure-drama film directed by [John McTiernan](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-mctiernan), in which an eccentric biochemist working alone in the Amazon rain forest discovers a possible cure for cancer, loses the formula, and must rediscover it with a female research assistant sent to check on him. It stars [Sean Connery](https://www.edgepedia.org/sean-connery) as Dr. Robert Campbell and [Lorraine Bracco](https://www.edgepedia.org/lorraine-bracco) as Dr. Rae Crane, with José Wilker as Dr. Miguel Ornega.[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/59322-MEDICINE-MAN) • [2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1038176-medicine_man)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | February 7, 1992 (United States), distributed by Buena Vista Pictures[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/59322-MEDICINE-MAN) |
| Director and writers | John McTiernan; screenplay by Tom Schulman and Sally Robinson[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/59322-MEDICINE-MAN) |
| Cast | Sean Connery (Dr. Robert Campbell), Lorraine Bracco (Dr. Rae Crane), José Wilker (Dr. Miguel Ornega)[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/59322-MEDICINE-MAN) |
| Budget and gross | $40 million production budget; $45,500,797 domestic gross; $8,494,271 opening weekend in 1,304 theaters[3](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0104839/credits/) |
| Rating and length | PG-13; about 104 to 106 minutes depending on the source[4](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/medicine-man-1992) • [5](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/medicine-man) |
| Production companies | Hollywood Pictures (a Walt Disney subsidiary) and Cinergi Productions[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/59322-MEDICINE-MAN) |
| Critical scores | 17% on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer (23 reviews); Metascore 43 based on 25 critic reviews[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1038176-medicine_man) • [6](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/medicine-man/) |
| Filming location | Jungle scenes shot in Catemaco, Mexico[7](https://d23.com/a-to-z/medicine-man-film/) |
## Spoilers
### Premise
Dr. Robert Campbell, a brilliant and eccentric research scientist, has lived deep in the Amazon jungle for years searching for a cure for cancer, funded by an American pharmaceutical company. He believes he has found it in a flower extract, but he cannot duplicate the formula that produced his one successful serum. The company sends Dr. Rae Crane, a biochemist, to investigate the reclusive researcher who has stopped submitting reports. Campbell initially refuses to work with a woman, but the two join forces as commercial loggers and bulldozers threaten to destroy the jungle that contains the source of the drug, and they fall in love along the way.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1038176-medicine_man) • [7](https://d23.com/a-to-z/medicine-man-film/) • [8](https://www.netflix.com/title/750973)
The sources disagree on how long Campbell has been in the jungle: Rotten Tomatoes' synopsis says six years, the AFI Catalog synopsis says three years, and a Harvard Crimson review says twenty.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1038176-medicine_man) • [1](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/59322-MEDICINE-MAN) • [9](https://www.thecrimson.com/article/1992/2/20/a-pony-tailed-connery-in-medicine-man/)
## Development and production
Screenwriter Tom Schulman, who had won an Academy Award for *Dead Poets Society*, sold his script under the original title *The Stand* in a bidding war to producer Andrew G. Vajna, who had recently left [Carolco Pictures](https://www.edgepedia.org/carolco-pictures) to found Cinergi Productions. According to a February 1992 *Daily Variety* review, Vajna paid Schulman roughly $3 million and spent an additional $1 million on rewrites by Sally Robinson and an uncredited [Tom Stoppard](https://www.edgepedia.org/tom-stoppard); a later *Daily Variety* article put the script price at the lower figure of $2.5 million. The same article reported that Cinergi paid as much as $20 million for the combined services of Schulman, McTiernan, and Connery, and a $40 million production budget was cited in April 1991.[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/59322-MEDICINE-MAN)
The title was changed to *The Last Days of Eden* during early 1991 before the final title, *Medicine Man*, appeared in August 1991. [Principal photography](https://www.edgepedia.org/principal-photography) began on March 4, 1991.[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/59322-MEDICINE-MAN)
**Location work.** McTiernan had originally planned to shoot in Palenque, Mexico, where he had filmed *Predator* in 1985, but found that the jungle there had been developed into a hotel and tourist attractions. After scouting unsuccessfully through [Central America](https://www.edgepedia.org/central-america), Venezuela, and Borneo, the production settled on Catemaco, Veracruz, Mexico, for the jungle scenes.[10](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-02-16-ca-4658-story.html) • [7](https://d23.com/a-to-z/medicine-man-film/) According to Disney's press materials, the film featured 57 Indian natives from nine Brazilian tribes.[7](https://d23.com/a-to-z/medicine-man-film/)
The crew included cinematographer Donald McAlpine, composer [Jerry Goldsmith](https://www.edgepedia.org/jerry-goldsmith), and editor Michael R. Miller; Connery served as executive producer alongside producers Vajna and Donna Dubrow.[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/59322-MEDICINE-MAN) • [11](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104839/fullcredits/) The film was shot in [Panavision](https://www.edgepedia.org/panavision) with Dolby Stereo sound.[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/59322-MEDICINE-MAN)
## Release and box office
The film opened wide in the United States on February 7, 1992, after a Los Angeles premiere on February 5. It opened at number one with $8,494,271 from 1,304 theaters, about 18.9 percent of its eventual domestic total of $45,500,797, against a $40 million budget. The Numbers lists a home video release on April 14, 1994, by Walt Disney Home Entertainment, while D23 places a video release in 1992.[3](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0104839/credits/) • [12](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Medicine-Man) • [7](https://d23.com/a-to-z/medicine-man-film/)
The benefit premiere at the [El Capitan Theatre](https://www.edgepedia.org/el-capitan-theatre) in Hollywood, with Cinergi covering the cost, netted more than $150,000 for three environmental groups: the [Rainforest Alliance](https://www.edgepedia.org/rainforest-alliance), the [Natural Resources Defense Council](https://www.edgepedia.org/natural-resources-defense-council), and the Nature Conservancy.[13](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-02-07-vw-1268-story.html)
## Critical reception
The film received mixed to negative reviews. It holds a 17% Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes from 23 reviews and a Metascore of 43 on Metacritic, where 16 of 25 critics rated it mixed, 5 negative, and 4 positive.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1038176-medicine_man) • [6](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/medicine-man/) Roger Ebert of the *Chicago Sun-Times* gave it 1.5 out of 4 stars, writing that all the elements were present but never came together, and that the audience could solve Campbell's research problem before the characters did because of two unsubtle clues.[4](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/medicine-man-1992)
Reviewers repeatedly praised the production values while faulting the script. Hal Hinson of *The Washington Post* gave the film's highest Metacritic score, 80, citing McAlpine's "ravishing cinematography" and Goldsmith's "luscious score."[6](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/medicine-man/) Dave Kehr of the *Chicago Tribune* wrote that the screenplay kept manufacturing artificial conflicts and false climaxes where relaxed character work would have sufficed.[6](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/medicine-man/) Michael Wilmington of the *Los Angeles Times* argued that the film worked best in pure adventure mode and that it only worked perfectly "when it leaves its characters up a tree."[14](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-02-07-ca-1248-story.html) The film received one Razzie Award nomination.[6](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/medicine-man/)
## Environmental theme and afterlife
The film's argument that the rain forest is worth saving because its plants may hold a cancer cure drew criticism from some reviewers. Wilmington called the premise defiantly shallow, and Owen Gleiberman of *Entertainment Weekly* described the film as yoking together "medical wish fulfillment and save-the-rain-forest agitprop."[14](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-02-07-ca-1248-story.html) • [15](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/medicine-man/critic-reviews/) The Harvard Crimson review criticized the film's treatment of the Brazilian natives and called its rain-forest message insincere.[9](https://www.thecrimson.com/article/1992/2/20/a-pony-tailed-connery-in-medicine-man/)
The film has had an afterlife in environmental education research: a study published in *The Journal of Environmental Education* examined the impact of *Medicine Man* on viewers' attitudes toward forest preservation, using the 1993 comedy-romance *Three of Hearts* as a control film.[16](https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00958960903479811) As of recent listings, the film is not on subscription streaming services in the United States but can be rented or bought digitally.[5](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/medicine-man)
## References
1. [Medicine Man (1992), AFI Catalog of Feature Films](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/59322-MEDICINE-MAN)
2. [Medicine Man, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1038176-medicine_man)
3. [Medicine Man (1992), Box Office Mojo](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0104839/credits/)
4. [Medicine Man movie review & film summary, Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times, February 11, 1992](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/medicine-man-1992)
5. [Medicine Man streaming: where to watch movie online?, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/medicine-man)
6. [Medicine Man Reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/medicine-man/)
7. [Medicine Man (film), D23 (The Walt Disney Company)](https://d23.com/a-to-z/medicine-man-film/)
8. [Medicine Man, Netflix](https://www.netflix.com/title/750973)
9. [A Pony-Tailed Connery in Medicine Man, The Harvard Crimson, February 20, 1992](https://www.thecrimson.com/article/1992/2/20/a-pony-tailed-connery-in-medicine-man/)
10. [The Eco File: Hey, It Really Isn't a Jungle Out There, Los Angeles Times, February 16, 1992](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-02-16-ca-4658-story.html)
11. [Medicine Man (1992) full cast & crew, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104839/fullcredits/)
12. [Medicine Man (1992) box office information, The Numbers](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Medicine-Man)
13. [The Rain's No Pain at 'Medicine Man' Bash, Los Angeles Times, February 7, 1992](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-02-07-vw-1268-story.html)
14. [Movie Review: 'Medicine Man': In Search of a Dose of Reality, Los Angeles Times, February 7, 1992](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-02-07-ca-1248-story.html)
15. [Medicine Man critic reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/medicine-man/critic-reviews/)
16. [Environmental Education Through Narrative Films: Impact of Medicine Man on Attitudes Toward Forest Preservation, The Journal of Environmental Education](https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00958960903479811)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Action and adventure films (individual works) › Adventure films › Released 1935 to 2004*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license