Breast Men

Breast Men

Breast Men
List Price: $5.98
Our Price: $1.79
You Save: $4.19 (70%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $1.76 (click here)
Category: DVD
See more DVD details


(Click here)
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada

DVD details

Actor: Chris Cooper, David Schwimmer, Emily Procter, Louise Fletcher, Matt Frewer
Brand: HBO HOME VIDEO
Producer: Guy Riedel
Writer: John Stockwell
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 5.1; Spanish (Subtitled); English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 92 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2002-03-19
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Model: 91470
Studio: Hbo Home Video
Product features:
  • Actors: David Schwimmer, Chris Cooper, Emily Procter, Matt Frewer, Terry O'Quinn.
  • Producers: Gary Lucchesi, Guy Riedel, Robert McMinn, Udi Nedivi.
  • Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC.
  • Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only).
  • Rated: R. Run Time: 95 minutes.

DVD Reviews of Breast Men

DVD Review: A slightly augmented history of silicone breast implants
Summary: 4 Stars

"Brest Men" is not exactly a black comedy, but it has some moments that are definitely in that direction. This 1997 HBO film tells the story, "slightly augmented," of the invention, development, and commercial exploitation of silicone breast implants. The punny phrase "slightly augmented" means "fictionalized in this case. Silicone gel breast implants were invented by the plastic surgeons Thomas Cronin and Frank Gerow at the University of Texas in the early 1960s. They were then developed as a commercial product by Dow Corning in 1962. This film tells the story of the rise and fall of silicone gel breast implants in the persons of Dr. Christopher "Kevin" Saunders (David Schwimmer) and Dr. William Larson (Chris Cooper), a pair of reconstructive surgeons in Texas.

The film begins with the first in a series of shots of women whose faces cannot be seen who bare their breasts and explain what they think about them. Both the breasts and the comments are across the spectrum, and constitute one of the more thought provocative parts of "Breast Men." They also pop up often enough throughout the film to ground it back in reality. That is because as Doctors Saunders and Larson create this new field of reconstructive surgery things get a bit strange, whether it is the bizarre condescension of their colleagues to their proposal or the rich life style they are able to afford because of the success of their practice. Although there is mention of reconstructive breast surgery for women who have undergone a mastectomy, that is quickly ignored for women who want larger breasts.

Saunders gets the idea for breast implants when he spies a neighbor using breast enhancement cream and he is apparently sincere in his desire to help women, at least until he gets to operate on the woman of his dream (Emily Proctor), who ends up becoming his wife. Larson is a senior surgeon who originally dismisses the idea but gets tired of being considered a joke by the other doctors at the hospital and gets in touch with a Dow Corning representative (Matt Frewer) who takes Saunders original design, with used a saline solution, and upgrades it to silicone. It takes a while for the two doctors to find a woman (Kathleen Wilhoite) willing to undergo the new procedure and then to get their practice up and running, at which point it becomes extremely lucrative. Along the way the two doctors enjoy the good life but come to a parting of the ways over who deserves the lion's share of the credit for this whole business.

Then the first stories start coming out about implants that are leaking and the first lawsuits get filed. The story tries to provide both sides of the controversy, but it is hard for the doctors spouting statistics over the phone to compete with a lawyer (Terry O'Quinn) in court pointing out that the same company that made the implants made Agent Orange and holding up examples of implants that have dissolved. Yes, you get to see dozens of pairs of breasts in this movie, but you are also going to be confronted with film of actual surgery and examples of implants that have gone horribly wrong. Believe me when I say it is going to be the latter examples that will stand out in your memory.

The punch line for the film is historically accurate because it did turn out that what was profitable to give was even more profitable to take away. It is not that the history of silicone gel breast implants is a joke, but there are certainly surreal elements to it. There will be parts of "Breast Men" that you will find funny and others that will make you uncomfortable, and in both cases those responses will be appropriate. Writer John Stockwell (who played Dennis Guilder in "Christine" and Cougar in "Top Gun") does a nice job of mixing together the diverse threads and if I were to point to the moment in the film where it really hits home it would be when Saunders's former wife comes to his office to pay him a visit. You get more than you bargained for when you watch this movie.
More Breast Men reviews:
1 2

Description of Breast Men

IN HOUSTON TEXAS, 1962, A YOUNG UNDERPAID MEDICAL RESIDENT IN THE PLASTIC SURGERY UNIT, KEVIN SAUNDERS, IS BORED WITH FACIALRECONSTRUCTION. HE'S LOOKING TO MAKE IT BIG, BUT LITTLE DOES HE REALIZE HOW BIG BIG IS GOING TO BE. SAUNDERS TAKES THE CONCEPTOF BREAST AUGMENTATION TO HIS SENIOR SURGEON.
Bestsellers in DVD
The Story of Jeremiah [VHS] ImageThe Story of Jeremiah [VHS]
Vision Video; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Wresting With God [VHS] ImageWresting With God [VHS]
by Vision Video
Vision Video; Published: 1990-10-01; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Price in other shops: $19.99
Study Bible Video with Workbook [VHS] ImageStudy Bible Video with Workbook [VHS]
Spring Arbor Distributors; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $7.95
Price in other shops: $44.00
Tempo:Childrens TV Favourites Video [VHS] ImageTempo:Childrens TV Favourites Video [VHS]
HarperCollins Audio; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $9.17
Price in other shops: $9.98
Tempo.Herbs:Parseley'Sb/Party Video [VHS] ImageTempo.Herbs:Parseley'Sb/ Party Video [VHS]
HarperCollins Audio; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Strike the Original Match [VHS] ImageStrike the Original Match [VHS]
New Liberty Films; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Price in other shops: $14.95
Medjugorje The Miracles and the Message [VHS] ImageMedjugorje The Miracles and the Message [VHS]
JPN Film Production; Release date: 1995-12-15; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $29.99
Mayo Clinic Echocardiography Review Course for Boards and Recertification DVD 2008 ImageMayo Clinic Echocardiography Review Course for Boards and Recertification DVD 2008
by Mayo
DVD
Price in other shops: $1,463.24
Pediatric Diagnostic Imaging DVD: Single User ImagePediatric Diagnostic Imaging DVD: Single User
by Oakstone
DVD
Price in other shops: $1,463.24
Cost Accounting [VHS] ImageCost Accounting [VHS]
by Charles T. Horngren, George Foster, Srikant M. Datar, Howard Teall
Pearson Canada, Toronto; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Similar DVDs, VHS Video, Audio CDs
Dancing at the Blue Iguana ImageDancing at the Blue Iguana
Lions Gate; Release date: 2001-12-25; DVD
Best price: $4.39
Price in other shops: $9.98
Striptease ImageStriptease
WHV; Release date: 2010-11-09; DVD
Best price: $3.15
Price in other shops: $5.97
Celebrity Nude Revue, Easy 80's Volume 1 ImageCelebrity Nude Revue, Easy 80's Volume 1
Release date: 2011-10-26; DVD
Best price: $22.49
Price in other shops: $24.99
Big Bad Mama / Big Bad Mama II (Roger Corman's Cult Classics) ImageBig Bad Mama / Big Bad Mama II (Roger Corman's Cult Classics)
VIS; Release date: 2010-12-07; DVD
Best price: $12.75
Price in other shops: $19.93
Feast of Love ImageFeast of Love
Sony; Release date: 2008-02-05; DVD
Best price: $4.99
Price in other shops: $14.98
Gia (Unrated Edition) ImageGia (Unrated Edition)
HBO HOME VIDEO; Release date: 2004-08-24; DVD
Best price: $3.58
Price in other shops: $5.98
The Ranch (Unrated Uncut Edition) ImageThe Ranch (Unrated Uncut Edition)
TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX HOME ENT; Release date: 2004-11-23; DVD
Best price: $0.98
Price in other shops: $3.98
Boobs: An American Obsession ImageBoobs: An American Obsession
E1E; Release date: 2010-02-09; DVD
Best price: $8.29
Price in other shops: $19.98
Rated X (Unrated Version) ImageRated X (Unrated Version)
Paramount; Release date: 2001-02-06; DVD
Best price: $5.34
Price in other shops: $9.98
Hardbodies Collection ImageHardbodies Collection
ABE; Release date: 2009-08-18; DVD
Best price: $4.60
Price in other shops: $9.98
Compare prices and read customer reviews for more than one million DVD titles.
Oscar 2005 Winners