Michael Sragow

".... Though it lacks the kicks and tone of a classic horror thriller, it has considerable virtues of its own. Coms's heroine (Genevieve Bujold) has more character and heart than the heroes of most thrillers, and when the movie veers towards sci-fi and horror, Crichton conjures eerie, metaphoric images....

".... Crichton brought a special enthusiasm to Coma. 'When we started work early in '76, the recent "women's movies" had not yet appeared. Coma had that rarity-a strong heroine with an important job and hence a personality structure similar to a traditional male's. Coma is still unique, because its heroine has the Paul Newman role-her womanhood only becomes an issue as part of the story.'

"Nowhere has Crichton been more astute than in choosing Genevieve Bujold for his lead: her performance may at last make her a star. As the doctor who risks her career and then her life to discover why healthy patients lapse into coma, she's on-screen for all but a few minutes. Whether knocking heads with the bureaucrats who block her path, or collapsing under the strain, she draws our sympathy like an emotional electromagnet. ('The only other actress who could have pulled it off is Jane Fonda,' says Crichton.) Bujold's sexiness and sass are as crucial to the movie's success as its suspense ploys. You root for her, though she alienates both villains and good guys. She even gives edge to the movie's blandly "lyrical" North Shore interlude. Who cares that Bujold's frolic on the beach is a cliché, when she so acutely conveys sensual release?

"Bujold must be the first lead in a thriller who has to dispose of pantyhose before moving into action. She may put off insecure men, but vocal women at a preview audience took her to their hears: 'She's like Nancy Drew grown up,' said one. Crichton admires Bujold's stamina and professionalism. 'The shadows under her eyes come from working three-and-a-half months with only two or three days rest. And that look fits the role. We could have made her more glamorous, but she wanted to do it straight, which is courageous in the closed world of Hollywood. You know someone there will tell her, 'Darling, you really should have used more make-up'.....”

Michael Sragow
Boston Phoenix, date?