Dr. Love Actually.

Film Some time today, Neil tweeted me a link to a rangey interview with US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy which wanders about across a range of topics including, oddly his favourite film, which a press release told them was E.T. Sadly, it isn't:

"It is a movie I like a lot, but it’s not my favorite movie. There are two movies I wrote down. I’m going to give you two. It’s a bit of a dodge, but I’ll give you two. And one of them is a recent movie that came out, “The Martian,” with Matt Damon, our local Boston hero. And the other is an older movie with Hugh Grant, called “Love Actually.”"

Oh dear. I'll give him The Martian. It was one of my favourite films of last year is sure to be looked at fondly for years to come. But, ugh. He continues:

"I’ll go on to further embarrass myself and admit that it’s one of the very few movies I actually own. I’m just digging a hole here."

Yes, yes, you are.  But go on.

"The reason I enjoy it so much is that it’s about love, as well. Love is the oldest medicine that we have. We focus so much on new drugs and new therapeutics and sometimes in an effort to bring in the new, we forget about the old. That’s true with technology, it’s true with medicine, it’s true with so much else."

Which doesn't say anything about the actual film. He could have said exactly the same about When Harry Met Sally and retained some credibility.

"We fixate on Facebook and forget the importance of face-to-face conversation. We text people and forget the importance of hearing their voice. But when it comes to healing, love is a powerful source of healing. As powerful as our medicines are, when a patient doesn’t have a source of love in their life, it makes it difficult to heal. These old medicines, of which love is the most important, are very powerful."

Yes, yes it is. But it doesn't say what you specifically like Love Actually. I find that rather telling. If only the interviewer had pressed him further. Instead they segway into police brutality.