Gross Anatomy (film) First-year med student, Joe Slovak, approaches the usually dreaded gross anatomy class—the systematic dissection of the human body—with his usual cocky manner. But he meets his match in Dr. Rachel Woodruff, the uncompromising instructor, who recognizes Joe’s natural gift for medicine under his outspoken rebelliousness, and begins a tough campaign to discover whether her class clown really has what it takes to become a doctor. The test of wills ultimately becomes a touching and revealing experience for both student and teacher. Released on October 20, 1989. Directed by Thom Eberhardt. A Touchstone film. 107 min. Stars Matthew Modine (Joe Slovak), Daphne Zuniga (Lori Rohrbach), Christine Lahti (Rachel Woodruff). Filmed at various Southern California locations, including the defunct Queen of the Angels hospital and the University of Southern California. For the anatomy lab scenes shot on a Disney Studio sound stage, 16 realistic-looking cadavers had to be created. Released on video in 1990.
