Critics pan 'Trust Me, I'm a Doctor', Kal Penn film on Anna Nicole Smith's physician
Two left-leaning outlets review the film 'Trust Me, I'm a Doctor', which stars Kal Penn as Sandeep Kapoor, Anna Nicole Smith's doctor, and both judge it a weak, unfocused biopic.
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The story, neutrally told
Left · 2Trust Me, I'm a Doctor is a new film about Sandeep Kapoor, the doctor of model and reality TV star Anna Nicole Smith, who was charged with crimes related to his treatment of her after her 2007 death from a drug overdose at age 39. The Hollywood ReporterLC “charged with multiple crimes related to his treatment of the reality TV star after her 2007 death from a drug overdose at age 39” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗ The A.V. ClubLC “the doctor who once stood trial as a defendant in a prosecution alleging conspiracy in the events leading up to Smith's death by prescription drug overdose” Read at The A.V. Club ↗ Left · 2Thane Economou wrote and directed the film, which is based on Kapoor's self-published memoir; Kal Penn plays Kapoor, Abbie Cornish plays Smith, and Linda Hamilton plays his attorney Ellyn Garofalo. The Hollywood ReporterLC “Based on Kapoor's self-published memoir” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗ The A.V. ClubLC “Director: Thane Economou Writer: Thane Economou Starring: Linda Hamilton, Abbie Cornish, Kal Penn” Read at The A.V. Club ↗ Left · 2The story opens with a police raid or arrest at Kapoor's home, then flashes back through his relationship with Smith, using a discovery meeting with Garofalo as a loose framing device, and later covers the trial. The Hollywood ReporterLC “the story flashes back to chronicle his relationship with his patient as related during a discovery session with his attorney Ellyn Garofalo” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗ The A.V. ClubLC “The latter half of the movie explores the trial and its impact on Kapoor” Read at The A.V. Club ↗
Left · 2The cast also includes David Julian Hirsh as Howard K. Stern, Elon Gold as TMZ founder Harvey Levin, and Ted Jefferies as photographer Larry Birkhead, with Penn's Kapoor narrating and breaking the fourth wall. The Hollywood ReporterLC “Penn's Kapoor narrates the proceedings, often breaking the fourth wall to address us directly” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗ The A.V. ClubLC “Elon Gold delivers a great impression of TMZ honcho Harvey Levin” Read at The A.V. Club ↗ Left · 1The Hollywood Reporter's Frank Scheck calls it a "Moldy and Misguided Bio-Dramedy" that arrives nearly two decades too late. He faults its jokey tone, its clunky exposition and its inconsistent mood, and says it feels like another sleazy attempt to capitalize on Smith's notoriety, though he praises Cornish's performance and calls Penn's turn sensitive. The Hollywood ReporterLC “feels like it's arriving nearly two decades too late”“he's unable to make the film feel like anything other than yet another sleazy attempt to capitalize on Smith's notoriety” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗ Left · 1The A.V. Club's Brent Simon calls it "a generally ineffective and sometimes silly bauble" with an erratic time-skipping structure and intrusive narration. He praises supporting turns, including Hirsh, Gold and Al Sapienza, says Penn and Hamilton make "the least bad choice" given the material, and blames Economou's adaptation for the film's flaws. The A.V. ClubLC “a generally ineffective and sometimes silly bauble”“The bulk of the blame rests squarely on writer-director Thane Economou's inelegant adaptation” Read at The A.V. Club ↗
Left · 2Both reviews compare the film's exposition to a Wikipedia entry and single out a flashback about Frédéric Prinz von Anhalt, who claimed to be the father of Smith's child or to have had an affair with her, as an example of its lack of focus. The Hollywood ReporterLC “with all the finesse of Wikipedia entries” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗ The A.V. ClubLC “A full-on two-minute flashback ensues, notably not showing the character interacting at all with Smith.” Read at The A.V. Club ↗ Left · 2The A.V. Club says the film avoids taking a stance on moral complicity versus legal guilt and leaves Kapoor a character viewers "can never really know, or care about"; The Hollywood Reporter likewise says Smith is given short shrift in favour of Kapoor, "about whom it's hard to care much about". The film's release date is given as October 16, 2026. The A.V. ClubLC “a character whom viewers can never really know, or care about”“Release Date: October 16, 2026” Read at The A.V. Club ↗ The Hollywood ReporterLC “in favor of concentrating on Kapoor, about whom it's hard to care much about” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left2 outlets
- Framing
- Both outlets run negative reviews that treat the film as a poorly structured, exploitative or confused biopic, and fault the writer-director more than the cast.
- Emphasis
- Tonal inconsistency, Wikipedia-style exposition, the fourth-wall narration, and the film's failure to make Kapoor or Smith compelling; the casting and some supporting performances get credit.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Neither review gives much detail about the legal outcome of Kapoor's case or reports any response from the filmmakers or Kapoor.
- Charged language
- “Moldy and Misguided”“sleazy attempt to capitalize on Smith's notoriety”“generally ineffective and sometimes silly bauble”
- For example
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“Moldy and Misguided Bio-Dramedy” — The Hollywood Reporter
“Anna Nicole Smith was so fascinating to American media that it's still exploiting her memory in confused films” — The A.V. Club
Centre0 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right0 outlets
No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
What every side reports
- Kal Penn plays Sandeep Kapoor and Abbie Cornish plays Anna Nicole Smith.
- Thane Economou wrote and directed the film, which is based on Kapoor's memoir.
- Smith died in 2007 at age 39 of a drug overdose.
- Both reviews are negative.
Kal Penn person
Both critics describe Penn's Kapoor as sensitively or likably played, but say he cannot rescue the material.
“Penn delivers a sensitive turn as the doctor so desperate for attention and validation” — The Hollywood Reporter
“despite Penn's innate likability” — The A.V. Club
Anna Nicole Smith person
Both reviews present Smith as the film's most interesting figure, whose story has been repeatedly retold and exploited; they say this film gives her little attention.
“the most interesting character onscreen, Smith, is given short shrift” — The Hollywood Reporter
“no fewer than four films have unpacked her rise and fall” — The A.V. Club
Left2 articles
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The Hollywood ReporterLC · · Opinion
Critical Dismisses the film as a late, clunky and tonally inconsistent cash-in on Smith's notoriety, while crediting Cornish and Penn's performances.
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The A.V. ClubLC · · Opinion
Even Anna Nicole Smith's doctor gets a bad biopic with Trust Me, I'm A Doctor
Critical Judges the film conventionally bad and confused, blaming Economou's adaptation, while praising several supporting performances and Penn's likability.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right0 articles
No coverage yet.
- 9 Oct 17:00 First The Hollywood ReporterLC ‘Trust Me, I’m a Doctor’ Review: Kal Penn Plays Anna Nicole Smith’s Physician in a Moldy and Misguided Bio-Dramedy Opinion
- 12 Oct 11:00 +66h 1m The A.V. ClubLC Even Anna Nicole Smith's doctor gets a bad biopic with Trust Me, I'm A Doctor Opinion
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
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