A 1995 American Historical Drama directed by Michael Hoffman that has an exiled physician (Robert Downey Jr.) helping the people of London and falling in love with an equally poor woman (Meg Ryan).
The movie also stars Sam Neill, David Thewlis, Polly Walker, Ian McKellen, Hugh Grant, Ian McDiarmid, Mary Mac Leod, among others.
It was released on December 29, 1995.
Tropes for the film:
- Collector of the Strange: At the start of the movie, young Dr. Merivel encounters a man with a hole in his chest due to an injury that enables people to see his beating heart (Merivel is the only one who dares to touch it). He later visits a room of scientific curios kept by the King, and is dumbfounded to see the same man sitting on a chair as one of the exhibits.
- Plague Doctor: The film features Merivel, a Restoration-era doctor, venturing out to tend to plague victims in a period-accurate Gas Mask, Longcoat. The film won an Oscar for best costume design.
- One-Word Title: Restoration.
- Strip Poker: Sort-of example: Merivel stops at a roadside three-Card Monte game. Jump cut later, and he's nearly nude, having lost all his money and clothes.
- Swapped Roles: A meta example. The film was shot concurrently with Richard III, in which Ian McKellen plays the character in a decidedly superior position to Downey's; in this film, he plays Merivel's likeable country servant.
- Victoria's Secret Compartment: Dr. Merivel is losing all of his money in a shell game and searching desperately for more. Katharine, his mentally disturbed wife, loudly shouts "My money's up my skirt!" much to his embarrassment. Sure enough, she then produces a coin from up her skirt. And wins the game for him.
