Gray's Anatomy

About Gray's Anatomy

Released in 1997, "Gray's Anatomy" is an American monologue film directed by Steven Soderbergh and featuring Spalding Gray. The film presents Spalding in a performance revolving around his experience with a surgical procedure to remove a rare form of eye pterygium, a benign but potentially vision-threatening growth. Driven by his phobia of surgery, Spalding sets out to find alternative treatments, leading the audience on a journey filled with humor, sadness as he deals with his fears and skepticism about modern medicine.

Making/Production

This unique conceptual film was a product of the creative genius of director Steven Soderbergh who embraced Gray’s storytelling style and used minimalistic production design to highlight the narrative. Filmed in monologue style, it incorporates various visual images and animations that embellish the spoken word, adding a visual depth to Gray's verbal narrative.

Actors

• Spalding Gray: Spalding played himself in this monologue film and with his vibrant storytelling, he involves the audience in his world, sharing his fears, thoughts, and views about his eye condition and the modern medical world.

Trivia/Interesting Facts

• Spalding Gray's monologue was originally produced for the stage before being adapted into film format.
• The title is a play on the classic medical text "Gray’s Anatomy", reflecting the medical themes of the film.
• The visual effects in the movie were created by noted artist, Laurie Simmons, Spalding Gray’s wife.

Quotes

• "Suddenly you realize you’re not fighting the fear for yourself, but for your loved ones and that the fear is love."
• "If you scratch it, it will come."
• "I became my eyes."

Music/Soundtrack

• The haunting minimalist score was composed by Cliff Martinez, a long-time collaborator of the director, Soderbergh.
• The music takes a backseat role, subtly supporting Gray’s narrative and emphasizing the emotional tone of his storytelling.