With several shows earning the reboot treatment as per the demands of die-hard fans, Scrubs loyalists (and season 9 disowners) know better.
Thankfully, there is Zach Braff and Donald Faison's new rewatch podcast to look forward to. However, all the nostalgia in the world cannot replicate the impact of one's introduction to creative works they had not seen previously. Thus, the following ten films should remind viewers of what made Scrubs' punchlines land and dramatic sequences tug at hearts.
10 The Princess Bride (1987)
Fans of Scrubs' season 7 finale – which broke continuity to serve as a potential series-ender – will inherently appreciate the Rob Reiner fantasy film it memorably spoofed.
Subbing Elliot Reid (Sarah Chalke) in for Robin Wright's breakout eponymous character, "My Princess" is structured as the bedtime story Dr. Cox (John C. McGinley) reads to his son. While the canceled series was picked up by ABC soon afterward, the special episode helped remind audiences to prioritize sampling the film they should have already caught centuries prior.
9 Just Like Heaven (2005)
Reese Witherspoon is a recently-perished workaholic doctor in this romantic comedy co-starring The Avengers' Mark Ruffalo.
Members of the Sacred Heart staff may not have had as many spiritual run-ins as say, Denis Leary in Rescue Me, which would qualify for a TV show recommended viewing compilation geared toward Scrubs fans. But when they did, the show similarly drove home the thematic resonance also present in Just Like Heaven. At Sacred Heart, the sane must confront why they are seeing ghosts, and where to go from there.
8 GoodFellas (1990)
Both JD (Zach Braff) and Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) are narrators who cope with the overwhelming terrain they are thrown into by letting their fantasies, insecurities, and paranoias get the best of them.
In their own unique ways, Bill Lawrence's hospital-set workforce comedy and Martin Scorese's iconic mob film entertain through crowd-pleasing irreverence. While each lead clearly felt safest in their own head, Hill may have had less patience with Dr. Cox and Dr. Kelso than JD did if they did a mentor-switcharoo; though Tommy (Joe Pesci) probably would have been the one to do the double whacking.
7 The Specials (2000)
Those who wonder what Scrubs could have looked like through The Office/Modern Family testimonial format could benefit from viewing this sly, little-seen superhero flick.
Before Craig Mazin deconstructed the genre with Superhero Movie (2000), and James Gunn did the same with Super (2010), Guardians of the Galaxy, and his forthcoming The Suicide Squad, the pair teamed up for an ensemble headlined by Rob Lowe, Thomas Haden Church, and Judy Greer. The cast also included Scrubs writer, Chuck Schwartz, most known for his turn as Lloyd the Delivery Guy on the show.
6 Fletch (1985)
JD and Turk's plan to watch the Chevy Chase neo-noir comedy briefly threatened the early days of Turk and Carla's courtship. However, this is not the film's only connection to Scrubs.
After Kevin Smith dropped out of directing a reboot of the franchise for Miramax, Scrubs creator Bill Lawrence was tabbed to helm what would have been his feature-length directorial debut. Zach Braff was also attached in the lead role before both eventually left the still-unproduced Fletch revival.
5 The Girl Next Door (2004)
The MTV Movie Award-nominated teen comedy follows Matthew Kidman (Emile Hirsch), a Georgetown-hopeful class valedictorian whose life is rocked by the arrival of a pornstar that moves in next door.
With frequent, humorously-constructed daydreams and a tasteful blend of raunch and sentiment, The Girl Next Door arguably offers a window into what life could have been like for JD and Turk had they met their soulmates in high school.
4 Bringing Out The Dead (1999)
Released two years prior to the show's premiere on NBC, Martin Scorsese's even more Scrubsian outing starred Nicolas Cage as a restless paramedic haunted by the deceased he has treated.
By plot alone, the psychological drama parallels Scrubs arcs where characters like Nurse Carla Espinosa (Judy Reyes) and Dr. Cox were plagued by similar occurrences. Reyes even appeared as an ICU nurse within the film, which most definitely must have served as the ultimate audition tape.
3 Garden State (2004)
Written after he was cast for Scrubs but before shooting began, Zach Braff's semi-autobiographical directorial debut was ranked no. 393 on Empire Magazine's "500 Greatest Movies Of All Time."
Starring Natalie Portman, Peter Sarsgaard, and Braff himself, the film scored the exploits of Andrew Largeman (Braff) – a struggling actor incapable of experiencing emotions (spoilers: until he does) – with a Grammy-winning soundtrack as well.
2 Zack And Miri Make a Porno (2008)
Kevin Smith's on-brand, raunchy-yet-poignant comedy stars Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks, the latter of which is best-remembered by Scrubs fans as Kim, love interest to JD and mother to his child, Sam.
The film notably juxtaposes intense romance (an immature complainer shacking up with his out-of-his-league blonde crush), perfect song selection (Live's "Hold Me Up), and reference humor (Did you see LOST this week, man?) all in one sequence. If one blinks, they will think they are watching Scrubs.
1 Whiplash (2014)
Just as ruthless band leader Terrence Fletcher (JK Simmons) comes to tell ambitious and talented drummer Andrew Nieman (Miles Teller), there are no words more harmful than "good job."
A reveal that screams eerily similar to the slightly-less verbally abusive Dr. Cox's refusal to give JD a shred of a vocalized approval. Even in spite of how much respect he clearly has for the "Newbie" who never ceases to jump through hoops while vying for his mentor's affection.
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