John Q
John Q | ||
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Director: | Nick Cassavetes | Actors: | Gabriela Oltean (as Beautiful Woman), Denzel Washington (as John Quincy Archibald), Kimberly Elise (as Denise Archibald), Ron Annabelle (as Tow Truck Driver), Daniel E. Smith (as Mike Archibald), David Thornton (I) (as Jimmy Palumbo), Barry G. King (as Personnel Manager), Laura Elena Harring (as Gina Palumbo (as Laura Harring)), Kevin Connolly (I) (as Steve Maguire), Larissa Laskin (as Dr. Ellen Klein), Vanessa Branch (as R.N.), Stephanie Moore (as Admitting Nurse), James Finnerty (I) (as Reggie), Anne Heche (as Rebecca Payne), James Woods (as Dr. Raymond Turner) | Country: | USA | Category: | Drama | Year: | 2002 |
| Description: | A down-on-his luck father, whose insurance won't cover his son's heart transplant, takes the hospital's emergency room hostage until the doctors agree to perform the operation. | Comments: | This is a film which intends to alert us all of the evils of healthcare by HMO, and the title "John Q." is a metaphor for all of us, as in "john q. public." The lead character, played by Denzel, is John Q. Ampersand. He, his wife, their 9-year-old son have a home, a car, and live a fairly normal life. Until young son collapses while running from first to second in a Little League game. Enlarged heart, needs a transplant or die, medical insurance just won't begin to cover it, and the hospital needs to make money, after all. SPOILERS - Encountering a brick wall at every turn, and not wanting his son to die ("He's a good kid, funny, you'd like him, Doc."), John Q. goes to the hospital with a gun and takes them hostage until they promise to put his son on the transplant list. (Police Chief, on the phone to John Q., "Is anyone hurt? Yes, everyone is hurt, this is an emergency room.") Finally, a woman killed in an automobile/truck accident which begins the film is a tissue match and the boy gets her heart. Right before John Q. was going to kill himself to give the boy his heart. While I didn't exactly dislike this film, it never seemed to have the correct "tone", is the best way I can put it. Sometimes it went for humor, sometimes drama, tried to tug at the heartstrings, spent a lot of time denouncing the medical insurance systems, especially HMOs which, they say "pay doctors extra for NOT running tests on patients." But it never did seem authentic. It plays like an hour-long episode of a TV show, stretched to almost 2 hours by having Denzel talk slowly to his son, and stretch his pauses. In two successive nights I have watched films about a black man, scraping out a living, and trying to keep his wife and sons "whole." The other one, "Changing Lanes" with Sam Jackson, is a much better film. Sam Jackson is a much better actor than Denzel Washington. But Denzel is a pretty face, so he gets most of the attention. While he is good, he is no match for Jackson. For those who identify with the healthcare and health insurance crisis, the DVD has a very thorough "extra" with experts in the field discussing the topic. |
Languages: | English | Subtitles: | Length: | 116 | Video format: | Audio format: | Resolution: | Files sizes: | 1141 |