John Q.: Difference between revisions
SirLawrence (talk | contribs) Filling in a number of details on the second half of the movie that were reported incorrectly or omitted in the previous version. |
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John asks Dr. Turner to enter the next room, where he first begs the doctor to help him and promises to find a way to repay him, and then points the gun at the physician's head and orders him to give his son a new heart. They enter the emergency room, and he holds the hospital at gunpoint, threatening to kill the hostages if his son does not get the operation. |
John asks Dr. Turner to enter the next room, where he first begs the doctor to help him and promises to find a way to repay him, and then points the gun at the physician's head and orders him to give his son a new heart. They enter the emergency room, and he holds the hospital at gunpoint, threatening to kill the hostages if his son does not get the operation. |
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An ambulance arrives at the hospital with a gunshot victim, who John reluctantly allows into the hospital to be operated on by Dr. Turner, saving the man's life. The paramedics become aware of the hostage situation and notify police |
An ambulance arrives at the hospital with a gunshot victim, who John reluctantly allows into the hospital to be operated on by Dr. Turner, saving the man's life. The paramedics become aware of the hostage situation and notify police. A prolonged standoff ensues, in which John threatens to begin killing hostages if his son is not put on the heart transplant waiting list. The Chicago chief of police overrides the efforts of the police negotiator and gives a SWAT unit permission to insert a sniper into the building via an air shaft. Meanwhile, John speaks with his wife and then his son, telling them that the situation will be all right, unaware that a hidden camera in the hospital has been hacked by a news crew, and that his emotional conversation is being broadcast live on national television. The sniper shoots John, but the shot causes only a minor wound. |
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After taking the shot, the sniper's leg falls through the ceiling tiles and the outraged John gets up and pulls him out of the air shaft and subdues him. John's gunshot wound is treated by the emergency room staff, and using the bound SWAT policeman as a human shield, steps outside to the sight of dozens of policemen pointing weapons at him, as well as a large crowd gathered to support his cause. He argues with the negotiator, who tries to convince him that despite placing Michael on a top-priority organ recipient list, John can do nothing more for his son, and that whatever course he takes will result in his imprisonment or his death. John nevertheless demands that his son be brought to the emergency room, where he claims that the surgeons inside are ready to perform a procedure to save his life. The police give into his demand in exchange for the SWAT sniper. |
After taking the shot, the sniper's leg falls through the ceiling tiles and the outraged John gets up and pulls him out of the air shaft and subdues him. John's gunshot wound is treated by the emergency room staff, and using the bound SWAT policeman as a human shield, steps outside to the sight of dozens of policemen pointing weapons at him, as well as a large crowd gathered to support his cause. He argues with the negotiator, who tries to convince him that despite placing Michael on a top-priority organ recipient list, John can do nothing more for his son, and that whatever course he takes will result in his imprisonment or his death. John nevertheless demands that his son be brought to the emergency room, where he claims that the surgeons inside are ready to perform a procedure to save his life. The police give into his demand in exchange for the SWAT sniper. |
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Revision as of 00:54, 20 May 2006
| John Q | |
|---|---|
| File:John Q.jpg John Q promotional poster | |
| Directed by | Nick Cassavetes |
| Written by | James Kearns |
| Produced by | Mark Burg Oren Koules |
| Starring | Denzel Washington Robert Duvall James Woods Anne Heche Kimberly Elise Ray Liotta |
| Cinematography | Rogier Stoffers |
| Edited by | Dede Allen |
| Music by | Aaron Zigman |
| Distributed by | New Line Cinema |
Release dates | February 15, 2002 (USA) |
Running time | 118 min. |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $36,000,000 |
John Q is a 2002 movie starring Denzel Washington as John Quincy Archibald, a father and husband whose son is diagnosed with an enlarged heart and then finds out he can not receive a transplant because insurance won't cover it. The title is a reference to the term John Q. Public, indicating that the struggles in the story could be experienced by any average American. The movie was directed by Nick Cassavetes.
A protest against the policies and hidden procedures of many of today's insurance companies, John Q also stars Anne Heche, Ray Liotta, and Robert Duvall, among others.
John is a factory worker in a mining town in Illinois. His wife, Denise (Kimberly Elise), works as a grocery store clerk. On a Sunday afternoon, John's son Michael (Daniel E. Smith) is playing baseball with the local Little League. As he is running the bases, he suddenly collapses on the field. He is taken to (the fictional) Hope Memorial Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. It is discovered that he has fallen into heart failure; his blood pressure is 68/34. Dr. Raymond Turner (James Woods), is assigned as Michael's doctor. Dr. Turner explains to John and Denise that Michael's heart is useless; he will need a transplant, or else he will die in months or weeks, if not days.
A transplant costs $250,000. Naturally, John and Denise cannot afford it. John's insurance plan has recently changed to an HMO. The representative from his union tells John that an HMO is a less expensive policy, but there are some restrictions, one being that there is a minimum catastrophic coverage payout limit of $20,000. Denise does not have any benefits from her job.
John and Denise make every effort to raise the money. They must make a down payment of $75,000 in order to put Michael's name on the donor's list to receive a new heart. They liquidate everything they own, and hold fund raisers in their church. They contact Children's State Services and Medicaid to no avail. Denise is told that the hospital is going to release Michael, and his family will simply have to take him home and watch him die. John is livid. After Denise calls him from the hospital to tell him that his son will discharged without the transplant and begs him to do something, he takes the situation into his own hands.
On the morning of Saturday, September 29, 2001, John enters the hospital with a pistol hidden under his jacket. As he walks in, Dr. Turner is in the hallway, having a casual conversation with an ex-patient of his, a rich man who has just received a heart transplant. The family is overjoyed and jokes with Dr. Turner about the success of the operation, which drives John into a frenzy.
John asks Dr. Turner to enter the next room, where he first begs the doctor to help him and promises to find a way to repay him, and then points the gun at the physician's head and orders him to give his son a new heart. They enter the emergency room, and he holds the hospital at gunpoint, threatening to kill the hostages if his son does not get the operation.
An ambulance arrives at the hospital with a gunshot victim, who John reluctantly allows into the hospital to be operated on by Dr. Turner, saving the man's life. The paramedics become aware of the hostage situation and notify police. A prolonged standoff ensues, in which John threatens to begin killing hostages if his son is not put on the heart transplant waiting list. The Chicago chief of police overrides the efforts of the police negotiator and gives a SWAT unit permission to insert a sniper into the building via an air shaft. Meanwhile, John speaks with his wife and then his son, telling them that the situation will be all right, unaware that a hidden camera in the hospital has been hacked by a news crew, and that his emotional conversation is being broadcast live on national television. The sniper shoots John, but the shot causes only a minor wound.
After taking the shot, the sniper's leg falls through the ceiling tiles and the outraged John gets up and pulls him out of the air shaft and subdues him. John's gunshot wound is treated by the emergency room staff, and using the bound SWAT policeman as a human shield, steps outside to the sight of dozens of policemen pointing weapons at him, as well as a large crowd gathered to support his cause. He argues with the negotiator, who tries to convince him that despite placing Michael on a top-priority organ recipient list, John can do nothing more for his son, and that whatever course he takes will result in his imprisonment or his death. John nevertheless demands that his son be brought to the emergency room, where he claims that the surgeons inside are ready to perform a procedure to save his life. The police give into his demand in exchange for the SWAT sniper.
Once his son arrives, John reveals his intention to commit suicide so his heart can be used to save his son. He persuades Dr. Turner to perform the operation, and two of his hostages to bear witness to a will stating his last request. John goes to say his last goodbyes to Michael, telling him to obey his mother and live honestly and responsibly. He tearfully leaves his barely-concious son and goes to the operating room, where he reveals to the doctor and emergency room personnel that his gun was unloaded the entire time he held them hostage. John loads a single bullet into the gun and pulls the trigger, only to learn that the safety was on. As he holds the gun to his own head a second time and prepares to end his life, his wife is told about a woman killed in a car accident miles away, who happens to have the same blood type as Michael, and has been flown to the hospital for organ recovery. She runs to the ER and stops her husband from shooting himself, and John allows the hostages to go free. Michael is given the life-saving operation, and after watching the proceedure with Denise, John is taken into police custody. He is later cleared of charges for attempted murder, but is found guilty of kidnapping and expects to serve three to five years in prison for his actions.
The movie was shot in Toronto, Canada.