John Q.

Watching "John Q" is like being hit in the face with a two-by-four. The movie starts off with the death of a woman in a car accident. Then it introduces us to the Archibald family, consisting of John Q. (Denzel Washington) - a blue collar factory worker whose work load has been so sparse lately that even his wife's car has been repossessed - his devoutly religious spouse, Denise, and their bright-eyed boy, Michael, who it turns out, has a seriously damaged heart that requires immediate replacement if the boy is to survive longer than a few months. Overwhelmed with despair, the couple discovers that the hospital refuses to foot the bill for the transplant operation when it is discovered that John's insurance is not quite as "comprehensive" as he was led to believe. Faced with the grim possibility of his only son's death, John decides to take matters into his own hands and masterminds a violent takeover of the hospital's emergency room, a scenario that comes replete with all the hostages, hostage negotiators and media hoopla that are so familiar to us from the seemingly hundreds of other films we have seen working in this formula.

Despite a plotline that, by its very nature, exudes sanctimoniousness, "John Q" might have been a tolerable film had it been able to stay true to its theme and explored, in a serious, believable way, the problem it is trying to address. But once John forces his way into the emergency room, the film loses all credibility and we have nowhere to go but into the realm of cheap Hollywood fantasy. It's as if the filmmakers felt that the only way such a human drama could hold our attention is if they turned it into a cliched exploitation film full of the kind of ridiculous interpersonal squabbling and last-minute reprieves that only serve to remind us that what we are watching is not real life but a hopelessly contrived fictional scenario. An impressive cast (Washington, James Woods, Robert Duvall, Anne Heche, Ray Liotta, Kimberley Elise) is set adrift on a sea of narrative implausibilities, frequently unmotivated actions and phony sentimental uplift. Heche plays the chief hospital administrator so coldhearted and unsympathetic that she makes Cruella Deville look like Mary Poppins in comparison - a fact that makes her complete emotional turnabout completely inexplicable in the context of her character. Duvall, as the seasoned hostage negotiator, and Liotta, as the chief-of-police concerned only with the next election, engage in a conventional power-play scrimmage over strategy that is as boring as it is predictable. Woods plays his umpteenth version of the heartless cad, here as the surgeon who can't bring himself to see what all the fuss is about. And, of course, all of John's captives by the end have sworn their loyalties and allegiances to John's cause - as has the crowd of common folk watching the drama unfold both from behind the barricades and at their sets at home.

"John Q" never misses an opportunity to level a cheap shot at people it doesn't like. For instance, as counterpoint to what is happening to John and his family, the film shows us a man who HAS been able to secure a heart transplant. He is, of course, not merely white and apparently rich, but he also has a giddy, bimbo wife, both of whom seem blithely unaware of anyone else's fortunes but their own. Somehow, we just KNOW that this man did not deserve the transplant he received, and we are given every indication that he will never make the best of it in the way little Michael would if he were just given the opportunity. The film also takes the usual easy swipes at the media - although in a way the media turns out to be John Q's salvation - by portraying the consumer action reporter on the scene as an effete, vain, self-centered opportunist who sees this story as his "own white bronco." The film always seems to want to have it both ways and, as a result, it ends up being true to nothing.

The pain that John and his family are going through is certainly palpable and it is one that is undoubtedly shared by many other people the world over - and the issue of inadequate healthcare is one that needs to be seriously addressed, no doubt about it. Unfortunately, merely trying to transfer "Dog Day Afternoon" to an emergency room setting is not the best dramatic means for getting that noble point across.


A great movie!   July 24, 2002
K. Wyatt (St. Louis, MO United States)
15 out of 20 found this review helpful

John Q is definitely a wonderful movie, full of a lot heart. Denzel Washington does an outstanding job as John Q. In my opinion, an even better job than in Training Day. He should definitely get an oscar for this one.
John Q is essentially about a man whose son encounters a life threatening medical situation. His job has changed medical plans and his hours have been cut, all more or less without him being aware of it. When told his son needs a heart transplant, he finds out that his insurance won't really be there help out. As a good father, he does every thing he can, within the system to get this surgery for his son, but to no avail. He's left with no options, so he chooses to basically kidnap the ER and his son's heart surgeon.
Overall a very gut wrenching at times and extremely enlightening film. While not approving of his final solution, John Q is a very good movie, that brings to the spotlight some facts about health care in our country!


Denzel A Great Cast An Important Issue   February 18, 2002
taking a rest
13 out of 17 found this review helpful

Denzel Washington is one of the finest and most consistent actors making movies today. His performance is probably the main reason I would recommend this film, and this is not because those he shares the screen with do a poor job, rather their parts are limited. Robert Duvall, Ray Liotta, James Woods, and Anne Heche all have more to offer than the parts they are given, and their characters are not very demanding of their talents either. Daniel E. Smith who plays Denzel's son is a very fine young actor who makes his debut in this film.

The, "professional", critics that I have read all dismissed this film, and one was so condescending, one has to wonder what personal axe they have to grind. This movie is about a problem that tens of millions of Americans live with every day. The specific problem faced by the young man in this film is very extreme; the principle problem however is quite common.

Does this film have characters that appear to be cliche, of course it does. To condemn the film based upon its portrayal of an issue that is so common that it has become a cliche is unconscionable. Emergency rooms are not filled with wealthy people seeking health care. The wealthy who are either insured or can pay the nearly 300,000 for the procedure the little boy needs, will never face a hospital administrator that says if you cannot show me the money, take your boy home to die.

This is not a mindless film, this is not the 20th remake of some classic, and there are no aliens or special effects. I felt the movie made its point, and I also felt the film went farther than it needed to make the statement it did. If a film crosses over to being repetitive, the audience starts to feel as though they are being treated as though they are terribly ignorant. Judging from the theater audience I saw the film with, the line was not crossed.

Some issues need to be repeated because the people that need to understand and act on the issue never seem to get it. This movie is about one such issue. Forget the critics, this movie will be number one at the box-office this weekend, and will likely be the first film to approach and pass the 100 million mark for a film released this year. When it does, it will once again prove that the audience decides what they want to see and what they will spend their money on.


Nice Try; No Cigar   April 22, 2004
W. L Willard (Clearwater, FL United States)
10 out of 22 found this review helpful

The quick shot of the lamentable Hilary Clinton at the end of this epic gave the whole thing away--A Libber hatchet job on the American health care system.

When appealing to the lowest common denominator intellect--Democrat voters--all it takes are easy targets and some hearts and flowers, all of which are in ample abundance in this movie.

Knuckledomes and Kerry devotees will eat it up.

All others, stay away.