Extreme Measures (1996)

Thriller about Guy Luthan (Hugh Grant), a British doctor working at a hospital in New York who starts making unwanted enquiries when the body of a man who died in his emergency room ... See full summary »

Director:

Michael Apted

Writers:

Michael Palmer (book), Tony Gilroy (screenplay)

Stars:

Hugh Grant, Gene Hackman, Sarah Jessica Parker

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Hugh Grant	...	Dr. Guy Luthan
Gene Hackman	...	Dr. Lawrence Myrick
Sarah Jessica Parker	...	Jodie Trammel
David Morse	...	FBI Agent Frank Hare
Bill Nunn	...	Det. Bob Burke
John Toles-Bey	...	Bobby
Paul Guilfoyle	...	Dr. Jeffrey Manko
Debra Monk	...	Dr. Judith Gruszynski
Shaun Austin-Olsen	...	Claude Minkins
André De Shields	...	Teddy Dolson
J.K. Simmons	...	Dr. Mingus
Peter Appel	...	Det. Stone
Diana Zimmer	...	Helen
Nancy Beatty	...	Ruth Myrick
Gerry Becker	...	Dr. Gene Spitelli

Storyline

Thriller about Guy Luthan (Hugh Grant), a British doctor working at a hospital in New York who starts making unwanted enquiries when the body of a man who died in his emergency room disappears. The trail leads Luthan to the door of the eminent surgeon Dr Lawrence Myrick (Gene Hackman), but Luthan soon finds himself under in danger from people who want the hospital's secret to remain undiscovered.

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Plot Keywords:

hospital | emergency room | doctor | paraplegic | male rear nudity | 

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Taglines:

Not all surgery is intended to cure. Don't move a muscle.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence, language, some nudity and graphic ER activity

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 September 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

Extrem... mit allen Mitteln

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$38,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

ITL 1,408,410,000 (Italy) (27 December 1996)

Gross:

ITL 2,583,776,000 (Italy) (3 January 1997)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Castle Rock Entertainment, Simian Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

118 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Marked the first production of partners Hugh Grant and Elizabeth Hurley's short-lived "Simian Films."

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Goofs

If, after Guy gets shot and then conked on the head in Jodie's apartment, he indeed was found in a coma five days later, his beard would be much fuller. The movie never depicts that stage though and they would have shaved a coma patient.

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Quotes

Dr. Lawrence Myrick: People die everyday. And for what? For nothing. What do we do? What do *you* do? You take care of the ones you think you can save. Good doctors do the correct thing. Great doctors have the guts to do the right thing. Your father had those guts.
Dr. Guy Luthan: Those men upstairs, maybe there isn't much point to their lives. Maybe they are doing a great thing for the world. Maybe they are heroes. But they didn't choose to be. You chose for them. And you can't do that, because you're a doctor, and you took an ...

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Connections

Referenced in Strongbad_email.exe: Disc Six (2008)

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Soundtracks

"ON MY MIND"
Courtesy of MasterSource

User Reviews

How much we are willing to sacrifice, in order to cure the world's ills?

Extreme Measures is absolutely one of the best but underrated films of 1990s. I fond that movie is that very thrilling and entertaining film. Hugh Grant was amazing in here, most possible after this film's box office flop he returned to making just romantic comedy films, but for my personal idea he is amazing in dramas or serious roles such as An Awfully Big Adventure, The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain, Maurice, Our Sons, The Dawning, The Remains of the Day. However, like Mickey Rourke, Hugh hasn't ambition to giving greater performances and improve his career. I think in recent years he just only starred in comedies or romantic comedies and although, he giving great performances people think he can't act a little bit but his performances, especially in About a Boy is dazzling. What we gonna do to foolish Hugh Grant? Nothing, he will do romantic comedies again and again and because what he will remember like "an actor who just can act in comedies" but it is not real Hugh.

Hugh Grant and Gene Hackman, who give an another brilliant performance are excellent in that movie as doctors. It is so strange that Hugh Grant and Elizabeth Hurley produced together that film, most possible these two loved the film's novel. I didn't read novel but I think it is great film, about a doctor (Gene Hackman), who using homeless people to cure the ills. Hugh Grant portrays our hero doctor who tries to understand why his last patient is died because he did everything right, but something is gone absolutely wrong. Film has cult "Trust No One" plot but it is very entertaining. Film's another notable star is Sarah Jessica Parker who will star with Hugh Grant in another movie in this year. I'm still sorry for that so few people know that underrated.

Highly recommended! (10/10)