Extreme Measures

1996
R
1h 58m

IMDb RATING

6.2/10

21K

YOUR RATING

Hugh Grant and Gene Hackman in Extreme Measures (1996)

Home Video Trailer from Columbia Pictures

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Medical Drama Crime Drama Mystery Thriller

A young doctor confronts a famous colleague when he learns about the true methods of his work.A young doctor confronts a famous colleague when he learns about the true methods of his work.A young doctor confronts a famous colleague when he learns about the true methods of his work.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.2/10

21K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Trivia
In the movie, security for the illegal medical experiments is provided by two supposed police officers named Hare and Burke. The names are a historical reference to William Hare and William Burke who supplied human cadavers to medical schools in 1820s Edinburgh, until it was learned that they were grave robbers and murderers.

Goofs
When Detective Burke is about to be hit by the train while caught between tracks in the tunnel, you can see that the train is not a real train, as you can see lights in the background that would be blocked out by the height of the train. This shows that it is either a flat cart with headlights attached, or no more than someone walking down the tracks while holding a light rig to make it appear that a train is bearing down on him.

Quotes
Jodie Trammel: Look, you made a moral choice, Guy, not a medical one. I guess I just, I'm... I'm surprised, that's all.
Dr. Guy Luthan: All right, hang on, just wait, wait! Look, this is New York, you know? Gunshots are not entirely unfamiliar territory to me. And my opinion was that they were both stable. I wanted two ORs, I didn't get them, I had to make a choice. On my right I see a cop with his wife in the corridor and pictures of his kids in his wallet, and on my left some guy who's taken out a gun on a city bus! I had ten seconds to make a choice, I had to make it. I hope I made the right one, I hope I did the right thing. I think I did.
[Jodie raises her eyebrow]
Dr. Guy Luthan: Oh, shit. Maybe I didn't, I don't know.

Connections
Featured in Siskel & Ebert: The First Wives Club/Big Night/Surviving Picasso/Last Man Standing/Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills (1996)

Soundtracks
ON MY MIND
Courtesy of MasterSource

User reviews88

Review

Featured review

Very underrated film that actually provokes thought

I just saw this for the second time, on telly, and was struck again by how good it is; not great, maybe, but a very solidly written and acted film on an intriguing premiss and leaving the viewer a bit of room to make up their own mind (this is a GOOD THING, in case anyone is wondering). Hugh Grant shows again that he can do more than play variations on this 4 Weddings character - anyone who has seen An Awfully Big Adventure will be well aware of this. And Gene Hackman is as excellent as ever. A word for Elizabeth Hurley, who produced the film, and I think it was her first: a damn good job she did, despite some unsavoury sniping in the British press about her. I'd give it an 8 out of 10