John Q (2002)

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.

Director:

Nick Cassavetes

Writer:

James Kearns

Stars:

Gabriela Oltean, Denzel Washington, Kimberly Elise

2 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gabriela Oltean	...	Beautiful BMW Driver
Denzel Washington	...	John Quincy Archibald
Kimberly Elise	...	Denise Archibald
Ron Annabelle	...	Tow Truck Driver
Daniel E. Smith	...	Michael 'Mike' Archibald
David Thornton	...	Jimmy Palumbo
Barry G. King	...	Employee Manager
Laura Harring	...	Gina Palumbo (as Laura Elena Harring)
Kevin Connolly	...	Steve Maguire
Larissa Laskin	...	Dr. Ellen Klein
Vanessa Branch	...	Registered Nurse
Stephanie Moore	...	Admitting Nurse
James Finnerty	...	Nurse Reggie
Anne Heche	...	Rebecca Payne
James Woods	...	Dr. Raymond Turner

Storyline

John Quincy Archibald's son Michael collapses while playing baseball as a result of heart failure. John rushes Michael to a hospital emergency room where he is informed that Michael's only hope is a transplant. Unfortunately, John's insurance won't cover his son's transplant. Out of options, John Q. takes the emergency room staff and patients hostage until hospital doctors agree to do the transplant.

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Plot Keywords:

hospital | heart | doctor | hostage | insurance | 

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Taglines:

Give a father no options and you leave him no choice.

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for violence, language and intense thematic elements

Details

Official Sites:

Metropolitan Films [France] (French) New Line [United States] Story, cast, Filmmakers, gallery and downloads

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

15 February 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

John Q.

Filming Locations:

Ajax, Ontario, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$36,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$419,535 (Japan) (22 November 2002)

Gross:

$2,606,250 (Japan) (10 January 2003)

Company Credits

Production Co:

New Line Cinema, Burg/Koules Productions, Evolution Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

116 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The scene where George W. Bush is speaking about health care while John and Denise are watching TV was also shot with footage of Al Gore because the election was between the time of shooting and release.

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Goofs

When Dr. Turner passes through the doors into the glass corridor where John takes him hostage, you can see the feet of crew members behind the door below the white backdrop.

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Quotes

Lester: John... you're my hero.

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Connections

Features The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (1992)

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Soundtracks

"La La (Means I Love You)"
Performed by Thom Bell and William Hart

User Reviews

Excellent acting alive with emotion

Denzel Washington's portrayal of a desperate dad is excellent and compelling as he struggles to find a way to get his son to be treated and operated immediately, no matter what cost. He takes the whole hospital hostage until he gets it. One may say what he is doing is bad and illegal, but at the same time he stands up to the system, and fights the odds, but hey, he's doing it for his son. I praised him when he said "I don't want to bury my son, I want my son to bury me!" In a way, he's willing to sacrifice himself to save his son. The hostages he takes, seems to support him and the mass of audiences viewing are on his side. And he also seems to be calm and friendly to them too. The ending was also perfect, and overall a great film, and not to mention the great performances from Robert Duvall, James Woods and Ray Liotta of The Good Fellas, who uses his Tommy Vercetti voice again! Gotta love that guy, gotta love that Denzel Washington, recommended for those who love him.