| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Harrison Ford | ... | Dr. Richard Kimble | |
| Tommy Lee Jones | ... | Samuel Gerard | |
| Sela Ward | ... | Helen Kimble | |
| Julianne Moore | ... | Dr. Anne Eastman | |
| Joe Pantoliano | ... | Cosmo Renfro | |
| Andreas Katsulas | ... | Sykes | |
| Jeroen Krabbé | ... | Dr. Charles Nichols (as Jeroen Krabbe) | |
| Daniel Roebuck | ... | Biggs | |
| L. Scott Caldwell | ... | Poole | |
| Tom Wood | ... | Newman | |
| Ron Dean | ... | Detective Kelly | |
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Joseph F. Kosala | ... | Detective Rosetti (as Joseph Kosala) |
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Miguel Nino | ... | Chicago Cop #1 |
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John Drummond | ... | Newscaster |
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Tony Fosco | ... | Chicago Cop #2 |
A well respected Chicago surgeon Dr. Richard Kimble has found out that his wife, Helen, has been murdered ferociously in her own home. The police found Kimble and accused him of the murder. Then, Kimble (without Justifiable Reason) was tried, convicted, and sentenced to death. However, on the way to prison, Kimble's transport crashed. Kimble escapes and is now on the run. Deputy Samuel Gerard from Chicago takes charge of the chase of Kimble. Meanwhile, Kimble takes up his own investigation to find who really killed his wife, and to lure Gerard and his team into it as well. Written by John Wiggins
This is a fine vehicle for Harrison Ford made even more agreeable by a clever, somewhat tongue in cheek performance by Tommy Lee Jones as a US Marshall out to have a good time getting the bad guy, even though the bad guy might not be so bad, and even though that's irrelevant, but hey, don't think so much and get me some coffee and a chocolate donut with those sprinkles on top, ya hear?
This is also a Hollywood producer's orgasmic dream with a chase scene beginning in the first reel and lasting throughout. It is based on the 60s TV show of the same name, but gets its premise from a true crime story, that of Ohioan Dr. Sam Shepherd who actually went to jail for murdering his wife in the 50s. He too claimed to have fought off the real killer, but the forensic evidence and his personality were against him. Here we have Harrison Ford as the good doctor, and it doesn't take a Hollywood genius to tell you that the most popular leading man of the late twentieth century ain't about to play the kind of guy who murders his loving wife.
Ford does a stand-up, competent job, saving lives and patting kids on the head as he plunges through sewers and off the top of a towering waterfall, steals an ambulance, survives a bullet wound and a bus wreck, etc. His fans will be pleased, but Tommy Lee Jones steals the show (and got a Best Supporting Oscar for his trouble) as a clever, wise-cracking good ole boy who has a lot of fun leading the posse. I wonder if he or director Andrew Davis invented the spin because without it, this wouldn't be half so good.
This is not to be confused with, nor is it a remake of The Fugitive from 1947 starring Henry Fonda and directed by John Ford, a cinematic gem of an entirely different sort.
See this for Tommy Lee Jones who has made a career out of turning oh-hum parts into something special.