Desperate Measures (1998)

Frank Conner is an honest police officer who desperately needs to save his son's life. However, after losing all hope, he finds out that a criminal Peter McCabe in jail is his only savior.

Director:

Barbet Schroeder

Writer:

David Klass

Stars:

Michael Keaton, Andy Garcia, Brian Cox

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Michael Keaton	...	Peter McCabe
Andy Garcia	...	Frank Conner
Brian Cox	...	Captain Jeremiah Cassidy
Marcia Gay Harden	...	Dr. Samantha Hawkins
Erik King	...	Nate Oliver
Efrain Figueroa	...	Vargas
Joseph Cross	...	Matthew Conner
Janel Moloney	...	Sarah Davis
Richard Riehle	...	Ed Fayne
Tracey Walter	...	Medical Inmate
Peter Weireter	...	SWAT Team Commander
Keith Diamond	...	Derrick Wilson
Steve Park	...	Dr. Gosha
Steven Schub	...	SWAT in Airduct
Neal Matarazzo	...	Cell Guard

Storyline

San Francisco police officer Frank Connor is in a frantic search for a compatible bone marrow donor for his gravely ill son. There's only one catch: the potential donor is convicted multiple murderer Peter McCabe who sees a trip to the hospital as the perfect opportunity to get what he wants most: freedom. With McCabe's escape, the entire hospital becomes a battleground and Connor must pursue and, ironically, protect the deadly fugitive who is his son's only hope for survival.

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Plot Keywords:

hospital | police officer killed | psychopath | psycho thriller | terminal illness | 

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Taglines:

Time is running out

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence and language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 January 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Medidas Desesperadas

Filming Locations:

Québec, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$50,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$5,833,412, 1 February 1998

Gross USA:

$13,806,137

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$13,806,137

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mandalay Entertainment, Eaglepoint

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In addition to some of the scenes filmed in Pittsburgh, an elaborate set was constructed in a vacant hangar at what is now known as the San Bernardino International Airport, what used to be Norton Air Force Base. The prison and the hospital were three stories high, and were connected by the concourse seen in the movie.

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Goofs

When Pete was on the computer towards the beginning of the movie you can clearly see that there is only one cord plugged into the computer. So that means that the mouse wasn't plugged in or the keyboard wasn't plugged in, when he was using both.

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Quotes

Peter McCabe: [after agreeing to transplant] These cigarettes are stale. You tell that cop and his dead kid I won't stand for stale cigarettes.

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Connections

Featured in At the Movies: Zero Effect/Deep Rising/Great Expectations/Desperate Measures/Deceiver (1998)

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Soundtracks

PROUD MARY
Written by John Fogerty (as John C. Fogerty)
Performed by Creedence Clearwater Revival

User Reviews

Great no-brainer film.

This is a great film for those days when you just want an easy to follow film and aren't interested in using your brain to try to figure out the action. Granted, it's not an Oscar-caliber film, but it's a lot better than the garbage out there now.

Andy Garcia plays Frank Conner, a police detective or something of higher rank who happens to be a widower and who's only son, played by Joseph Cross (in a good performance) is dying of a rare type of leukemia and can only be saved by a certain kind of bone-marrow transplant. It turns out that the only match in the whole world is Peter McCabe (Michael Keaton), a ruthless, intelliegent, psychopathic killer who is in prison for multiple murders. Conner tries to convince, almost by begging, McCabe to help his son. McCabe will, but only if his demands are met. They are granted, and then McCabe uses his privileges to plan an escape; as well as to make sure he won't be put to sleep by the aenesthetic on the day of the operation. That day, McCabe successfully escapes the operation room, and the rest of the movie is spent with Conner trying to capture the crazed McCabe without killing him, because he wants that bone-marrow for his son.

Andy Garcia and Michael Keaton deliver good performances. Keaton doesn't overplay his role, although the trailers made him sound like he was a demon from Hell. The plot and storyline are filled with poor logic and holes, but this movie is for delivering a simple but overblown story for people who just want to watch a movie, and nothing more. Also check out the opening credits that scroll through the sets, very cool.