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John Q

  • 20022002
  • PG-13PG-13
  • 1h 56m
IMDb RATING
7.0/10
133K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,593
477
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Denzel Washington in John Q (2002)
Theatrical Trailer from New Line Home Entertainment
Play trailer2:21
2 Videos
32 Photos
  • Crime
  • Drama
  • Thriller
John Quincy Archibald takes a hospital emergency room hostage when his insurance won't cover his son's heart transplant.John Quincy Archibald takes a hospital emergency room hostage when his insurance won't cover his son's heart transplant.John Quincy Archibald takes a hospital emergency room hostage when his insurance won't cover his son's heart transplant.
IMDb RATING
7.0/10
133K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,593
477
  • Director
    • Nick Cassavetes
  • Writer
    • James Kearns
  • Stars
    • Denzel Washington
    • Robert Duvall
    • Gabriela Oltean
Top credits
  • Director
    • Nick Cassavetes
  • Writer
    • James Kearns
  • Stars
    • Denzel Washington
    • Robert Duvall
    • Gabriela Oltean
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 436User reviews
    • 94Critic reviews
    • 30Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 wins & 8 nominations

    Videos2

    John Q
    Trailer 2:21
    John Q
    John Q
    Trailer 0:31
    John Q

    Photos32

    Denzel Washington, Kimberly Elise, and Daniel E. Smith in John Q (2002)
    Denzel Washington in John Q (2002)
    Denzel Washington and Kimberly Elise in John Q (2002)
    Denzel Washington, Kevin Connolly, Kimberly Elise, and Daniel E. Smith in John Q (2002)
    Denzel Washington, James Woods, and Shawn Hatosy in John Q (2002)
    Ray Liotta, Anne Heche and Robert Duvall star
    Denzel Washington in John Q (2002)
    Denzel Washington, Laura Harring, Kimberly Elise, Daniel E. Smith, and David Thornton in John Q (2002)
    Heather Wahlquist in John Q (2002)
    Heather Wahlquist in John Q (2002)
    James Woods, Shawn Hatosy, Eddie Griffin, Ethan Suplee, and Heather Wahlquist in John Q (2002)
    Shawn Hatosy and Heather Wahlquist in John Q (2002)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Denzel Washington
    Denzel Washington
    • John Quincy Archibaldas John Quincy Archibald
    Robert Duvall
    Robert Duvall
    • Lt. Frank Grimesas Lt. Frank Grimes
    Gabriela Oltean
    Gabriela Oltean
    • Beautiful BMW Driveras Beautiful BMW Driver
    Kimberly Elise
    Kimberly Elise
    • Denise Archibaldas Denise Archibald
    Ron Annabelle
    • Tow Truck Driveras Tow Truck Driver
    Daniel E. Smith
    Daniel E. Smith
    • Michael 'Mike' Archibaldas Michael 'Mike' Archibald
    David Thornton
    David Thornton
    • Jimmy Palumboas Jimmy Palumbo
    Barry G. King
    • Employee Manageras Employee Manager
    Laura Harring
    Laura Harring
    • Gina Palumboas Gina Palumbo
    • (as Laura Elena Harring)
    Kevin Connolly
    Kevin Connolly
    • Steve Maguireas Steve Maguire
    Larissa Laskin
    Larissa Laskin
    • Dr. Ellen Kleinas Dr. Ellen Klein
    Vanessa Branch
    Vanessa Branch
    • Registered Nurseas Registered Nurse
    Stephanie Moore
    Stephanie Moore
    • Admitting Nurseas Admitting Nurse
    James Finnerty
    • Nurse Reggieas Nurse Reggie
    Anne Heche
    Anne Heche
    • Rebecca Payneas Rebecca Payne
    James Woods
    James Woods
    • Dr. Raymond Turneras Dr. Raymond Turner
    Michael Jaye
    • Insurance Repas Insurance Rep
    Yanna McIntosh
    • State Employeeas State Employee
    • Director
      • Nick Cassavetes
    • Writer
      • James Kearns
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The scene where George W. Bush is speaking about health care while John and Denise are watching television, was also shot with footage of Al Gore, because the election winner had not yet been declared at the time of shooting.
    • Goofs
      The medical staff should be wearing medical protective glasses when they're performing the autopsy on the BMW Driver, one medical staff member confirms this goof when he squints when blood sprays on his mask as he drills her chest.
    • Quotes

      John Q. Archibald: [to Grimes, Monroe, and to the entire crowd cheering for him] I AM NOT GOING TO BURY MY SON! MY SON IS GOING TO BURY ME!

    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: John Q/Maryam/Hart's War/Crossroads/Metropolis (2002)
    • Soundtracks
      Ave Maria
      Written and arranged by Aaron Zigman

      Performed by Ana María Martínez (as Ana Maria Martinez)

    User reviews436

    Review
    Top review
    Just Another "Dog Day Afternoon" in Hollywood.
    Highly under-rated and ignored by most in 2002, "John Q" is one of those movies that is sometimes too intelligent for a viewing public unfamiliar with topics never really thought about in common societal circles (health care and insurance policies, rights of blue-collar citizens, media exploitation, law enforcement practices and over-paid medical specialists). Denzel Washington's young son falls out one day at a little league baseball game. The diagnosis is frightening. Without a new heart, the boy will most definitely die. Washington, a normal everyday citizen, lacks substantial resources and benefits from his insurance to even get his son on a donor's list. It is blatantly obvious that Washington and wife Kimberly Elise are being strangled by red tape in a mercilessly heartless (no pun intended) system. Friends Laura Herring and David Thornton (and seemingly countless other ordinary people) do their best to help the couple raise money and soon it seems that most everything they have is on the market to be sold. Work and more hard work does not get the couple much closer to having the money they desperately need. Washington realizes that time is now of the essence. He has been pushed and pushed again and now he takes it upon himself to push back. As a last resort he literally takes the doctor (James Woods) hostage, along with other bystanders who have nothing to do with Washington's war with the hospitals and insurance organizations. Immediately cops led by Robert Duvall and Ray Liotta surround the hospital and the tenseness builds. Hungry media cronies (who would not help Washington when he had asked earlier) also try to benefit from the misery of all those that are involved with their typical exploitation tactics (one thing Jerry Springer got right). Will Washington's son be saved and is Washington actually willing to take his own life in the venture so his boy can live? "John Q" is a very impressive production from director Nick Cassavetes (showing much of the same ability his late father John showed throughout his career). Screenwriter James Kearns gets to the soul of an American society that has been blinded by economics and inefficient big-wigs who have no business possessing the careers they have. Morality has gone out the window and that "hypocritical oath" that is so prevalent in the medical field seems to be little more than a silly afterthought. "John Q" succeeds everywhere just about except in its ending. The ending is a major mistake that took away from some of the good things accomplished before the final ten minutes. Washington, arguably better here than in recent triumphs like "Training Day" (an Oscar-winning role) and "Antwone Fisher", goes to an even higher plateau here. Much like Al Pacino in the equally under-rated "Dog Day Afternoon" (an admittedly better picture), Washington dominates in a role that thrives on a claustrophobic aspect that cannot be escaped or denied within the film's running time. Duvall and Woods are also solid, as always, but Washington is the man here. Strikingly accurate when pointing the finger at things wrong with America these days, "John Q" is a thought-provoking production that will cause its audience to think and learn about sometimes forgotten aspects of human life. 4 stars out of 5.
    helpful•109
    43
    • tfrizzell
    • Oct 24, 2003

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • February 15, 2002 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Metropolitan Filmexport (France)
      • Warner Bros.
    • Languages
      • English
      • Spanish
    • Also known as
      • John Q.
    • Filming locations
      • Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
    • Production companies
      • New Line Cinema
      • Burg/Koules Productions
      • Evolution Entertainment
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $36,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $71,756,802
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $20,275,194
      • Feb 17, 2002
    • Gross worldwide
      • $102,244,770
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 56 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • DTS
      • Dolby Digital
      • SDDS
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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