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Actors: Denzel Washington, Ray Liotta, Robert DuVall
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| Review Summary and Plot Commentary about John Q. |
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John Q. Archibald is a loving family man facing financial problems because of factory cutbacks. When his nine-year-old son Mike collapses on a ball field, the Archibald's learn that he has inoperable heart enlargement and that only a transplant can save him.
They are then double-teamed by Cardiac Chief (Woods) and callous Hospital Administrator (Heche) that without adequate insurance for the quarter-million dollar operation, they cannot admit Mike or even begin a search for a compatible donor. The couple then learns they are in that limbo where John's job suddenly offers only limited insurance, while social programs consider him too affluent.
In a curious reversal of Michael Keaton's “Desparate Measures,” John breaks down, then holds the entire emergency room hostage at gunpoint.
John sets up a triage system for the unlucky walk-ins, while discussing his options on the phone with a police negotiator slickly played by Robert Duvall. As tensions mount and John becomes a live TV "hero," the desparate father again reaches his limit and suggests a plausible solution.
Although this drama is somewhat overdone, it draws attention to this country's dilemma over HMO's, particularly when the surgeon (Woods) “debates” several of the hostages over medical ethics.
--Angry Jim Magin, Resident Scholar
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John Q holds an emergency room hostage to insure that his son gets a heart transplant that can't be paid for.
--Jack Bauer, Resident Scholar
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| Analysis of John Q. |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about
books by breaking them down into many different literary
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Movie
Actual chase scenes or violence - 25%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 35%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40%
Time/Era of Movie:
- 1980's-1999
- present (2000-2010)
Medical Thriller?
Yes
Medical Plotlets:
- getting cure/new technology
Crime & Police Story?
Yes
Crime story:
- criminal kidnappers
If this is a criminal POV story...
- criminals portrayed sympathetically on the run
- virtuous thief doing good
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- miner
- blue collar worker
Age:
- 20's-30's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
Hair color?
- brunette (Black)
Hair style
- short/standard curly (man)
Body type
- average (man)
- muscular (man)
Events of movie makes character more...
- aggressive
Ethnicity/Nationality
- Black
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Secondary Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Hair color
- brunette (Black)
- white/grey
Hair style
- (man) very short/crewcut
- (man) short/standard curly
Body type
- very skinny (man)
How much in movie?
- 80%
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
- Black
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Female
- a deadline
Age:
- 20's-30's
Profession/status:
- businessman, big
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- 40%
- 90%-100%
Hair color
- blonde
Hair type
- (woman) short/butch/lez
Body type
- skinny (woman)
unclothed?
- partially transparent clothes
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- healthy but a geeky weakling
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Setting
United States
Yes
City?
Yes
City:
- wealthy
- Chicago
Misc setting
- scientific labs
- building
Style
Accounts of torture and death?
- no torture/death
- moderately messy visuals of dead
Movie makes you feel...
- very happy
- depressed/sad
How many deaths in film?
- 1
How much use of techno gadgets?
- 3 (some)
Kind of violence:
- mission to rescue
- mental battles
- hand to hand
- guns
Unusual forms of death
- run over
Any profanity?
- Occasional swearing
- Some foul language
If this is a kid's movie...
- Ages 10-15
If Soundtrack VERY NOTICEABLE...
- Orchestra/classical
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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