Who's In It?

Denzel Washington, Robert Duvall, James Woods, Anne Heche, Ray Liotta, Kimberly Elise

Who Made It?

Nick Cassavetes

Where's The Web site?
John Q

In Ten Words or Less

"Despite its flaws, an emotionally charged, powerful film."

What's It About?

John Q Archibald (Washington) is an average guy.  He works hard for a living to help support his family.  Times are tough, he is only getting 20 hours of work per week and his car has just been repossessed but through it all he remains devoted to his loving family.

The youth baseball game is going just fine when John’s son Mike collapses while running the bases.  Mike has a weak heart and the only thing that can save his life is a heart transplant.  John’s insurance won’t cover his family for this costly life saving procedure.  He tries everything to get the finances in order.  He appeals his insurance status, he tries the state, he sells everything he has, but still the hospital sees that they must release Mike because what he has done is not enough.  Denise (Elise) tells her husband to do something, and do something he does.

Common Guy's Thoughts

Denzel Washington is a fantastic actor.  Give him any character at all and he has a knack of being able to bring that image to life.  This is the case in John Q.  Washington gives us a solid performance as a man who is trying virtually anything to save his son’s life.  Washington easily elicits the agony and torment of the decision to finally confront the hospital and Dr. Turner.  It is a likeable bad guy that Washington brings to the screen in John Q, and he does it in his naturally strong style.

If there is something that is wrong with John Q, it is the fact that it tries to get overly political with things.  There are times during the film that I felt like it was a propaganda package for nationalized health care.  This was the one aspect of the film that just was a letdown for me.  The story was solid and meaningful and could have stood on its own merits.  Instead they try to tell you what is right and treat the viewer as not being able to make up their own mind.

Although it had the faults of feeling like a propaganda machine from time to time, John Q is a quality movie-going experience.  The star-studded cast including Washington, Duvall, Woods, Heche, and Liotta shine in this film and are able to overcome the other shortcomings the film may have.  Regardless of your political leanings, or personal feelings on the matter of nationalized health care one things is assured, John Q will undoubtedly affect you one way or another before the film ends.  That fact alone makes the movie worthwhile.

Grade

B-

Parents Guide

Rated PG-13 for violence, language and intense thematic elements.  This is a film that is a bit intense from time to time.  The family is struggling with a very tough issue in the potential loss of a child.  Also some of the scenes in the ER are a bit scary and may be hard to handle.  This is something that I worry about in Hollywood as everyone always worries about individuals emulating what they see on the screen and this could lead to ugly situations.  Let’s hope not.

 

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