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== Plot ==
== Plot ==
<!-- Per WP:FILMPLOT, plot summary should be between 400 and 700 words. -->
<!-- Per WP:FILMPLOT, plot summary should be between 400 and 700 words. -->
A young nameless woman drives recklessly down on a winding road in [[Montana]], eventually fatally colliding with a truck. Sometime earlier in [[Chicago]], factory worker John Quincy Archibald and his wife Denise face financial trouble due to the ongoing [[Early 2000s recession|recession]]. They rush their young son Michael to the hospital when he collapses at his baseball game, and are informed by cardiologist Dr. Raymond Turner and administrator Rebecca Payne that Michael needs a [[heart transplantation|heart transplant]] to survive. The procedure is extremely expensive ($250,000) and the hospital requires a 30% down payment ($75,000) to place Michael on the organ recipient list, and John discovers that because of his job's recent changes to their insurance carrier and his working hours, his health insurance will not cover the surgery.
A young nameless woman drives recklessly down on a winding road in [[Montana]], eventually fatally colliding with a truck. Weeks earlier in [[Chicago]], factory worker John Quincy Archibald and his wife Denise face financial trouble due to the ongoing [[Early 2000s recession|recession]]. They rush their young son Michael to the hospital when he collapses at his baseball game, and are informed by cardiologist Dr. Raymond Turner and administrator Rebecca Payne that Michael needs a [[heart transplantation|heart transplant]] to survive. The procedure is extremely expensive ($250,000) and the hospital requires a 30% down payment ($75,000) to place Michael on the organ recipient list, and John discovers that because of his job's recent changes to their insurance carrier and his working hours, his health insurance will not cover the surgery.


After failing to acquire alternate aid from elsewhere, John and Denise struggle to raise the money themselves, and the hospital eventually prepares to send Michael home to die, leading a distraught Denise to urge John to do something. Determined to save his son, John confronts Dr. Turner at gunpoint and takes him and several patients and staff hostage in the [[emergency department|ER]], but allows a gunshot victim inside to be treated. Police arrive not long after, and negotiator Lt. Frank Grimes makes contact with John, who identifies himself as “[[John Q. Public|John Q.]]” and demands that Payne put Michael’s name on the recipient list.
After failing to acquire alternate aid from elsewhere, John and Denise struggle to raise the money themselves, and the hospital eventually prepares to send Michael home to die, leading a distraught Denise to urge John to do something. Determined to save his son, John confronts Dr. Turner at gunpoint and takes him and several patients and staff hostage in the [[emergency department|ER]], but allows a gunshot victim inside to be treated. Police arrive not long after, and negotiator Lt. Frank Grimes makes contact with John, who identifies himself as “[[John Q. Public|John Q.]]” and demands that Payne put Michael’s name on the recipient list.

Revision as of 21:31, 12 December 2021

Not to be confused with John Q. Public.
John Q.
Theatrical release poster
Directed byNick Cassavetes
Written byJames Kearns
Produced byMark Burg
Oren Koules
StarringDenzel Washington
Robert Duvall
James Woods
Anne Heche
Eddie Griffin
Kimberly Elise
Shawn Hatosy
Ray Liotta
CinematographyRogier Stoffers
Edited byDede Allen
Music byAaron Zigman
Production
company
Distributed byNew Line Cinema
Release date
  • February 15, 2002 (2002-02-15)
Running time
116 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$36 million[1]
Box office$102.2 million [1]

John Q. is a 2002 American thriller drama film starring Denzel Washington and directed by Nick Cassavetes. The film tells the story of John Quincy Archibald (Denzel Washington), a father and husband whose son is diagnosed with an enlarged heart and who finds out he is unable to receive a transplant because HMO insurance will not cover it, before he decides to hold up the hospital and force them to do it.

The film co-stars Robert Duvall, Kimberly Elise, Anne Heche, James Woods, and Ray Liotta. The film was shot in Toronto,[2] Hamilton, Ontario, and Canmore, Alberta, although the story takes place in Chicago. Shooting took place for 60 days from August 8 to November 3, 2000. The film was released on February 15, 2002. It received generally negative reviews from critics; however, the film grossed $102 million worldwide.

Plot

A young nameless woman drives recklessly down on a winding road in Montana, eventually fatally colliding with a truck. Weeks earlier in Chicago, factory worker John Quincy Archibald and his wife Denise face financial trouble due to the ongoing recession. They rush their young son Michael to the hospital when he collapses at his baseball game, and are informed by cardiologist Dr. Raymond Turner and administrator Rebecca Payne that Michael needs a heart transplant to survive. The procedure is extremely expensive ($250,000) and the hospital requires a 30% down payment ($75,000) to place Michael on the organ recipient list, and John discovers that because of his job's recent changes to their insurance carrier and his working hours, his health insurance will not cover the surgery.

After failing to acquire alternate aid from elsewhere, John and Denise struggle to raise the money themselves, and the hospital eventually prepares to send Michael home to die, leading a distraught Denise to urge John to do something. Determined to save his son, John confronts Dr. Turner at gunpoint and takes him and several patients and staff hostage in the ER, but allows a gunshot victim inside to be treated. Police arrive not long after, and negotiator Lt. Frank Grimes makes contact with John, who identifies himself as “John Q.” and demands that Payne put Michael’s name on the recipient list.

Grimes clashes with his superior Chief Gus Monroe, while most of the hostages sympathize with John and his plight and reflect on the flaws of the American healthcare system. Agreeing to release some of the patients, John is attacked by hostage Mitch Quigley, whose girlfriend Julie Byrd, having become fed up with Mitch’s abuse and self-serving attitude, helps John to subdue him instead. Handcuffing Mitch, John frees expectant couple Steve and Miriam Smith and immigrant mother Rosa Gonzales with her infant son, who all declare their support for John to the news crews outside. Grimes and Payne reveal John’s actions to Denise, and Payne decides to place Michael on the list and perform the operation for free.

Overriding Grimes’ command, Monroe allows a SWAT sniper to enter the ER via an air shaft, luring John into the line of fire with a phone call from Denise. John speaks with Michael as his condition worsens, while a news crew hacks the police surveillance feed and broadcasts John’s conversation with his family. Ending the call, John discovers the hacked news footage just as the sniper fires, wounding him in the shoulder. John then notices and overpowers the sniper, using him as a human shield as he steps outside and reiterates his demands in front of a cheering crowd. As night falls, Michael is removed from the ICU and brought to the ER in exchange for the sniper’s release, while Denise is forced to stay outside at the police command post along with her friends Jimmy and Gina Palumbo.

John reveals his intention to commit suicide so his own heart can be used to save Michael. He persuades Turner to perform the operation, and Julie and security guard Max Conlin bear witness to John’s impromptu will. He says his goodbyes to Michael, and prepares to end his own life using the only bullet he brought, but Denise reaches the ER with news that the heart of a recently deceased organ donor – the motorist from the beginning of the film – is a match for Michael and is on the way. Once the heart arrives, John releases the remaining hostages, including patient Lester Matthews, who surrenders to police disguised as John. Posing as one of the surgeons, John accompanies his son to the operating room, where a sympathetic Grimes, who was the only one to notice the switch between him and Lester, finds him along with Denise and allows him to watch Michael’s operation before taking him into custody.

Three months later, John’s actions have sparked national debate about healthcare, and his family, friends and all the hostages testify on his behalf at trial. John is ultimately acquitted of attempted murder and armed criminal action, but convicted of kidnapping and false imprisonment; his actual prison sentence isn't revealed, but his lawyer assures him that he will likely serve no more than two years. As John is escorted out of the courthouse and driven off to jail to await sentencing, a now-healthy Michael thanks him.

Cast

Production

According to the commentary on the Deleted Scenes with Cassavetes and writer James Kearns, the main theme of the movie was said to be "about a miracle and John's faith in God creating the miracle". They also mentioned how SWAT team advisors for the film related a similar true incident in Toronto where a man (Henry Masuka) took an ER hostage after it would not provide immediate service to his infant son on New Year's Eve 1999. When he exited the ER he was shot and killed and found to be carrying an unloaded pellet gun.[3][4][5]

Release

John Q. opened in first place, grossing $23.3 million during its first weekend. It ended up with a total domestic gross of $71 million and $102.2 million worldwide.

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes John Q. holds an approval rating of 23% based on the 131 reviews, with an average rating of 4.5/10. The site's critics consensus reads, "Washington's performance rises above the material, but John Q pounds the audience over the head with its message."[6] Metacritic gives the film a weighted average score of 30 out of 100, based on 33 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".[7] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.[8]

Hindi adaptation

Zee Studios acquired the rights to John Q.'s Hindi adaptation, titled Sanak, with Vidyut Jammwal in the lead role.[citation needed] Streaming service Hotstar acquired the film's distribution rights and released it on 15 October 2021 to mixed reviews from critics.[citation needed]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "John Q (2002)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
  2. ^ "Reel Toronto: John Q". online news. Torontoist.
  3. ^ Audio commentary on the DVD.
  4. ^ Rush, Curtis (10 December 2011). "In tailspin after police shootings, former SWAT team leader lifts veil on post-traumatic stress syndrome". Toronto Star. Retrieved 21 December 2011.
  5. ^ "Inquest into fatal hospital shooting begins" CBC News, April 17, 2001.
  6. ^ "John Q (2002)". Rotten Tomatoes.
  7. ^ "John Q Reviews". Metacritic.
  8. ^ "Find CinemaScore" (Type "John Q" in the search box). CinemaScore. Retrieved April 11, 2021.[better source needed]
  9. ^ Hooli, Shekhar H. (15 March 2010). "Sugreeva – Review". oneIndia. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
  10. ^ "Tathastu? Or is it John Q?". South Asian Women's Forum. 10 May 2006. Archived from the original on 2 February 2016. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
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