John Q (2002) Reviews

• A Very Human and Affecting Drama...

  ijonesiii2005-12-21

  Denzel Washington continues to prove why he is one of the best actors in the business with his performance in JOHN Q, a moving, emotional, and tension-charged drama about a family man whose son needs a heart transplant; however, due to financial problems, his insurance won't cover the cost of getting his son on the donor list so John Q decides to take hostages in the hospital until someone arranges for his son to be on the donor list. Despite a preachy and simplistic screenplay, the intense direction and first-rate performances make this film work. I particularly loved Denzel's work here because this was a character unlike he had ever played before...Denzel usually played well-educated, intelligent lawyers and/or businessmen (with the obvious exception of TRAINING DAY), but here Denzel is playing an average Joe...a working stiff, struggling to pay bills and keep food on the table and a roof over his family's head who is driven to extreme measures to protect the family he cherishes so dearly. Washington gets strong support from Robert Duvall, solid as always as the hostage negotiator, James Woods as a wimpy surgeon, Anne Heche as an unsympathetic hospital administrator, and especially Kimberly Elise as John's wife. An emotional drama, wrought with tension, that will rivet you to the screen.

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• A movie full of suspense and meant to open your eyes

  quincymd2008-04-08

  A very well cooked thriller, with every necessary ingredient, and a plot meant to surprise the viewer. Full of love, passion, family issues, commercial interests and politics all blended into a magnificent work of art topped with Denzel Washington's performance The film shows many aspects of life, and should be seen by all people to evaluate one's point of view on each of the parallel stories depicted. The Author takes an everyday situation and sows the seed of self - criticism in every spectator, making this more than a thriller to pass the time away. The Director plays with the characters as a Master would play his pieces on a chessboard, giving each actor enough role and having a defined objective: to checkmate the audience, and I must say he does this with very few elements, mainly dialog sequences and very few Special effects, thus turning this film into a masterpiece. Denzel Washington is the perfect choice for this film, due to his ability to play poker face situations, and his ability to play any kind of character he is offered. I do highly recommend this movie, to see it two, three or more times. Every time one sees the film, gets a new detail to one's collection and a new question to answer. Ideal for family discussion and highly recommended for teenagers

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• Excellent acting alive with emotion

  au_law20012004-12-28

  Denzel Washington's portrayal of a desperate dad is excellent and compelling as he struggles to find a way to get his son to be treated and operated immediately, no matter what cost. He takes the whole hospital hostage until he gets it. One may say what he is doing is bad and illegal, but at the same time he stands up to the system, and fights the odds, but hey, he's doing it for his son. I praised him when he said "I don't want to bury my son, I want my son to bury me!" In a way, he's willing to sacrifice himself to save his son. The hostages he takes, seems to support him and the mass of audiences viewing are on his side. And he also seems to be calm and friendly to them too. The ending was also perfect, and overall a great film, and not to mention the great performances from Robert Duvall, James Woods and Ray Liotta of The Good Fellas, who uses his Tommy Vercetti voice again! Gotta love that guy, gotta love that Denzel Washington, recommended for those who love him.

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• Good Movie...

  Movie-Guru2002-06-18

  Despite what people have said, this movie is NOTHING like Dog Day Afternoon. The only similarities between the two is that both films have to do with holding a public place hostage (In Dog Day Afternoon it was a Bank in John Q, its a hospital). Sure, you see a sort of homage to Dog Day Afternoon in John Q, but thats it, the movie has its own plot. I enjoyed this film, Denzel Washington is really believeable as the down-on-his-luck father, and the rest of the supporting cast executed their characters very well. Most notably the great Robert Duvall as the hostage negotiator and Ray Liotta as the stuck-up police chief. I won't say more about this movie other than it is heart-breaking and you can almost feel the pain frustration John Q has to go through. 4 stars out of 5.

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• Just Another "Dog Day Afternoon" in Hollywood.

  tfrizzell2003-10-24

  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.

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