Rating: PG13
Genre:
Drama
Theatrical Release: 02/15/2002(USA)
Release Date: 07/16/2002
SubTitles: English
Dubbed: English
Sound: DD5.1/DDS/DTS
Run Time: 112 Minutes
Flags: Violence, Adult Situations, Adult Language
Distributor/Studio: New Line Home Video
A national health care crisis in the United States yields this tense
drama from screenwriter
James Kearns and director
Nick Cassavetes, who experienced a real-life dilemma with his daughter's congenital heart disease that mirrors the one in this film.
Denzel Washington stars as
John Q. Archibald, a factory worker facing financial hardship as a result of reduced hours in his workplace. When his young son,
Michael (
Daniel E. Smith), is stricken during a baseball game,
John and his wife,
Denise (
Kimberly Elise), discover that their child is in need of an emergency heart transplant. Although the
Archibalds have health insurance, they are informed by hospital administrator
Rebecca Payne (
Anne Heche) that their policy doesn't cover such an expensive procedure. Unable to raise the money himself,
John persuades the hospital's compassionate cardiac surgeon,
Dr. Raymond Turner (
James Woods), to waive his lofty fee, but is still left with too much of a financial burden to bear. With no recourse but to take his son home to die,
John snaps and holds the staff and patients of the hospital's emergency room hostage at gunpoint.
John is soon a media hero, the focus of intense news coverage, even as police chief
Gus Monroe (
Ray Liotta) and hostage negotiator
Frank Grimes (
Robert Duvall) try to resolve the situation before it leads to bloodshed.
~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
;)
