John Q. (2002)

What happens when a father is given so many options and is left with only one choice? You’ll have to see for yourself in Director Nick Cassavetes’ (The Notebook) 2002 Drama from New Line Cinema called JOHN Q. Two-time Academy Award winner Denzel Washington (1989 – Best Supporting Actor, Glory; 2001 – Best Actor, Training Day) plays John Quincy Archibald, a down on his luck husband/father/factory worker, whose only son Michael (Daniel E. Smith) is diagnosed with an enlarged heart and then finds out he cannot receive a transplant because HMO insurance will not cover it and decides to take drastic measures by taking a hospital full of patients hostage until the hospital puts his son's name on the recipient's list. The film also stars Robert Duvall (The Godfather) as Chicago Police Lt. Frank Grimes, James Woods (Once Upon a Time in America) as Dr. Raymond Turner, Anne Heche (Six Days, Seven Nights) as Hospital Administrative Supervisor Rebecca Payne, Kimberly Elise (Tyler Perry’s Diary of a Mad Black Woman) as John’s wife Denise Archibald, Eddie Griffin (TV’s Malcolm & Eddie) as the street talking Lester Matthews, Shawn Hatosy (The Faculty) as the cocky Mitch Quigley, Kevin Connolly (HBO’s Entourage) as Hospital nurse Steve Maguire, Obba Babatundé (Philadelphia) as Chicago SWAT Police Sgt. Moody, Ethan Suplee (TV’s My Name is Earl) as Hospital guard Max Conlin, Laura Harring (Mulholland Dr.) and David Thornton (Home Alone 3) as John and Denise’s friends James and Gina Palumbo, Paul Johansson (TV’s One Tree Hill) as news reporter Tuck Lampley, and Ray Liotta (Goodfellas) as Chicago Police Chief Gus Monroe. I was thirteen and in the eighth grade when this film came out. I missed the chance of seeing this in the theaters and forgotten about it over the years till I finally saw it when I was 22, and I thought this was a very entertaining movie. I thought all the actors, and not just Denzel Washington, were all terrific in their performances. As the story is taken place in Chicago, Illinois, the movie was filmed in Toronto and in around Hamilton, Ontario, Canada and part in Canmore, Alberta from August 7th to November 3rd, 2000, with an estimated budget of $36,000,000. Released two years later on February 15th, 2002, JOHN Q became a box office hit. Opening at #1 with $23,275,194 during its first weekend, and ended up with a total domestic gross of $71,026,631. I consider JOHN Q one of the best Denzel Washington movies I’ve ever seen. And if you haven’t seen it, I totally recommend it.