Tagline: Give a father no options and you leave him no choice.
I saw this movie a few years ago, and since it came out in 2002 it was quite a few years ago, but it’s the kind of theme that never dates. Intense, powerful, emotional–John Q delivers it all as far as I’m concerned. And Denzel Washington is ‘the man’ when it comes to bringing tortured John Q Archibald’s father’s love, and just how far he’s prepared to go for his son, to the screen. Mind you, DW is pretty much ‘the man’ in every performance he does, don’ t you think? I don’t think I’ve ever seen him in a movie that I haven’t liked. As one reviewer on imdb pointed out, “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.”
Here’s the short plot synopsis from imdb:
John Quincy Archibald’s son Michael collapses while playing baseball as a result of heart failure. John rushes Michael to a hospital emergency room where he is informed that Michael’s only hope is a transplant. Unfortunately, John’s insurance won’t cover his son’s transplant. Out of options, John Q. takes the emergency room staff and patients hostage until hospital doctors agree to do the transplant.
For me, as a parent, this movie hits on so many fears. You have adversity in a difficult financial situation but you’re making ends meet, then wham! Out of the blue something threatens your child and you will do anything, ANYTHING, to make things right in your child’s world again. Of course the financial situation worsens, your child’s health worsens, your desperation increases. How far would you be prepared to go?
Great story, great performances and terrific ending. If you haven’t seen this yet, and you love a good drama, then, in my opinion, this is your thing.
Saw this news item in an online newspaper today. Lesson to be learned, don’t leave your partner sleeping at the movies!
UPDATE TO THE ABOVE NEWS ITEM: Check out this link. Seems the course of true love doesn’t run smooth…
Best thing that happened to me this week? Getting my author copies for the Australia/New Zealand edition of Tycoon’s Valentine Vendetta. To see the down under cover treatment, or to order from eharlequin australia click here.
Best book I’ve read recently? Odd Mom Out by Jane Porter. Great story!
Best movie I’ve seen recently? Assault on Precinct 13. Seen it before and I’ll see it again. Excellent character portrayals. Sometimes I like to watch a movie with the sound off just to observe the body language. Did this with Monster-In-Law a couple of years ago and it was amazing how many cues you got just from the body language.
What’s up in your world?
As you may have guessed, we don’t go out to the picture theatre much, and watch most of our films on DVD. Thanks to the New Year clearance sales, members of the family have aquired a range of films that we haven’t seen before and amongst them was “The Covenant”. I have to say that I really enjoyed this movie but felt it really had the potential to go a bit deeper and even be a bit more scary. That said, the male eye candy was exceptionally fine in it’s various stages of dress or undress ;-).
Frivolity aside I did enjoy the concept of the film, especially that these powers were conferred on the male side of the family, and only one son in the family, when so often in books and films it is the women who hold it. It changed the dynamic considerably, from my point of view, and the thought that young men were coming into power at the age of 13 and ascending to full power at 18 is quite terrifying, especially when you learn how seductive the casual use of that power is and what the long term ramifictions of it are. I can’t say I know of many 13-18 year old males that I’d feel comfortable around with powers such as were exhibited in the movie :-).
The special effects were also excellent, in my opinion. The Darklings, though, I felt could have been explained in more depth and their fright factor used even more. Eeeuw, and don’t get me started on the spiders <shudder>! Guaranteed creep out material for me using something we all come across just about every day. And really, when you think about it, that really is scary. Something that’s as normal about your house and home or workplace as a spider… just think of the potential (sorry, I’m shuddering here again.)
Have you seen any good scary movies lately?
