Editing John Q.

{{Short description|2002 American thriller drama film}}
{{Distinguish|John Q. Public}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox film
| name = John Q.
| image = John Q film poster.jpg
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = [[Nick Cassavetes]]
| producer = {{Plainlist|
* [[Mark Burg]]
* [[Oren Koules]]
}}
| writer = [[James Kearns]]
| starring = {{Plainlist|
* [[Denzel Washington]]
* [[Robert Duvall]]
* [[James Woods]]
* [[Anne Heche]]
* [[Eddie Griffin]]
* [[Kimberly Elise]]
* [[Shawn Hatosy]]
* [[Ray Liotta]]
}}
| music = [[Aaron Zigman]]
| cinematography = [[Rogier Stoffers]]
| editing = [[Dede Allen]]
| studio = [[Evolution Entertainment]]
| distributor = [[New Line Cinema]]
| released = {{film date|2002|2|15}}
| runtime = 116 minutes 
| country = United States
| language = English
| budget = $36 million<ref name=BOM/>
| gross = $102.2 million
<ref name=BOM>{{cite web|url= https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0251160/ |title= John Q (2002)|work=[[Box Office Mojo]]|access-date= April 11, 2021}}</ref>
}}

'''''John Q.''''' is a 2002 American [[crime film|crime]] [[drama (film and television)|drama film]] directed by [[Nick Cassavetes]], and written by [[James Kearns]]. It stars [[Denzel Washington]] as the title character, a man who takes a hospital emergency room hostage in order for his son to receive a [[Heart transplantation|heart transplant]]. [[Robert Duvall]], [[James Woods]], [[Anne Heche]], [[Kimberly Elise]], and [[Ray Liotta]] appear in supporting roles.

The film was shot in [[Toronto]],<ref name="torontoist">{{cite web|title=Reel Toronto: John Q|url=http://torontoist.com/2009/07/reel_toronto_john_q.php|work=online news|date=7 July 2009 |publisher=Torontoist}}</ref> [[Hamilton, Ontario]], and [[Canmore, Alberta]], although the story takes place in [[Chicago]]. Shooting took place from August 8 to November 3, 2000, and the film was released on February 15, 2002, by [[New Line Cinema]]. It received generally negative reviews from critics, but was a commercial success, grossing $102 million on a $36 million budget.

== Plot ==
<!-- Per WP:FILMPLOT, plot summary should be between 400 and 700 words. -->
A young woman in a white [[BMW 5 Series (E34)|BMW 5 Series]]<ref>https://www.imcdb.org/v311554.html 1989 BMW 525i [E34] in John Q, Movie, 2002</ref> drives recklessly on a mountainous winding road; she collides with a truck and is killed instantly.

Weeks earlier in Chicago, factory worker John Quincy Archibald and his wife Denise rush their young son Michael to the hospital after he collapses at his baseball game. Cardiologist Dr. Raymond Turner and administrator Rebecca Payne tell John and Denise that Michael needs a heart transplant, at a cost of $250,000, or he will die.

However, the couple are behind on their house and car payments and have only $1,000 in savings, and the hospital requires a $75,000 down payment simply to place Michael on the organ transplant list. To make matters worse, John's health insurance will not cover the surgery due to them changing his policy as a result of them switching insurance carriers and reducing his working hours.

The couple attempts to raise the money, but they exhaust all avenues and still come up short. Upon learning the hospital intends to send Michael home to die, in desperation, John takes Dr. Turner and several patients and staff hostage at gunpoint in the ER, demanding that Payne put Michael's name on the transplant list. Police negotiator Lt. Frank Grimes makes contact with John.

Grimes clashes with his superior Chief Gus Monroe over the handling of the siege.  Most of the hostages sympathize with John and reflect on the flaws of [[Health care in the United States|America's healthcare system]]. A nurse even reveals that Michael's condition could have been detected earlier during routine checkups, but the doctor had not recommended additional testing, to get bonuses from the insurance company in exchange for helping maintain their profit.

After agreeing to release some of the patients, John is attacked by hostage Mitch, but Mitch's abused girlfriend Julie helps subdue him. John releases expectant couple Steve and Miriam and immigrant mother Rosa with her infant son, who all declare their support for John to the news crews outside. Grimes and Payne tell Denise about John's act. Payne places Michael on the list to perform the operation [[pro bono]].

Overriding Grimes, Monroe has a [[SWAT]] sniper enter the ER via an air shaft, luring John into the line of fire with a 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. John discovers the hacked news footage just as the sniper fires, wounding him in the shoulder.

John overpowers the sniper and uses him as a human shield as he 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 waits at the police command post along with her and John's friends Jimmy and Gina Palumbo.

John reveals his intention to die by suicide so that Michael can have his heart. He also reveals that his gun was empty all along. He persuades Turner to perform the operation, and Julie and security guard Max 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, when Denise brings news that the heart of a recently deceased organ donor – the woman who drove the BMW – is on the way.

Once the heart arrives, John releases the hostages, including patient Lester, who surrenders to police posing as John. John, posing as a surgeon, accompanies Michael to the operating room where Grimes, who noticed the switch, allows him to watch Michael's operation before arresting him.

Three months later, John's actions have sparked national debate about healthcare, and in court his family, friends and all the hostages are all in court as the jury foreman reads out the verdict. John is acquitted of attempted murder and armed criminal action, but convicted of kidnapping and false imprisonment. His lawyer assures him that he will likely serve no more than two years.

As John is escorted from the courthouse, Lester proclaims him as a hero, and a now-healthy Michael makes eye contact with John, thanking John for saving his life.

==Cast==
{{Columns-list|colwidth=30em|
* [[Denzel Washington]] as John Quincy Archibald
* [[Robert Duvall]] as Lt. Frank Grimes
* [[James Woods]] as Dr. Raymond Turner
* [[Anne Heche]] as Rebecca Payne
* [[Eddie Griffin]] as Lester Matthews
* [[Kimberly Elise]] as Denise Archibald, John Q's wife
* [[Shawn Hatosy]] as Mitch Quigley
* [[Ray Liotta]] as Chief Gus Monroe
* Daniel E. Smith as Michael "Mike" Archibald, John Q & Denise's son
* [[David Thornton (actor)|David Thornton]] as Jimmy Palumbo
* [[Ethan Suplee]] as Guard Max Conlin
* [[Kevin Connolly (actor)|Kevin Connolly]] as Steve Maguire
* [[Paul Johansson]] as Tuck Lampley
* [[Heather Wahlquist]] as Julie Byrd
* [[Troy Beyer]] as Miriam Smith
* [[Obba Babatundé]] as Sgt. Moody
* [[Troy Winbush]] as Steve Smith, Miriam's husband
* [[Laura Harring]] as Gina Palumbo, Jimmy's wife
* [[Larissa Laskin]] as Dr. Ellen Klein
* [[Dina Spybey|Dina Waters]] as Debby Utley
* [[Martha Chaves]] as Rosa Gonzales
* [[Keram Malicki-Sánchez]] as Freddy B.
* [[Vanessa Branch]] as Nurse
* [[Stephanie Moore]] as Admitting Nurse
* Gabriela Oltean as Beautiful BMW Driver
* [[Jay Leno]] as himself
* [[Larry King]] as himself
* [[Ted Demme]] as himself
* [[Gloria Allred]] as herself
* [[Nas]] as himself
* [[Bill Maher]] as himself
* [[Arianna Huffington]] as herself
}}

==Production==
According to the commentary on the deleted scenes with Nick 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.<ref>[[Audio commentary]] on the DVD.</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=Rush, Curtis|title=In tailspin after police shootings, former SWAT team leader lifts veil on post-traumatic stress syndrome |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/article/1100209#article |newspaper=[[Toronto Star]] |date= 10 December 2011|access-date= 21 December 2011}}</ref><ref>[https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/inquest-into-fatal-hospital-shooting-begins-1.264820 "Inquest into fatal hospital shooting begins"] CBC News, April 17, 2001.</ref>

==Release==
''John Q.'' opened in first place, grossing $20.2 million during its first weekend.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-atlanta-constitution-washingtons-j/126758547/ |title=Washington's 'John Q' quickly No. 1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230619231052/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-atlanta-constitution-washingtons-j/126758547/ |date=February 18, 2002 |access-date=June 19, 2023 |archive-date=June 19, 2023 |page=D14 |publisher=[[The Atlanta Constitution]] |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |url-status=live}} {{Open access}}</ref> 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 26% based on the 134 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."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/john_q/|title=John Q (2002) |website= Rotten Tomatoes}}</ref> [[Metacritic]] gives the film a weighted average score of 30 out of 100, based on 33 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/video/titles/johnq?q=john+q|title=John Q Reviews |website= Metacritic}}</ref> Audiences polled by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cinemascore.com|title=Find CinemaScore|format=Type "John Q" in the search box|publisher=[[CinemaScore]]|access-date= April 11, 2021}}{{better source needed|date=December 2021}}</ref>  The film also raised fear in the healthcare industry of copycat incidents by disgruntled patients. <ref>{{cite web | url=https://consumerwatchdog.org/uncategorized/john-q-pains-health-care-industry/ | title='John Q' Pains Health-Care Industry | date=16 February 2002 }}</ref>

==Legacy==
After the [[killing of Brian Thompson]], this film was mentioned in a number of articles about the incident.<ref>Anthony Breznican, [https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/healthcare-ceo-movie-murder Why the Murder of the UnitedHealthcare CEO Feels So Much Like a Movie]. ''Vanity Fair'', 2024-12-13.</ref><ref>Mitch Albom, [https://www.freep.com/story/sports/columnists/mitch-albom/2024/12/08/mitch-albom-killing-of-ceo-health-care-frustration/76843241007/ Death of health care CEO unleashes a sad fury of frustration]. ''Detroit Free Press'', 2024-12-08.</ref><ref>Bob Mondello, [https://www.npr.org/2024/12/13/nx-s1-5220866/hmo-health-insurance-movies In the movies, villainous health insurers have been a chronic condition.]''All Things Considered'', NPR News, 2024-12-13.</ref>

==Remake==
The film was officially remade in India as the [[Hindi]]-language 2006 film ''[[Tathastu]]'', in [[Kannada]] as ''[[Sugreeva (film)|Sugreeva]]'' and [[Tamil language|Tamil]]-language 2023 film ''[[Tamilarasan]]''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tamilarasan Movie Review: A sincere Vijay Antony is the heart of this otherwise messy, inconsistent drama |url=https://www.cinemaexpress.com/tamil/review/2023/apr/22/tamilarasan-movie-review-a-sincere-vijay-antony-is-the-heart-of-this-otherwise-messyinconsistent-42588.html |website=[[Cinema Express]] |date=22 April 2023 |access-date=24 April 2023 |language=en |archive-date=24 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230424123027/https://www.cinemaexpress.com/tamil/review/2023/apr/22/tamilarasan-movie-review-a-sincere-vijay-antony-is-the-heart-of-this-otherwise-messyinconsistent-42588.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Film}}
* [[Denzel Washington on screen and stage]]
* ''[[Dog Day Afternoon]]'', an earlier film with a similar hostage premise
*''[[Money Monster]]'', a later film with a similar hostage premise
* [[Health equity|Health disparities]]
* ''[[Sugreeva (film)|Sugreeva]]''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://entertainment.oneindia.in/kannada/reviews/2010/sugreeva-review-150310.html |title=Sugreeva – Review |author=Hooli, Shekhar H. |date=15 March 2010 |work=oneIndia |access-date=29 February 2012 |archive-date=24 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130524134452/http://entertainment.oneindia.in/kannada/reviews/2010/sugreeva-review-150310.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* ''[[Tathastu]]'', a Hindi film (starring [[Sanjay Dutt]] and [[Ameesha Patel]]) that is an unofficial remake of ''John Q''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sawfnews.com/Bollywood/11981.aspx|title=Tathastu? Or is it John Q?|date=10 May 2006|publisher=South Asian Women's Forum|access-date=29 February 2012|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160202013549/http://www.sawfnews.com/Bollywood/11981.aspx|archive-date=2 February 2016}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
* {{IMDb title|0251160}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|john_q}}
* {{Mojo title|johnq}}

{{Nick Cassavetes}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:2002 films]]
[[Category:2002 crime drama films]]<!-- http://www.allmovie.com/movie/john-q-v259468 -->
[[Category:2002 crime thriller films]]
[[Category:2000s American films]]
[[Category:2000s English-language films]]
[[Category:2000s police procedural films]]
[[Category:African-American films]]
[[Category:American crime drama films]] <!-- http://www.allmovie.com/movie/john-q-v259468 -->
[[Category:American crime thriller films]]
[[Category:American police detective films]]
[[Category:English-language crime drama films]]
[[Category:English-language crime thriller films]]
[[Category:Fictional portrayals of the Chicago Police Department]]
[[Category:Films about father–son relationships]]
[[Category:Films about health care]]
[[Category:Films about hostage takings]]
[[Category:Films directed by Nick Cassavetes]]
[[Category:Films scored by Aaron Zigman]]
[[Category:Films set in 2001]]
[[Category:Films set in Chicago]]
[[Category:Films set in hospitals]]
[[Category:Films set in Montana]]
[[Category:Films shot in Alberta]]
[[Category:Films shot in Hamilton, Ontario]]
[[Category:Films shot in Montreal]]
[[Category:Films shot in Toronto]]
[[Category:Medical-themed films]]
[[Category:New Line Cinema films]]