John Q. (2002)

Starring: Denzel Washington, Robert Duvall, James Woods, Ray Liotta, Kimberly Elise, Anne Heche, Eddie Griffin, Ethan Suplee, and Kevin Connolly, with cameos from Nas, Jay Leno, Larry King, and Bill Maher
Grade: A

American healthcare is a real bitch, isn’t it? John Q. is the embodiment of this message. Even in the most emotional of scenes, the audience can’t help but nod in agreement when Denzel tells his son, “Make as much money as you can. Don’t be stupid like your father. Everything is so much easier with money son.” Yeah, it’s true. Money isn’t everything, but damn it, it’s close.

Summary

On a freeway, a woman in her BMW tries to pass a semitruck, gets clipped by one on the opposite street, and is crushed by the first one, killing her on impact.

At home, John (Washington) and Denise Archibald (Elise) lay in bed together until John notices something outside. He runs out only to find his car being repossessed. He tries to argue with the guy, but it’s no use. Denise watches as it happens along with their son Mike (Daniel E. Smith). As the two have breakfast before going to work, John promises to talk to the bank because they had promised they’d work with him on his bills and such, but Denise reminds him that this conversation was two months ago. Right now, they’re down to one last month’s rent, so John figured it was either the car or the house. He can’t do anything because they’re only giving him 20 hours at the plant and they’re shipping all the jobs to Mexico according to him. They’re stuck, which is why he’s looking for a second job. Even so, he promises to her that they’ll get the car back in two weeks when he gets his next check. The bodybuilding-obsessed Mike joins them for breakfast and is as happy as ever as he talks about two-year running “Mr. Olympia” Ronnie Coleman. He brings up how he can’t believe those people took their car and how he would kick everyone’s ass if given the opportunity. John passes this off as Mike watching too much wrestling, but Mike says it’s the bodybuilding he’s been watching. John drives Denise to her work and Mike to school in his pickup, and the loving family play some car games on the way. When John walks Mike up to the school, Mike offers $46 from his allowance to help him out because they’re a family and they have to stick together. John appreciates it, but he tells Mike to keep it because he earned it. When he says goodbye, Mike reminds him that he hates the saying. Instead, he tells John to say, “See you later”. The two then have a playful pose-off and act like bodybuilders before departing.

John goes to work at the plant and walks with his friend Jimmy (David Thornton) afterwards. Wearing his tie and everything, he intends on interviewing for a job at Otisville. Jimmy doesn’t think it’s worth it, but John doesn’t have a choice, as he explains the whole car fiasco to him. Jimmy accompanies John to the interview but doesn’t like his chances, adding how there’s a great chance they’ll give him the classic “We’ll keep your application on file” or they’ll tell him he’s “overqualified”. Eventually, John is called in for the interview and he talks about how he’s been working with heavy machinery for 15 years and how badly he wants the job and can start right away. Sadly, the employee manager tells him the exact key phrases Jimmy was talking about before. Following this, John and his family are singing at church, though Mike reminds John he has his Little League baseball game in 15 minutes and they’re going to be late. Eventually, they’re at the game and everyone is having a great time. Jimmy is there with his family as well. Mike goes up to bat and gets a hit too. He’s safe at first base and attempts to run to second, but he passes out mid-run and hits the ground. John sprints out to the field and Denise follows, with Jimmy yelling for someone to call an ambulance. John and Denise rush to the hospital, with John holding Mike in his arms. They get inside and Mike is rushed to the table, with the doctors noting he has an enlarged liver. Denise is hysterical as the doctors ask them questions, so John tries to calm things down. One doctor explains they may have to give Mike a blood transfusion, so they have to test them both for their blood types. Following this, John is getting help filling out his forms and gives them his insurance card for them to make a copy of once Jimmy and his wife Gina (Laura Harring) show up.

Sometime after, they are able to see Mike in his hospital bed. He’s conscious but very weak and can’t talk much. After they express their love to him, Denise asks about some of the equipment they’re dealing with, and the nurse talks about the computer monitoring Mike’s vitals. They want the blood pressure number to be above 90 because if it drops, they may have to do something. Right now, it’s at 88, but they can’t have him go below 70 again because anything 70 and below is heart failure. As soon as the nurse leaves the room, the number goes down to 87. Following this, John and Denise have a private meeting with hospital director Rebecca Payne (Heche) and head of cardiology and Mike’s doctor Raymond Turner (Woods). When John asks how things are going, they just ask him to sit down, which is never a good sign. Turner shows off a little presentation to them, showing x-rays of a normal nine-year-old’s heart and Mike’s in comparison. Mike’s heart has three septal defects “which have induced myopathy, resulting pulmonary edema, and malignant ventricular ectopy”. With this, Mike’s heart is three times larger than a normal size. Basically, there’s not enough blood being pumped by Mike’s heart, so it backs up in the lungs like a sponge getting wet. His heart is trying, but it’s working too hard. They’re beyond corrective surgery at this point because Mike’s heart is deemed “useless” by Turner. Mike will need a transplant, or he will die. Payne brings up other options too. She says they can medicate him and make him feel as comfortable as possible while they think about his quality of life. Denise is in denial because Mike seemed fine before, but Turner explains that Mike will become increasingly fatigued and will sleep more and more until he passes on. Payne piles on by saying they may have to accept that this is it and transplantation is highly risky because Mike could lose his life during the procedure.

Trying to come to terms with this news, John asks how long Mike will have if he doesn’t have the surgery. Unfortunately, it’s not long at all. It could be months, weeks, or even days. Taking it all in with Denise, he asks Turner what he would do if it was his son. Turner says the transplant would be the way to go, so they agree to it. Sadly, there are still a lot of hoops they have to go through. First, they have to get Mike’s name on the organ recipient list. He’s B-positive, so his name should go right to the top. Nonetheless, Payne says it’s much more complicated than that. Transplant surgeries are very expensive, but John brings up his insurance. Coldly, Payne says they talked to his carrier and there are no provisions in his policy for a procedure of this magnitude. She asks if Denise is covered, but she’s only been working at the supermarket for a couple of months and won’t receive benefits yet. Looking through his files, Payne points out that they don’t own their home, they have no stocks, bonds, or investments either. In addition, they only have a little over a $1000 in savings. John brings up his insurance again, but Payne explains that they have to treat this as a cash account because his insurance won’t cover it. At a minimum, it’ll cost $250,000 for the transplant and everything that goes with it. Of course, if they opt for the surgery and it’s considered a cash account, the hospital requires a down payment before they could put a patient’s name on a receiver’s list. The down payment has to be 30%, which would be $75,000, and they can’t make a move until John and Denise can guarantee payment. Upon leaving the meeting, a doctor tries to stop them from going to a county hospital to ensure Mike gets care, but this doctor explains that heart transplantation is always considered an elective procedure. She insists they are in the right place.

For advice, she tells them to contact their insurance company again, check with their own HR department about medical assistance because there’s money there, look into children’s state services, Medicaid, and anything else to find a way to keep him there at this hospital. Her parting message is to not take “No” for an answer.

At work, John meets with his superior and the guy tells him his policy has changed because the plant has switched carriers from a PPO to an HMO. It’s a less expensive policy, but there are some restrictions. Non-management, part-time employees like John only qualify for second-tier catastrophic coverage. John insists he’s full-time, it’s just been slow right now. Unfortunately, his coverage is based on hours worked, which puts him in the second-tier category. The maximum he can get is a measly $20,000, which they are willing to give him. The unfairness of this situation is not lost on John. They have made John part-time by bringing down his hours, they have switched carries, and because of their decisions, he is not fully covered even though his policy says he is fully covered. The executive offers the option to file an appeal and gives him the paperwork for it. It will take about 7 working days to get it through. Not having any other options, he goes through with it. Him and Denise try everything and speak to a lot of people to get answers. One person says they’d have a better shot if they were on welfare and suggests county medical, they talk to someone in financial aid, and they talk to others, but they’re running out of legitimate options. Finally, John gets a letter that his appeal was approved, so he takes it to Payne who explains that an appeal is for an already existing claim. What John needed to file was a grievance. He filed the wrong paperwork and will have to resubmit which could take up to 30 days. Now, he’s getting frustrated, but Payne has no patience whatsoever. She tells him how his account is in excess of $30,000, and “The hospital has bent over backwards to help you out”. Obviously, he doesn’t see it that way and leaves because Payne is not budging at all.

In the meantime, John and Denise are trying everything they can. Jimmy and Gina are giving them money, they are selling things, the church is giving them money from the collection plate, and they are doing virtually everything else imaginable so they can collect as much cash as possible. At the same time, they’re trying to stay positive and visit Mike, who seems to be in good spirits. Unfortunately, the number on his vitals goes down from 86 to 84 during a couple of the visits. As Mike sleeps and Denise holds him, John looks over at another room and sees a priest giving another kid her last rites. One day, as John continues to sell furniture and stuff, Jimmy suggests he get news reporter Tuck Lampley (Paul Johansson) involved to help him out, as it could get his situation more coverage and outside help. After he’s forced to sell his color TV for a paltry $20, John tells Jimmy to contact Lampley. At the news station, John meets Lampley, and he gives him the rundown of what’s happening. They just ask if he can do something like a special interest piece or ask people to send donations, to write their congressman, or whatever else that can help. Lampley agrees that what has happened to Mike is outrageous, but he needs to speak with his producers before he does anything and tells him to leave his number with the receptionist. After some time, the money is running dry. Following John pawning off his ring, he goes to the hospital, and Mike’s vitals go down to 80. One day, John sells his car but gets a phone call from Denise. She’s at the hospital and just got the news from Turner that they are releasing Mike. John is in disbelief because he sent them money yesterday, but Denise has been told they are releasing Mike that morning. Denise is furious and demands John do something about it, which is easier said than done. Sitting in Mike’s bedroom, John sits and contemplates what to do next.

John takes the bus to the hospital and finds a jubilant Turner joking around with a patient and his wife. Once John interrupts to say he gave the hospital $6,000 yesterday, Turner gets serious and cuts the conversation short to speak with John privately. John asks if it’s true that Mike is being released, and Turner explains he’s only a physician and he has nothing to do with policy decisions. Those are handled by the Board of Trustees. Countering, John brings up how Turner is the head of cardiac surgery and if he made a recommendation, they’d listen. He does concede he makes recommendations all the time, but the final decision goes with the board. Walking and talking, John points out that in the hospital’s brochure, it says they do 300 heart surgeries a year, which is $250,000 a pop. That’s essentially $75 million worth of heart surgeries. With this in mind, John wonders why they can’t do one for him in good faith. Turner says he waived his fee for Mike’s case, but John doesn’t care because he can raise the money, adding that he’s already raised $22,000 up until this point. He swears on his life he will pay them back if given the opportunity. Once again, Turner says he has done everything he could possibly do. Taking matters into his own hands, John pulls out a gun and demands Turner give Mike a new heart. Finally, he agrees out of fear. It’s on now! He takes Turner further into the hospital and threatens the security guard Max (Suplee) who doesn’t have a gun. So, he takes Max with them and the other employees are alerted of John and the current hostage situation. Many make a run for it and escape until John locks up the lobby doors. Now, there are a bunch of hostages and most of them are regular strangers. Lester (Griffin) is one of them and he’s there because his hand is bleeding everywhere. Turner pleads with John to not include them because they need medical help, so John suggests Turner be the one to help them starting with Lester. Nurse Steve (Connolly) offers to help Lester instead, so John accepts this.

The trouble has just begun too. Also in the lobby is a man named Steve Smith (Troy Winbush) with his pregnant wife Miriam (Troy Byer), a mother with a sick baby, and a man named Mitch (Shawn Hatosy) and his injured girlfriend Julie (Heather Wahlquist). Realizing there are a lot more problems he didn’t consider, he tells everyone that the hospital is under new management and they’re all getting free healthcare today. He takes Turner and Max with him, and he has Max cut the power. Next, he breaks a security camera. As he starts to set up his little base of operations, the phone rings. It’s a woman looking for directions to the hospital because she has an emergency, so he’s forced into telling her how to get there because of her situation. As he does so, he sees the receptionist hiding under the table, so he tells her to get out. Smith and Miriam get into a loud argument because Miriam is close to having this baby, so John promises to get them care. At the same time, Mitch argues with John to get Julie care and the mother with the sick kid is trying to talk to John, but she can only speak Spanish. He’s able to deduce that the baby has an ear infection, so he asks the receptionist if she can help, but it’s her first day and she doesn’t know shit. An ambulance pulls up, and they have a gunshot victim on a stretcher. John takes nurse Steve to the door, and he allows him to open the door. John threatens the EMTs with his gun, and they run off. Next, he helps Steve bring the stretcher in before locking the doors behind them. The victim needs surgery right away, so John allows Steve to take him there. Dr. Klein (Larissa Laskin) and Turner have to help with it. Turner insists he can’t because he’s a cardiac surgeon and not an emergency room physician, but John forces him to go through with it. Mitch tells Max he’s suing the hospital and the security company when they get out, but John asks him what makes him so sure he’s getting out at all.

Just then, helicopters are heard above them, and the cops pull up. The secret is out. Hostage negotiator Lt. Frank Grimes (Duvall) is called onto the scene and given the details. They are in this for the long haul. The ER is locked down, they are barricaded inside, and they have killed the power in the elevators. They could bust down the door, but they think John might start killing people. There are two pinpoint video cameras hidden in the walls of the ER as the hospital’s own surveillance. Plus, they have a video tape being set up as they speak. Frank asks to talk with head of security Wally, but it’s Wally’s day off. Well, Frank doesn’t care and demands him to be brought in. Next, he asks for a secure line inside, and the security guy says they have one of their own on the inside with a walkie-talkie. Of course, this is Max. Frank demands they put clamps on all the phone lines to the emergency room, so if John picks up the phone, it goes straight to Frank. Now, Frank asks who’s in charge. It’s Payne, but it’s her day off too. Frank can’t believe this. He’s reminded its Saturday, but he counters with the simple fact that people get sick on Saturdays too.

Regardless, it’s time to get to work, as Frank and the authorities will do everything in their power to stop John. However, John will stop at nothing to save his son.

My Thoughts:

Though it can be a bit on the nose at times to try and prove its points about all the basic problems with the American healthcare system, John Q. doesn’t lose sight of its goal of also being an exhilarating and emotional action thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat as well as on the verge of tears. Criticism has been hurled towards the film’s way because of how the screenplay’s details hammer home certain points about the callousness and coldness of healthcare and the people who work within the system, but this shouldn’t deter people from watching. Admittedly, it’s a bit of a bare bones look at the overall big picture that deserves a bit more nuance, but only so much can be accomplished in a two-hour film whose main goal is to still be a great action movie. Generally, the balance in the highly underrated John Q. is done magnificently because of Nick Cassavetes’s direction and a powerful performance by star Denzel Washington. It succeeds on a high enough level to spark some serious discussions as well as outrage in how difficult this process can be when faced with life-or-death situations and how in some cases, the answer is forced upon people who don’t have the money or the right coverage.

John Q. is an example of the worst possible consequence that could stem from this.

Denzel Washington’s John Quincy Archibald (“John Q.”) is a loving husband and father doing everything he can to make ends meet to help his close-knit family. He has a loving wife in Denise, an intelligent and unproblematic son with all the potential in the world, and John is a factory worker who works hard to earn his money. As happy and as normal as his family life is, money is always an issue, as it is for everyone. Actually, his family are your typical American family that everyone can relate to. They are far from rich, but they aren’t poor either. They meet right in the middle, the dreaded middle class. It’s a category most families are but get the least number of benefits. Again, it’s relatable as can be, and John and this story are the most outwardly blue collar you may ever see. The studio knew exactly the audience they were going for and why these audiences would gravitate towards a story a like this because us middle class Americans deal with this sort of struggle every day. They even nail the excruciating bits of dealing with customer service and waiting in line to talk to an expert, only to be told they were in the wrong line by the time they get to the front. It’s so familiar to working class families that it’s scary. Now, John is trying to be the rock because he knows he cannot fail, but it’s hard. Life is too damn hard and can result in so many different unforeseen circumstances that we can be overwhelmed. We don’t know everything either. We’re out here trying our best to survive, but when disaster strikes, we’re scared, and we want help. However, it’s easy to get frustrated when one is faced with a problem they have never faced before and dealing with people who work in these fields. Their unsympathetic responses don’t help the process move any quicker either. It’s hard to swallow your pride too and admit that outside help is needed because not a lot of people like talking about their problems until their hand is forced.

We can’t enjoy the lifestyle of the rich. Every penny counts. Yes, it’s true that we may have a house and a car and there are two parents who work and have a good home life, but the struggle to pay bills is an everyday thing. How many families and specifically parents feel that they have done everything correctly in life and followed the system without cheating anyone or doing things wrong to others, but they aren’t getting the benefits they deserve? In some cases, the less fortunate are helped out more if they use the system the right way. When John and Denise meet with some advisors about their situation with Mike that they can’t afford, they are told that there could have been a way around things had they have been on welfare. Because they are both working, which is something they do to stay away from poverty, they are penalized. Is this reality not backwards? It’s not like John doesn’t have healthcare either. He goes to work at this factory every day to keep his healthcare, but the entire problem with his situation is that his healthcare just isn’t good enough for what is considered an “elective” surgery, even though it’s a transplant that could save his son’s life. It’s also a healthcare plan that his company decided to move to, not him. This is a real thing Americans and hard-working families deal with every day. John has done all he can to go about things the right way and is still getting screwed because of it. Despite our main character technically taking a group of innocent people hostage to provoke action for his son because it is THE last option he has, John Q. succeeds at creating a sympathetic protagonist that we can’t help but root for regardless of what his actions look like to the general public. Does the film set a dangerous precedent? Arguably yes, as it’s something even Payne brings up in a conversation with the cops. John’s not the only one with a sick child. If he is successful, copycat crimes could happen all over the country. Even so, what can you really do about it?

Desperate times call for desperate measures. In this story and in this specific situation, it’s something that hasn’t happened before. It’s easy for Payne to say this when she’s not the one making the decisions. They all know they can’t just lay down for John, but it’s not that simple either. There’s red tape to a hostage situation just as there is with healthcare. It’s a discussion that needs to be brought to the forefront. It does make for an entertaining film filled to the brim with emotional weight and a heightened intensity and unsureness regarding the consequences of this desperate father’s actions, but this is also one of those exemplary movies where the story begs you to put yourself in the main character’s shoes. What would you do? It’s easy for anyone to say, “Well, I would never do that” but take into consideration the context of John’s barely middle-class situation. When John asks Turner in private what he would do in this situation if it were his son dying, and Turner responds confidently that he would go through with the transplant surgery. Anyone would considering the circumstances, but this is why the context to any story is key. Turner is a rich doctor who we have to assume is fully covered or has the best tools available to him to hypothetically save his kid had the situation happened to him. However, John is a factory worker on part-time hours because work has been slow. It was a situation he had no control over. Additionally, his wife Denise works at a supermarket. Every option that Rebecca Payne gave them, they attempted without question. The church even gave the family money to help out, and John sold most of their belongings to make extra cash. It kept them afloat for a bit, but it wasn’t even close to making a dent into how much the deposit was going to cost. You can’t just ask for a bank loan. This is it. When you exhaust every conceivable option, what do you do?

This is the story of John Q. and why we can’t help but feel the stress and pain that this family goes through in hopes of saving their son when they barely have enough to survive. What else can you do? It’s terrible to think how close these parents can be to saving their son’s life and having him live 70 or so more years if they were lucky to have the money to do it. Without it, the kid dies without being able to fight. Can you imagine being faced with this reality? This kid isn’t going to war or something. He’s literally dealing with a heart defect that was never diagnosed simply because Mike may have not been tested thoroughly enough beforehand. Though this definitely helps the argument that John Q. beats you over the head with its message, it’s hard not to appreciate it’s digs at the problems with healthcare and the bare bones explanations given to enrage the viewer about the basic problems Americans face every day when being forced to seek medical help. For example, Steve agrees with John about how much bullshit red tape is involved explaining that “HMOs pay their doctors not to test” to keep costs down. Hypothetically, if Mike did need additional tests and insurance says they won’t cover him, the doctor could keep his mouth shut and the “HMO sends the doctor a fat ass bonus check”. Even Turner agrees that this situation could very well be possible. Though corny lines like calling the Hippocratic Oath the “Hypocritical Oath” (a line you can see coming from a mile way), the point still lands as your eyes and ears start to perk to these conversations being had. It’s a movie that helps in reinforcing your reservations with the process and helps in reminding you why it’s okay to be angry about it, with Steve’s additional line in making fun of the Hippocratic Oath to Turner of, “I solemnly swear to take the sick and damn near dying unless they ain’t got major medical” making the basic facts known. Whether it’s true or not if all the hospital has to do with someone if they don’t have insurance is to stabilize them and they’re off the hook, it’s still true enough to incite vitriol and get you even more on the side of John.

On a side note, James Woods’s sarcastic response of, “You got it perfectly. That’s it!” as a response to Steve’s oath parody was very funny. All my movie watching as of late has reminded me how fantastic of an actor James Woods truly was/is. This man deserves his flowers. He’s memorable in literally every role I’ve seen him in, despite getting a quarter of the recognition he should be getting. The rest of the cast is rounded out by veterans who keep things moving too. The interplay between Robert Duvall’s Frank and Ray Liotta’s Chief Monroe and their passive aggressive comments leading into full-blown arguing was more compelling than I thought it would be, as they take turns stepping on each other’s toes in trying to solve the hostage situation in their own way. On that note, Frank choosing the “nobody cares” approach was a bold call after the failure of the sniper. Neither one of these guys looked like they knew what they were doing in terms of a hostage situation. Also, someone needed to acknowledge Monroe’s penchant for pointing out the obvious because it was starting to become comical. Oh, this is really bad? Hey thanks Monroe! I didn’t fucking realize! Anne Heche played quite possibly one of the worst people on planet Earth in the first half of the movie, but that’s pretty much what was asked of her since she represented the evils of healthcare. Her infuriating statements like how the hospital is bending over backwards for Mike when John is having trouble understanding what form to fill out and asking for her help is enough for the audience to beg for someone to flip on her. It gets almost to a fever pitch, with her telling Monroe and Frank that “People get sick. They die. That’s the way it goes”. Then, she takes a drag of her cigarette when talking about the hostage situation and coldly explains how she’s faced with decisions like this every day.

Monroe brings up the fact that this is all happening because she refused to treat Mike, but she simply tells him to call his congressman if he has a problem with it since there are 50 million others without medical insurance with similar issues. Even Monroe looked like he was thinking, “Okay bitch” as he forces a smile. If Denise slapped this hoe at some point during the film, I guarantee that you’d be smiling without question (“I would tell you what I think of you, but I’m a Christian woman”). Speaking of which, Kimberly Elise was great as John’s ride-or-die. Standing by your man in a scenario like this could be tough, but she refuses to be talked into anything when Frank and Payne ask her to speak with him. I loved it. The hostages added a lot to the entertainment value of the movie and their interweaving stories and responses to John’s actions helped in humanizing our lovable kidnapper. With the basic premise, you don’t even consider all the other factors John would have to face when taking a hospital hostage, but the screenplay did a fun job at throwing in everyone’s random medical problems, their personalities, and how a genuine guy like John would respond to their plight in the heat of the moment. They all can see John is a good man. It’s not a Stockholm syndrome thing. Once these conversations are had and John does his best to make sure all these hostages are cared for, they know this is a father and a husband with no other options. This is why when Julie had the opportunity to end John’s run before he could save his son, she didn’t do it. Sure, Mitch deserved an ass-kicking that everyone enjoyed, but part of it was her realizing that John isn’t the threat the cops think he is. Eddie Griffin shined especially in this role, another forgotten actor that deserves more credit. I could be wrong, but it looked like he was wearing exactly the same outfit he wore in The New Guy, but I digress. The moment in which he tried to speak sense into John for considering suicide was a great one.

John’s last-ditch effort when talking to Turner, before he decides to pull out a gun and force the action, pulls at the heartstrings of any normal viewer watching. John brings up how many surgeries Hope Memorial does every year as seen in their brochure, and he desperately asks why they can’t do just ONE for him in good faith. He’s a father who is about to watch his son die before he can experience life and he’s dealing with a wife who is putting the pressure on him to do something. All he can think of at this point is for Turner to give him a solid while promising to pay back every cent. You can’t help but get goosebumps as he stands face to face with Turner’s uncompromising look as pleads with him, “I give you my word as a man, please”. If you haven’t lived the life of a middle-class or lower-class American, this could be looked at as a laughable comment because everyone is well aware that the system doesn’t work that way. Nevertheless, this isn’t something some rich person nor a public figure would understand because they don’t know what this is like. John Q. isn’t for these people. It’s probably a lot like Payne and Turner’s uncomfortable expressions when delivering the worst news in the world to John and Denise and they respond appropriately to such devastation, while someone like Payne delivers this news every day and seems weirded out that they are being dramatic. These people don’t understand the struggle if they aren’t faced with it. The rest of us Americans do, which is why this movie means more to general audiences rather than snobby critics. Okay, it doesn’t work this way, but why? Why can’t a system created to help save lives just SAVE A LIFE for someone who needs it and doesn’t have the option? Why isn’t it as simple as John laying out the basics to Frank in that, “My son is sick. That’s it. There’s nothing else. End of story. Sick-HELP”. Again, we are in agreement that it’s just not that simple, but that doesn’t make these characters nor this story any less riveting no matter what side you stand on politically.

Additional media criticism and the annoyance of sensationalist news was not lost on us either (“This is my white Bronco”). Though it veered into overkill territory because they were already tackling some tough subjects, but the Lampley character led to the pivotal sniper scene that the whole world was able to watch, so I’ll give it a pass. Plus, things were made up by bringing up rather intriguing philosophical questions that you can’t help but acknowledge like Monroe going through with a sniper attack because he can live with one dead bad guy, despite the PR, but he cannot live with a single innocent life being hurt on the flip side. The cops involved aren’t privy to John’s mental state, his gun, or his intentions, so it’s hard to disagree with Monroe even though he’s trying to stop our protagonist. Additionally, as big of a fuckhead as Mitch is, he asks John what makes his son better than him in terms of being sick or hurt. Though he could have worded it a bit nicer, this is a point that makes you think. John doesn’t even have an answer and neither does the viewer. By proxy, John putting everyone at risk for his son is a selfish action, despite the intention of it being a selfless act. It’s a paradox that no logically thinking person can disagree with because he is kind of right. It’s not fair to think of his son’s life over everyone else’s, despite every parent having this exact thought when discussing their kid. It’s an unapologetically human trait that we all possess, even in secret. Selfishly, in one way or another, we have a tendency to think about our situation as being more important than everyone else’s. The frustration can be seen in the protagonist’s face, but it is what it is. They backed a good man into a corner and forced him to act. This was the result, for better or worse.

There are some sappy, melodramatic moments like Mike asking Denise if John is coming or when Mike asks John directly if he’s going to die, but there are so many more beautiful, teary-eyed moments that parents and families alike are guaranteed to feel in the heat of the moment. The phone conversation where Denise delivers the news to John that they’re going to get Mike help is an emotional one, as not only can you see the relief and anxious laugh from John upon hearing the news, but the hostages see what he’s going through firsthand because they are watching the newsfeed of the private conversation. If you’re a father or husband, Washington’s John telling Denise that he swears on his life that Mike is going to make it is enough to make you believe. It’s enough to inspire faith. He doesn’t have any moves. John is waiting on a miracle, an act of God. In that moment however, the viewer is hanging onto his every word hoping his prayers are answered and it’s powerful. Scenes like this make me wonder how someone could dare not appreciate John Q.. The same could be said for John willing to kill himself to use his own heart as a donor (“I do whatever I got to do for him to live”). As crazy as it seems, it’s probably the most courageous things I’ve ever seen depicted onscreen. Refusing to bury his son, this father is willing to give up his own life to save him. It’s insane. Everyone there is telling him he shouldn’t do it and may have to accept his son’s fate, but John refuses this, putting the age-old question to the test of how far one is willing to go to protect their family. The love, courage, and sacrifice possessed by “John Q.” is something every parent should have within them. It’s the mark of a true hero. Anyone can say, “I would die for my kid”, but John is willing to put his money where his mouth is. If faced with the same situation, would you? Any of us would be lucky enough to have a parent like John.

God, I respect that, but it doesn’t make the third act any easier, as they put you through the emotional wringer to the very end. That private conversation he has with Mike in the hospital bed is about as heart-wrenching as it gets. Can you imagine what it would feel like to see your kid for what could be the final time? That’s a pain you wouldn’t wish on anyone. It’s just like Lester says on the steps of the courthouse, “Take care man. You my hero”.

Emotionally taxing, heart-stopping, poignant, engaging, and tear-jerking John Q. is a captivating, edge-of-your-seat thriller. It has some hiccups, and the message is a little too obvious, but the action film is a triumphant one succeeding because of a committed and lovable Denzel Washington, a fantastic and relatable premise, and a screenwriting/filmmaking duo who have heard the cries of millions to bring a movie to light that actually understands what challenges a lot of the less fortunate have to face in their day-to-day lives.