About two decades past, Denzel Washington portrayed a character driven by desperation and turning to crime due to his discontent with the U.S. healthcare system. The 2002 thriller “John Q” directed by Nick Cassavetes focuses on John Quincy Archibald (played by Washington), a father who resorts to taking hostages in a hospital emergency room when he can’t afford the cost of his son’s heart transplant operation.
James Kearns’ TV screenplay, initially planned at Columbia with Dustin Hoffman in mind, had been shelved for years. However, it didn’t get produced, and eventually, Kearns reacquired the script. The project, later titled John Q., was revived when New Line executive Michael De Luca took an interest and the production was resuscitated once Denzel Washington signed on in 2000. Robert Duvall, James Woods, and Anne Heche soon followed as co-stars. Matthew Barry, the casting director, recounts that Kimberly Elise outperformed strong competition to secure the role of Denise, John Q.’s wife. Barry remembers Viola Davis auditioning for the same part, with his comment being, “She’s not quite ready yet.” Apparently, he underestimated her talent as she later gained significant acclaim. As a consultant and heart surgeon in the film, James Woods received advice from Mehmet Oz, who would later become well-known as Dr. Oz. Interestingly, some of Oz’s hands can be seen performing the heart surgery in the movie.
The movie titled John Q. was initially released on February 15, 2002. Critics weren’t too fond of it, but the audience response was more favorable; the film ended up earning $102 million globally (equivalent to approximately $179 million today). Following the unfortunate incident involving UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, who was shot and killed on December 4, 2020, the movie gained renewed interest. Producer Mark Burg commented, “When I heard about what happened in New York, the first thing that crossed my mind was, ‘Oh my God, this guy took John Q. to a new level.’ ” He expressed pride in his film but lamented its continued relevance.
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2025-01-05 22:24