John Quincy Archibald kidnap sentence probably put him jail for 20 years plus. The lawyers downplayed the kidnapping charge by saying his sentence would be two to three years. John's son will receive an emergency transplant and live and John will spend most of his life in prison.

John Q son's transplant in the movie cost $250,000 and John Qs insurance covered 20k, HHMO, 2 tier castrophic event. The hospital received 22k from John with the expectation of 75k before putting him on a list.

The Health care management looked cold and unsympathic to the uninsured patient. HHMO looks like a cost cutting plan, an alternative to the rising cost of health care.

The cost of Health care proportion to wages was disproportionate. John Q earning 18k a year and work 20 hours a day. If a person has an emergency and no insurance, the hospital stablizes but does not offer futher treatment. Hospital Administrator, Rebecca Payne tells Frank Grimes, "there are 50 million uninsured Americans and I have to decide and we can't take care of all of them. I have to decide who receives care."

Frank encourages John to have faith, telling him faith is believing in something you don't know; Frank tells John that he will either go to jail or die, if he does surrender; Chief of police, Gus Monroe order a sniper hit on John that injuries John but gives John an opportunity to capture the sniper; and Frank tells John that the crowds don't matter and that there is only him and John. John Q story is a tragedy, a desparate man, a people's hero, a secret pawn of national media, and a blue collar worker. John extreme solution saved his son's life, allowed him to keep his promise to find a new heart for his son, and invoke fierce loyalty from his wife.

In the last scene John believes he must kill himself to save his son, giving his heart for the transplant. John tells his son to "stay away from the bad things in life", "stand up for important things", "and to know he will always be with his son, in his heart."

The stories ending is anti-climatic, whereas, "Pursuit of Happiness" inspires the viewer to believe in prevailing through the system. The anti-climatic theme is that the "Health care system is broke" and will continue failing to meet the basic needs of average people, perhaps, a voice of discontent that costs are favoring the privileged. John tells his son to grab as much money as possible, telling him that everything is better with money. Maybe someday, the return of the country doctor will make sense as HHMO become more expensive and health coverage more difficult to purchase.

I was very pleased at the quality of the DVD that I recieved, and the quikness that it arrived at my residence. I would highly recommend this seller and this site to people looking for bargains. The price was great too.

I have always liked Hollywood movies that put the secret intelligence world on the spot:
Enemy of the State
Breach (Widescreen Edition)
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

This movie is so on target, but I did not want to watch it because I tended to put it off as over the top. After watching Michael Moore's Sicko (Special Edition), I went and rented this movie and am glad I did. If you wish, read my review of Sicko before watching John Q.

I'm not going to give away the ending, there are many excellent reviews below, but the bottom line is that our medical system is totally corrupt, trapping good people in a very bad system. We need to change that.

this man is by far one of the best actors ever. anytime you see a movie and it has denzel washington in it, you know it's going to be good. that's just how he does it. anytime he's on screen he just commands all attention, and everybody's like damn, there's denzel, ready to put it on them. he commands your attention. great actor, love this guy, impossible to do it better. there's just something about him that never lets you down. in john q, he just seems to do it again. he brings it to the table. this movie is fantastic. he gives you that emotion, that fire, and you can't help but be amazed. in this movie he portrays a father who was given no other choice. he had to do what he had to for his son. it just goes to show, you do things the right way no one will listen. so you got to do something drastic to get their attention. you don't even want to get me started on health care. it's hard when you aren't making mega money, or your job doesn't have any insurance. i went with him all the way in this one. what do you do when a life's hanging in the balance. no doubt, do what you have to. even if it means sacrificing yourself. this is enough to keep your pulse pounding. bravo, to you denzel. as for his costar kimberly, can't leave her out. she brought that emotion as well. she's a very good actress, and i definitely applaude her for that. overall this movie was great, and a very good point. if ever in a crisis like that, you do what you got to do. low key denzel does it again. this man is gold.

Really surpised this movie has yet to play out in the real world, or maybe it has and I've not heard about it. Faced with a similar situation of your kid needing treatment and the hospital and insurance company denying it, I'd give SERIOUS consideration to doing what John Q did. Very entertaining movie. It will make you mad, it will make you cheer, it will make you sad. Very good cast.

OMG! Because I work in the health profession, this is my favorite movie cause I see it all. It makes you think; exactly what would you do in a situation when all of a sudden all you have is nothing but your family?

This film is the pioneer and precursor of Michael More's documentary Sicko recently released, but this one is based on a fictional situation. What is a father ready to do to enable his son to get a heart transplant? And what is the system able to do to prevent him from getting it because he does not have enough insurance coverage? The second question is easy to answer: nothing and the system will let the child die. No insurance coverage, no treatment. The first question is a lot more difficult to answer; the film goes very far in the fiction and yet it is absolutely believable. Yes a father is able to kidnap innocent people and medical personnel to impose a positive solution. Then the rest is pure luck, haphazard chance, good effective media, a lot of human feeling, a mistake done by the shoot-first-ask-questions-second chief of police in his four star uniform, and of course a lot of sympathy from the public which is perfectly understandable when you know 46 millions Americans have no health coverage at all and probably twenty more millions have a partial coverage, i.e. not full coverage or full coverage not all the time. The film is of course very effective emotionally, and it uses some short sequences from the news programs of the 1990s when Hillary Clinton was trying in the name of her husband to convince Congress to pass legislation on the subject and failed. I think even to kill yourself to provide your own son with a heart is an option that could be considered by some fathers. Of course the film did not emphasize the real negative sides of the problem, the greediness of some doctors, the total indifference of most administrative personnel, the brutality of the police in such cases who would consider a forceful solution before a peaceful one. But there must be some dream even when dealing with such a subject.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University Paris Dauphine & University Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne

Where do I start. Oh where do I begin! This is probably one of my favorite film. Denzel won an Oscar for Training Day, now I do like that movie, but this movie Denzel should have won it! He is amazingly passionate and heart felt to see a father care for his child. I love this movie. I love the drama, i love the script, and I love the acting. I do think that the whole movie is a great movie to watch fequently. I bought it and I feel so close to this movie. It grabs your heart, and make you have an awakening moment for the lives of this family. Love it Love it, oh did I mention that I Love it? :) Watch it . . . either rental or purchase!

This is an excellent film and Denzel Washington gives a outstanding performance. This tense and gripping drama will have you balling your eyes out in the unforgetable climax! Nice DVD transfer.

If you watch John Q, be prepared to have all your buttons pushed. This is easily one of the most manipulative movies I've seen in a long time. Bam! HMO's are bad. BAM! Doctors are only out for money! BAM! Hospitals are cruel, uncaring places. Bam! Insurance companies are scum! Bam! Police Chiefs are idiots!

Despite that, however, this is a good film to watch. Yes, you will be cheering for John Q and will be outraged at the way he and his family are treated by a callous system that allows the family to fall through the cracks in the medical care system.

Denzel Washington is, as always, terrific to watch as the poor schmuck who just never quite manages to make it, although he means well. I have to admit, I found the kid VERY annoying-- much too cute and perfect, but fortunately he wasn't on screen that much. The important thing is the message of the film-- it is a crime that in the richest country on earth there are people who cannot afford medical care.

I received this product earlier than I expected, and it was in great condition!

The first time I was this movie was in my health class. It is such a good movie. The story that is told in the movie is realistic and the actors played well. I even cried a couple of times during the movie. It's very touching.

Denzel Washington is John Quincy Archibald, a blue collar worker father who is struggling with payments, as every human being is troubled with. But, when his son becomes a victum of a heart condition which needs imediate replacement. The only trouble is that the procedure is expensive.

I really loved the dialogue and the premise. Very original, strikingly earnest and different. This was directed by the same man, nick cassevetties, that directed THE NOTEBOOK. And believe me, from start to finish he does well in pumping up the suspense as well as making you wonder what will happen next. I think it would be hard for someone not to cry while watching this movie. It really deals with real life medical procedures and even heart-breaking choices. Becuase, after all, if you give a father no choice, sooner or later he'll have to take the rules into his own hands. This movie really inspired me in a big way. It made me want to learn more about the technicalities of the medical field.

As for the action, there are some powerful moments involving John making descisions for the E.R. and negotiating his demands while holding a cast of personally different background hostages.

Each movie with Denzel is a smash hit. It's really that simple. He's just a really good, believable actor.
Enjoy!

Denzel Washington (our title charactor John Q.) and Kimberly Elise play loving parents to Michael Archibald, a young boy who collapses while playing baseball due to heart failure. Upon being rushed to the hospital for an emergency heart transplant the Archibald's are told that their health insurance does not cover the surgery, and John, already working dead end jobs as a factury worker, can't afford the surgery (their house is about to be repoed as well so he's really down on his luck right now) and so his situation seems hopeless until he takes matters into his own hands and takes the emergency room of the hospital hostage. Now he's able to make demands of the hospital and the insurance company, demanding they operate on his son. The end of the film gets very intence, to the point where you're at the edge of your seat and praying something will happen quickly to make things better. Denzel does an amazing job here, and James Wood and Anne Heche do an outstanding job at making you really really hate them. Eddie Griffin does what he does best by making you laugh quite a bit and Ray Liotta plays against type...not...by playing a jack@$$. Anyways, the real heart of this film is not in the 'father will do anything to save his son' route but more in the 'I can't believe that the medical and insurance world is that currupt' and the sobering part is that they are that currupt. This movie should help to open your eyes to the type of men and women (heartless men and women) who have high office in the places we place our trust. Medical attention, to me, should be a non-question type item. If you have a patient who WILL DIE if not given immediate attention, yet his insurance won't cover the surgery...what would you do? The fact that the question needs to be asked shows how little this society of people gives two $hits about one another. It should be a no-brainer. You should perform the surgery. Money is not the issue, life is the issue. It's sad to know that some, maybe even most, people don't see it that way. John Q. did what he had to do, but the point is that he should have never had to.

"John Q" is good for some thought-provoking ideas and questions concerning the ever-growing problems with our nation's health care policies, as well as some hard-hitting performances from its arsenal of talented actors. For these reasons, the movie qualifies as an average crowd pleaser, though it's predictability, as well as some cloyed storytelling in its second half, keep it from being the powerful drama it aspires to be.

Washington gives an outstanding performance, but is dragged by Elise's crying.... This is not one of those movies that are only worth watching on video, it's a great movie that I recommend to everyone who's mature enough to watch a boy dying right in front of his parents, at 10. Think about that. One of Washington's best line in this film is," I will not bury my son, my son is going to bury me!" Denzel Washington is amazing as always, and I've seen most of his films, I've never once been disappointed. He can play anything, and his role as a caring father in this film was enough to make me want to rate this three stars alone. But once you throw in solid dialogue, a great plot and other supporting actors, you have yourself one truly great movie.

I was disappointed by one aspect of this movie: the fact that it wasn't released earlier that year, because Washington surely would've received an Oscar nomination for this instead of "Training Day". It's hard to not like this movie and impossible to not feel for the characters. I'll see this movie again and I hope that by reading this review you'll see it too.

This movie starts out with much promise only to be disapated by blatant goofiness, and a bad screenplay. First off the movie has a strong start in which Denzil has problems at his factory only getting 20 hours a week, something we all can relate to i'm sure. Things start to get even worse after not being able to make ends meet, with an upset spouse, Denzil's little boy collapses while running between bases at a baseball game. When taken to the hospital they say either his son must have heart transplant surgery or he will die, they become distrot in the fact that the hospital doesnt even seem to care. Then when Denzil finds out his insurance carrier has changed and will only cover 20,000 he has to try and raise the money to fund his childs surgery, a whoping 250,000 dollars. So in the mist of all this he pays the hostpital 6000 dollars to keep his son at the facility, but then finds out they are releasing him the next day.

Now it all begins, he then becomes enraged and takes the he pyshician(played by James Woods)hostage, along with an emergency room filled with nurses and a few patients. This is were things drop down hill. Robert Duvall shows up and talks to John, and i will have to say this is the worst roll i've ever seen Duvall play. He can't do a chicago accent to save his life, and his dialogue is so mish-mashed that he seems to just "get through" every line, much the same as Denzil, who really can't make a bad movie in my opinion, but can be given a bad script. The rest of the movie plays out a typical hostage situation, failed attempts to take johns life, tension between the hostages, sneak attacks from them, and oh yes the infamous wife telling her husband to just "give it up, will be fine" scenes. All of this is also plagued with some very "goofy" yes stupid dialogue between the hostages. All these charactars seem to have fallen out of some low rate made for TV film, because they just can't share the same screen with someone like Denzil, much the same with the outside police squad and Duvall. So yes this could have been a great film given the premise. Healthcare is absurd for the most part, and a lot of uninsured people should have some way to be treated without having to make payments in full. I will say this i'm not sure HOW true the circumstance are in this movie as far as heart transplantation but i'm sure in reality there would be somewhere they could fly him to, or special circumstances for there situation to "make payments" to the hospital. So if you enjoy a decent almost TV film, then you may enjoy this one, other wise watch some of Denzil's finer moments like Training Day or Man On Fire.

Director: Nick Cassavetes
Cast: Denzel Washington, Robert Duvall, James Woods, Kimberly Elise, Anne Heche, Ray Liotta, Ron Annabelle, Eddie Griffin, Daniel E. Smith, David Thronton, Shawn Hatosy.
Running Time: 116 minutes
Rated PG-13 for violence, language and intense thematic elements.

John Quincy Archibald (Denzel Washington) is a down-on-his-luck worker. He's about to be evicted from his home, he doesn't earn enough money, and is soon driven to the point of breaking. While at his son's (Mike) baseball game, the boy is overcome with convulsions andis rushed to a hospital, but his insurance coverage does not cover a heart transplant. He tries everything he can but can't get the money. He soon takes drastic measures as he takes twenty or so people hostage and takes over the ER at the hospital to get the transplant. Among the people is Dr. Raymond Turner (James Wood), a man who wishes John luck but can't give his son the transplant. Soon the situation turns into a police stand-off under the command of Lt. Frank Grimes (Robert Duvall) and Chief Gus Munroe (Ray Liotta). While Grimes wants John to surrender himself, Monroe is prepared to kill John just to end the crisis. As John waits for his son to be put on the donor list, he must take care of all the hurt hostages and keep the police from coming in. When John finds that he has the same blood-type and tissues as Mike, it become clear what he must do.

The audience are firmly on-side as Denzel's final, desperate plea to surgeon James Woods falls on deaf ears, and we understand why he believes the only option now open to him is to hijack the emergency room at Chicago Hope. However, the scenes in which Archibald takes over the hospital fall short of the drama the audience has been wound-up to expect. In some respects, this makes the development more realistic: Denzel doesn't suddenly become Bruce Willis and launch into a mass shoot 'em up; he is an ordinary, decent man, and his hijack is clumsy and somewhat botched: "John Q" is clearly out of his depth. The problem is that director Nick Cassavettes allows the film's momentum to dip irrecoverably during these scenes. There are some confusing moments while we wait for the authorities to work out what's going on and respond accordingly. This movie isn't like that: you know John isn't going to harm anybody, and moreover, you know his son is going to get a new heart. Worse still, you know, long before the climax of the film, how this is going to be achieved. For, although we've had time to forget about the opening sequence in which a young woman is involved in a car wreck, the same footage is repeated halfway through the story, leaving us in no doubt as to the identity of our donor. In it closing moments, "John Q" keeps its dignity, sending Archibald on a race against time to save his son or perhaps sacrifice himself. "John Q" never hits the dramatic high points we might have hoped for, nor does it tug convincingly on our heart strings, but it is at least a coherent and original movie, albeit one you're likely to forget as soon as you drop it back at the video store.

At the height of the HMO arrogance, Corporatized Medicine believed that they could mistreat human beings in the name of the dollar. I believe, I hope, that their attitude has taken a turn as they realized humanity will not be slapped down. Stir in the extra emotion of organ donation, in which one must die for another to live, and you have the electric tension of John Q.

John Archibald (Denzel Washington) is a good man, a hard worker, who just needs a little more luck and a few more hours at the slow factory job he holds. When his son, Mike (Daniel E. Smith) collapses at a baseball game, he is rushed to the hospital where John and his wife Denise (Kimberly Elise) discover that Mike needs a heart transplant, quickly.

But, John's insurance won't cover it. His company switched his health plan from a PPO to an HMO to save money, and there is no provision for transplantation. Hospital Director Rebecca Payne (played surprisingly well by Anne Heche) demands Mikey's transplant be treated as a cash account, demanding $75,000 down payment before Mike can even get on the donor list. (still think the donation process is not dollar driven?)

John tries to raise the money, but time is running out. In a desperate attempt to save his child, John takes heart surgeon Dr. Raymond Turner (James Woods) hostage, along with the emergency room staff, demanding that his son's name get on the list.

Hostage negotiator Lt. Frank Grimes (Robert Duvall) arrives on the scene, but is hampered by the presence of media-hungry Police Chief Gus Monroe (Ray Liotta). Also present is Tuck Lampley (Paul Johansson) a television reporter hungry for 'The Story' but who is sympathetic to John's plight.

The film is not action packed, but nonetheless has a palpable tension. It's a story of humanity, and the interactions between real people. It's a story about mistakes and redemptions, arrogance and assumptions, and the all too human core inside all of us.

The performances are spectacular. Denzel Washington, James Woods, Robert Duvall, Ray Liotta, Kimberly Elise, Paul Johansson, and (surprise) Anne Heche do phenomenally good jobs in their roles. The photography is excellent, the editing, script, and atmosphere are great, and the musical score matches mood with the film.

'John Q.' is one of those movies I can watch over and over again, and still feel the same emotion I felt the first time I watched it. Though the ending does have some unrealistic qualities, it fits well with the film and doesn't skip over the wrongs that John did to try and make things right for his son. Definitely a 'buy'. Enjoy!

Denzel Washington's powerful performance dominates this drama about a father fighting to keep his son alive. Many critics panned "John Q" upon its release, and to some extent, I agree with them. There are so many cliches in it that it often seems like a knock-off of other movies like "Dog Day Afternoon" and "Mad City." Robert Duvall, while a great actor, comes off like a characature of a cop, while Ray Liotta, also a terrific performer, is equally cartoonish as his adversary. Naturally, the news reporters turn the whole hostage situation into a media circus with a preachy message about the sorry state of our healthcare system. We've seen all this before in many other movies, and it didn't work in them either. The plot also takes predictable turns all the way to the end.

The main reason to watch is for Denzel Washington. His likability goes a long way; he really does make you care about him and his family. Because of him, I can still enjoy watching this film and forgive many of its shortcomings. And the DVD is loaded with many nice features, including deleted scenes and commentary with director Nick Cassavetes, writer James Kearns, and actress Kimberly Elise, who plays Washington's wife in the movie.

John Q is one of my favorite Denzel Washington movies. Denzel Washington is in my opinion one the best actors ever. He's so powerful with his expressions, movements, tones, and sentences.
This movie is a beautiful movie that is very sad and remarquable. It's about a factory worker played by Denzel Washington who has a nice loving wife and son. And then one day, while playing baseball, his young son collapses. They take him to the hospital and find out that he'll die if he doesn't get a heart transplant, a highly costly operation. And to make matters worse, the factory worker's (named Jonh Archibald) insurance won't cover it. And since they can't afford it, John Archibald is forced to desperate measures. He holds up the hospital, locking himself in. He then orders for his son to get a transplant. The movie is very toughing and wondeful with great perfromances by Denzel Washington, James Woods, Robert Duvall and Ray Liotta. While in the hospital, John meets new people that are also trapped in. He meets a married couple with the wife pregnant, a spanish mother whose baby is sick, a weird couple with a hurt lady, a security cop and more. The movie is a great ride and will make you cheer and cry. While everyone in the hospital and out loves John, the government doesn't. And they send snipers and more to get the job done. This is a must see and is a trully beautiful story.

This is a ridiculous movie length advertisment for national health care disguised as a movie. Stick a good actor in it and it looks even more like a move. Steal a plot from another movie (i.e. Dog Day Afternoon) and it gets even closer to looking like a movie.

But the smart ones know better.

John Q. is an emotional thriller that definitely keeps you on the edge of your seat... at times as a tear jerker, but at other times laughing at the ridiculous directing, scriptwriting and sometimes acting... There are some scenes you can see coming from a mile away, ridiculous melodramatics... and a blatantly (yet superficial) propagandic message...
Wow, when was the last time YOU got to walk into a TV studio and TELL your story to the investigative reporter on the set ? - - and oh yes... JOHN Q's bearded blue collar friend was - - well, quite Blue Collar... Duval pretty much played the same cheerfully cynical rational minded cop he did in a similar victim of society gone lunatic film (Falling DOwn), there's the cold hard hospital administrator, the jerky self righteous doctor, narcisistic chief of police against the gung-ho local cops vs. the trigger happy sharp shooters... "I got da mayor on the line..." - - "Tell 'em to hold back ! hold back ! Don't shoot til I tell you..." - - "I love you Daddy !" and oh how the list goes on. - - James Wood, a GREAT actor almost seems to realize the sillyness of the film during the DRAMATIC change of heart sequence which seems something straight out of a Saturday night live spoof... "But doctor, you could get disbarred or lose your license," and Wood answers something in a ridiculously flat tone as if he's really trying to say, "Oh God, when am I going to get off this set...?" and then there are all the other great classic Hollywood (ridiculously unbelievable) close calls with sharp shooters, loaded guns, calls that don't get through at the last moment... People running desperate AGAINST TIME (cue dramatic incidental music...) In the end, as a message film, it falls flat... I mean, preaching to the choir is one thing (we ALL agree the health care system is messed up and we've all heard the figures and hey, yeah, let's go and fill out our organ donor cards, brush our teeth twice a day and eat our spinach), but beyond preaching to the choir, it doesn't really offer any other deeper insight or sparker debate beyond, "oh how cute and little the Webster like little Kid is..." and maybe making you think "What if it were my son ?" Heck yea, I might do it... So how abotu a dramatic TRIAL OF BILLY JACK type ending where Duvall says that you have a choice "Die here, or tell your story in court to the world..." -- Uh, uh... we can shoot you or you can go to jail... make your choice... In the meantime, the film just goes ridiculously overboard to touch everybody, offend nobody, and play into the mindset of an Oprah Winfrey Audience, with yet, a touch of an ABC Afterschool Special with a few jarring moments (such as the SFX on a realistic but overdramatized heart surgery.) This film would have been great paradied on STRANGERS WITH CANDY ! - - No doubt however, one should mention that Denzil Washington did put on a heck of a performance, letting the waterworks through on virtually every scene and playing a not so bright average Joe that everybody loves, just wants to save his son and has commanded a hospital ward full of... well the morbidly obese body guard, the scared sh*tless nurse, the wise *ss pimp and his girlfriend, the witty street smart black guy, and the lady about to have a baby any moment... in other words, ample comedic relief... and yes, you can smell that they're going to bond from miles a way... and as the hostage situation plays out all the elements and cliches from all the other films of that nature play out... minus the Billy Jack clenched fist salutes as he rides off into the sunset... - - Still despite this, the film did keep me glued to my seat and was a fun and exciting watch... Perhaps one day it might even be made in a more coherent manner and not try to create the ultimate feel good/feel bad/human message/police stand off/ triumph of human nature blah blah blah film. In the meantime, I think I'm going to go outside and breath a fresh of air and try to remember some of the more poignant lines. I think Robert Duval at one point may have mumbled something about faith (sometime between "cut" and getting his donut...)

Denzel diserved another oscar for this performance! This movie
shows you how much insurance companys really suck, and how money
is more important than a human life! If this movie doesn't put
tears in your eyes, you're not human! I won't write a book for
a review like some people. I'll just say, this is a great movie,
that everyone should see.

This movie is pretty good. We aren't talking great, but good. Other reviews here have made good points: Washington does an incredible preformance, and the proceeds should have gone to chairity. I'm not a socialist, but I do think this country should have free health care. All these people are blabbing off about what a good country this is. If this is such a great country, then shouldn't we be able to pull off a free service like Britian?

An extremely powerfull movie staring DENZEL WASHINGTON. One of my favorite actors to this day. I think his performance is mind-blowing and powerfull. If you like those movies in which you cry and whimper a lot, then watch this one. I loved it.
Buy this one today.

John Q is about a working-class man whose young son, Mikey is in need of a heart transplant, which his insurance will not cover. Thus John (Denzel Washington) does the only thing he can think of: he holds the emergency room hostage, and even intends to commit suicide to allow his heart to be transplanted into his son.

The acting is superb. In addition to Washington, the cast includes Robert Duvall as a police negotiator and James Woods as a heart surgeon, both of whom do an excellent job. Anne Heche as a hospital administrator is good, while Ray Liotta's portrayal of the cheif of police can be questionable at times. The only bad acting, in my opinion, is done by the man who portrays the newscaster; he seems very over-the-top and cheesy.

The dialogue is well-written, and you can judge for yourself on how realistic the premise is.

What caused me to give the film 4 stars instead of five (and even came close to bringing it to 3) is the preaching about the sorry state of America's healthcare system in the penultimate segments, with leftists such as Hilary Clinton and (if I recall correctly) Jesse Jackson giving speeches about how America needs more socialism in not so few words. In doing this they alienate a large portion of the potential audience. Without it, a veiwer could draw what conclusions he feels are appropriate; perhaps just a portrait of a father's love for his son, rather than a call for socialism.

It is also surprising that two of the few conservative actors in Hollywood -- Duvall and Woods -- and others who, as far as I know, tend to keep their views on politics to themselves would star in a film that comes close to left-wing propaganda toward the end.

All in all though, it is a well-made film. Just fast-forward through the soapbox segments near the end.

Sure, 85% of people in America can afford health care to take care of most of the issues llike that. Well, this movie was about the 15% that can't. This movie was about my mother, whose mother's health care was not enough to cover her intense lung surgery. My mother who had to let her mother pass away in a hospital bed when they told us too late that we can work out a financial plan. this movie is about my Xgirfriend who. Had to use the money she had been responsibly saving to go to Yale Law School, because she had to pay nine and ten thousand dollar hospital bills time after time. This movie was about that 15% that it actually does happen to. How about you check the DVD additional feature documentaries and tell me how fake this movie was. John Q, my top five all-time greatest movies. It is something that all us "commonfolk". Middle class people can relate to. thank you

It is offensive that Hollywood would make this movie and not donate the profits to people like John Q. Imagine the medical care Denzel Washington's salary alone would pay for? Probably at least one kidney transplant.
There should be a purpose to a movie like John Q., and there just wasn't one in this film. The plot was very unrealistic with the free care, welfare, and other hospital-assisted funding programs out there. We should thank heaven above we are living in the United States of America where we still have some of the very best healthcare services available to everyone.
I thought this movie made hospitals the bad guy just to make John Q. more sympathetic. I gave the movie two stars vs. one star because of Denzel's performance.

John Q is well acted by Denzel Washington. Amidst the drama and comedy of this film is a disturbing question. What do you do when you're faced with a catastrophic illness and have no medical coverage? It's a question that many in this country face everyday. Washington as Q is pushed to the breaking point and makes some decisions that bring dire consequences upon himself. His son has a bad heart and needs a transplant. He loses his job and sells almost everything he owns to pay for his son's hospitalization. While the film does demonize the hospital staff and the police department by putting them in the role of the bad guy, there are some truths that must be faced. Who should pay when you can't? Should doctors donate their time to every hard luck case?

I'm glad there is some comedy relief in this film. It keeps things from getting too intense. This film a worth having in your library.

Parental advisory: There is no nudity or sex. There is some violence and coarse language. I suggest a viewing age of 13 and over.

JOHN Q is shamelessly manipulative film; it pulls all the right buttons at all the right times, but in essence, it's a well done and evocative drama fueled by a powerhouse performance from Denzel Washington. His dilemma is carefully etched and his solution, while not the right one, ultimately brings about the dramatic miracle Washington so valiantly seeks. While a bit preachy about the health care situation, the movie makes its point for Washington's case. The life of a little boy is certainly more important than bureaucratic red tape, and hospital hierarchy. Washington is supported by a fine cast: Kimberly Elise as his devoted wife; James Woods as the heart surgeon who undergoes a change of heart; Shawn Hotosy as an ER hostage with his own problems; Robert Duvall as the crusty police negotiator; Ray Liotta as the egotistical chief of police; David Thornton as Denzel's friend Jimmy; and Anne Heche as the apparently coldhearted hospital administrator.
Yes, there are cliches but the movie's message rings clear and it's so well done, it can't help but move you.

Firstly, the plot is weak in places. It is predictable, it is clished, it is a Hollywood blockbuster. Without the cast it would be 3 stars, or less.

But, with the acting ability of the whole cast, the film is saved. Denzel Washington plays John Q. Archibald, who's son needs a heart transplant, but of course, its gonna cost ya. James Woods plays the evil dude once again, and tells John he needs to pay 250k, but unfortunately John is not insured and cannot pay it, and his son will die. So, the rational explanation is obviously to hijack the ER and hold everyone hostage until they put his son on the transplant list. Robert Duvall plays the police negotiator, who you snense feels almost sorry for John, but Ray Liotta comes in and plays mr. steelballs ordering someone to snipe John. The plot unravels (predictably) but ends well, leaving you feeling all nice and warm inside.

Very good cast, acting, ok plot, 4 stars.

Is there anything more cynical and hypocritical than a big-budget, major-studio movie that tries to make a buck off people's unfounded guilt over living in a capitalist country? I thought "The Other Sister" set the standard for manipulative cinema, but "John Q" really has to take the cake. Preachy, simplistic, filled with cliches and "moving" oratory about the
failings of a health-care system that covers about 85% of the population, this movie is eerily similar to the "Socialist realism" that passed for art in the Soviet Union before it collapsed. Even worse, after the ridiculous melodrama has passed, the movie subjects viewers to a a parade of (empty)
talking heads like Hillary Clinton and Gloria Allred bleating about how we need universal (in other words, socialist) health care in this country. Apparently since Marxist ideas have worked so well in Poland, China, and Cuba, it's high time we tried them here. I think these peoples' attitudes were best exemplified by the quote from Bill Maher, who said something to
the effect of "We could have national health care, but we don't want our taxes raised." Gee, if people don't want national health care, is the government supposed to force it on them at gunpoint? (Probably). Maybe people figure they're already paying enough in taxes, and don't really feel like paying even more so the government can give to some people what most of
us have to earn. How greedy of them. What's next, a movie about how we should all pay higher taxes so the poor can afford high-definition TV's? Sheesh.

I gave this 3 stars because I am required to give it something and Denzel is always worth at least that. But I have not seen the movie, and though I probably will (on the strength of Denzel), I just could not let the "AMAZON Review" pass without comment: "The pathetic state of health care in the U.S. ..." Oh, puh-LEASE. Troubled, in some aspects? Yes. Sometimes unfair? Sure. But PATHETIC? I beg you, people, return to the real world....

This is one of Denzel's best. What suspense and emotional impact!!
You will not be able to take your eyes off the screen. Washington is America's best Afro-American actors

What a touching movie.This movie star's Denzel Washington(a terrific actor ), he plays the role of a caring father that would sacrifice his life for his son.
John Q. lives a normal life with his wife and 9 year old son.John's whole life is about to change all at his son's baseball game.at the game he uncovers that his son has a physical problem.he rushes his son to the hospital.the doctors tell him that his son has a deadly heart disease and will need a heart transplant.JOhn will stop at nothing to get a heart fof his son.It will cost $250,000 to do the surgery the down payment is $75,000 ,he cant come up with that amount of money.He makes many sacrifices but still does not even come close to that amount of money.
He decides to keep the heart surgeon hostage untill they put his sons name on the donors list.he ends up with the whole hospital hostage,all of this is happening while his son is dying
This movie has a great story and a terrific ending.Their were short scenes of a woman in a car accident she ties up with the whole story at the end.the interesting thing about this movie is that it is a true story!
a great quote is when John wants to kill himself because the chances for his son's heart is coming out pretty slim he says "I will die, but my son will live......"