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John Q (2002)

Rate: 7
Viewed: 1/03, 11/03, 1/26

JohnQ
1/26: That's what happens when one has no health insurance.

So, what's the solution? Get a job! Sure, living in poverty doesn't help matters any. So do owning a house, having children, and hoarding stuff. They eat up the income very quickly. All of a sudden, the kid needs a heart transplant. So, what does the father do? Take hostages until he gets what he wants. Sorry, I have no sympathy for the family.

I like to think of John Q as Three Bitches. At the beginning, the "beautiful woman" (that's what it says in the end credits) decides to drive above the speed limit and pass many vehicles with no regard for anyone's safety. Predictably, the spoiled bitch meets her fate, and it's a "who cares???" time which is actually the best part of the film.

Next is the wife. After absorbing the news about her son, she's distraught and decides to be the angry black bitch, telling her husband "to do whatever it takes." He takes this to heart (pun intended) and does the wrong thing. Now, whose fault is that? Like a true hypocrite, the wife becomes oblivious to everything and doesn't take responsibility for her husband's actions because she's a "Christian woman."

The third is Anne Heche the ultra white bitch who's always staring hard at people in a "holier than thou" manner. No matter, the joke is on her in real life as she would drive erratically under the influence before dying from a brain injury sustained in a car accident at age 53. Toxicology tests detected cocaine and narcotics, including fentanyl, in her system.

Now, why is my rating high for the film despite not agreeing with anything? It's simple: solid all-around acting. Another is it made me think. I actually took Ray Liotta's side when his character was like, "What? Are you kidding me? Shoot the guy already." If it was anybody else other than Denzel Washington or a top 100 actor, people would've been fine with the decision. But really, is it fair to others, who are also a match, that the son is put at top of the list and gets what he needs because his father put a gun to the doctor's head?

So, the son is into bodybuilding? Good luck to him if he decides to take it up because the life expectancy of bodybuilders is quite short with tons of health issues. Organ failure is common. Three names have been mentioned: Ronnie Coleman, Flex Wheeler, and Chris Cormier. The first is nearly paralyzed today; the second was diagnosed with kidney disease in 2000, requiring a transplant several years later, and had his right leg amputated in 2019; and the third incurred a spinal infection because of three crushed vertebrae from squatting and had to learn how to walk again.

By the way, the media doesn't cover local hostage situations. It's just bad form, giving the criminal what he wants. The actor in the role of Tuck Lampley is Paul Johansson. He used to play a notorious asshole named John Sears in Beverly Hills, 90210, and I had a difficult time shaking that off. Ditto for Ray Liotta when he used to be on the other side in Article 99.

All in all, John Q is the hospital version of Dog Day Afternoon, and it's 100% manipulative.