Guest Blogger: Jared K1

The movie John Q. is a drama/thriller that was released in 2002. John Q. is about a man named John Quincy Archibald, played by Denzel Washington, whose insurance won’t pay for his son’s heart transplant. John and his wife Denise, played by Kimberly Wise, try as hard as they can to raise money for their ten year old son’s heart transplant but still don’t have enough. John seems to run out of options so he holds the hospital hostage until the doctors agree to perform his son’s heart transplant. Denzel Washington does a great job playing this role and I couldn’t think of anyone that could do better. Some of John’s traits include that he’s determined and caring. He’s so determined to get his son on the list to be operated on that he goes to something extreme by holding the hospital hostage. He is obviously caring towards his son but makes sure everyone in the emergency room is getting the care they need while he’s holding the place hostage. The movie has other notable actors like Robert Duvall and James Woods. The theme of the movie is going to extremes for somebody that you care about. Roger Ebert’s review says that John Q. is an intense movie that will keep you waiting to see what happens next. I agree with Roger Ebert’s review because that is exactly how I felt. I was anxious to see what other obstacles would get in John’s way and how it would end. Filmcritic.com says that the movie runs on a little long and pushes a bit too much but there’s no denying Washington’s complete power as he plays the role. I disagree with the first part because I never lost interest or got bored of watching and never thought too much was going on. I do agree that Washington does a great job as the lead role, which he always does to me. I think that John Q. is definitely worth the time and money to watch. If you are into drama/thriller with a great cast of actors, then you need to get your hands on this movie.