History Film / JohnQ

* AndThisIsFor: -- Has one scene involving a guy attempting to take down John Q while his girlfriend instead, mace sprays 'him' and not John Q, in addition to kicking him down, even in the groin.

''John Q.'' is a 2002 film starring Denzel Washington as the eponymous John Q. Archibald, a father whose son has just fallen victim to a terrible heart condition, which requires a transplant within a fairly short amount of time. Unfortunately for John, he soon finds out that due to his company's change in health coverage, his HMO will not allow compensation for the procedure. After expending all his other options in attempts to find financing for his son's operation, John makes a desperate choice by holding a hospital emergency room hostage until he is guaranteed an operation for his son. The film also stars Robert Duvall as Lt. Frank Grimes, Anne Heche as Rebecca Payne, and James Woods as Dr. Raymond Turner.

A 2002 film starring Denzel Washington as John Q. Archibald, a father whose son has just fallen victim to a terrible heart condition, which requires a transplant within a fairly short amount of time. Unfortunately for John, he soon finds out that due to his company's change in health coverage, his HMO will not allow compensation for the procedure. After expending all his other options in attempts to find financing for his son's operation, John makes a desperate choice by holding a hospital emergency room hostage until he is guaranteed an operation for his son. The film also stars Robert Duvall as Lt. Frank Grimes, Anne Heche as Rebecca Payne, and James Woods as Dr. Raymond Turner.

!! This film shows examples of:

* XMeetsY: ''Film/DogDayAfternoon'' in a hospital.

* BadCopIncompetentCop: They sent a sniper to kill a guy talking with his family on the phone. While he had no hostage under weapon aim. I mean, would it be to costly to give a non-fatal shot?! And they degrade to the point of telling him that his feelings for his son's death is meaningless.

* GroinAttack: The abused girlfriend gives this to her JerkAss boyfriend as the ''coup de gras'' of a major beat-down after she foils his attempt to subdue John Q.

* HostageSituation: A rare case where the audience is actually rooting for the kidnapper.
** Hell, even the ''hostages'' were rooting for him(most of them, anyway).

* SpiritualSuccessor: A RaceLift remake of DogDayAfternoon, right down to the the awesome "Attica!! Attica!!" scene where John turns an angry public against the police.
--> [[{{CrowningMomentOfAwesome}} ''This hospital is under new management! '''FREE HEALTH-CARE FOR ''EVERYBODY!!'' ''' "]]

* XMeetsY: ''DogDayAfternoon'' in a hospital.

* BillyNeedsAnOrgan: The central conflict of the film

* JustifiedCriminal: John only creates the HostageSituation out of despiration for his son's life

* MoralDilemma: John seems to be going through a series of these during the entire HostageSituation

* PoliceAreUseless: Well, at least the Chief of Police and those who listen to him

* PoliceAreUseless: Well, at least the Chief of Police and those how listen to him

* KarmaHoudini: The police guys who tried killing John disnecessarely because it was Election Year. Almost happened with Payne, but the guilt stab to her heart may or may have not been sufficient.

--> [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome: "This hospital is under new management! '''FREE HEALTH-CARE FOR ''EVERYBODY!!'' ''' "]]

* SympatheticCriminal

* SpirutualSuccessor: A RaceLift remake of DogDayAfternoon, right down to the the awesome "Attica!! Attica!!" scene.

* SpirutualSuccessor: A RaceLift remake of DogDayAfternoon

* AirVentEscape: Actually use to get into the emergency room, but fits the trope otherwise

* AcceptableTargets: [=HMOs=], large hospitals, and essentially any other piece of corporate health care. The entire movie is essentially framed as an attack on the health establishment

* CrowningMomentOfAwesome: Watching the jury [[spoiler: only convict John of the lesser kidnapping charge]]
* CrowningMomentOfFunny: When the abusive boyfriend gets what was coming to him...

* StrawmanHasAPoint: At one point, the [[ObstructiveBureaucrat hospital administrator]] points out to the police that they cannot, under any circumstances, give John what he wants, or else there would be "guns in every hospital". Despite the fact that [[spoiler:John ''does'' get exactly what he wants, because he took hostages]], this is never brought up again.
* SympatheticCriminal
* TearJerker: Denzel's powerful performance lends itself to a couple of these, particularly when he finds out about his son's condition
* YourMileageMayVary: The critics almost universally panned it and many viewers were apparently put off by the film's constant political maneuvering, but many still praise Denzel Washington's performance and have rated the movie highly despite it's flaws

* ChekovsGunman: [[spoiler:The woman who dies in the opening scene.]]

* HostageSituation: A rare case where the audience is actually rooting for the kidnapper