History Film / JohnQ

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

* ShareTheMalePain: Upon the delivery of the GroinAttack mentioned above, Dr. Turner and the black hostage both visibly wince.
-->'''Black Hostage:''' I felt that!

** In fairness, we do not see John's final sentence. His lawyer points out that he's realistically looking at 3 to 5 years imprisonment, and that she'll try to get it reduced to 2. 3 to 5 is about what the average sentence kidnapping convict will incur in the state of Illinois (the film is set in Chicago.)

* 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).

The film also stars Robert Duvall as Lt. Frank Grimes, Anne Heche as Rebecca Payne, and James Woods as Dr. Raymond Turner.

''John Q.'' is a 2002 crime film directed by Nick Cassavetes and starring Creator/DenzelWashington 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.

''John Q.'' is a 2002 film starring Creator/DenzelWashington 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.

* GenreSavvy: While applying for a new job, John's friend is certain that he won't get it and that the interviewer will say either he's overqualified or they'll keep his application on file. When John does get interviewed, the interviewer says ''both''.

* AuthorTract[=/=]{{Anvilicious}}: The film is an extended parable against the American health industry, and is very heavy-handed in getting its message across. Whether [[SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped this particular anvil needed to be dropped]], of course, is entirely up to the viewer. Of course, the movie could be a way to make people aware of this issue and address the situation (Your Mileage Will Vary on how widespread the problem is in Real Life).

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

** On the other hand, the gun was never loaded, and some of the points made about the HMO's (that they pay doctors not to check in exchange for cash, that the most wealthy and powerful country in the world should be able to afford healthcare on a nationwide level, and that healthcare is in need of reform) are legitimate.
** Several references were made to the film in RealLife during the media frenzy that surrounded 17-year-old [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Nataline_Sarkisyan Nataline Sarkisyan's]] liver transplant case in 2007. Despite her young age, Nataline was denied coverage by her insurance provider due to a lower than 50% five year survival rate and her family's inability to make a $75,000 down payment on the transplant. Unlike John's son, she didn't receive the transplant and died hours after her insurance company ''finally'' decided to pay for the procedure. And even then, it was only because of public pressure and intense media scrutiny.

** [[spoiler:PoorCommunicationKills: The reason for said near-Senseless Sacrifice. His wife was either so happy or so terrified that she didn't just '''say''' they found another heart, prompting John to think she was simply going crazy over his decision and shut off the walkie-talkie they were speaking to each other with.]]
*** [[spoiler:FridgeLogic[=/=]PlotHole:The sacrifice is averted when she runs the medical papers for the heart to the front door of the hospital... while her husband and the doctors are at the ''back'' in the operation room... huh.]]

* AuthorTract[=/=]{{Anvilicious}}: The film is an extended parable against the American health industry, and is very heavy-handed in getting its message across. Whether [[SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped this particular anvil needed to be dropped]], of course, is entirely up to the viewer. Of course, it could be a way to make people aware of this issue and address the situation (Your Mileage Will Vary on how widespread the problem is in Real Life).
* BadCopIncompetentCop: They sent a sniper to kill a guy talking with his family on the phone. While he had no hostage under weapon aim. 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.

* HeroicSuicide: John planned to shoot himself so his son could get his heart, but another was found at the last minute by his wife.
* HitmanWithAHeart: Subverted with [[spoiler: the air-vent sniper. He hesitated long enough for John to speak with his son and hang up but still took a shot afterwards]].

* AuthorTract[=/=]{{Anvilicious}}: The film is an extended parable against the American health industry, and is very heavy-handed in getting its message across. Whether [[SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped this particular anvil needed to be dropped]], of course, is entirely up to the viewer.

* DomesticAbuse: One of the kidnapped patients is a mean drunk...

* HitmanWithAHeart: Subverted with [[spoiler: the air-vent sniper. He hesitated long enough for John to speak with his son but still took a shot afterwards]].

* FoxNewsLiberal: It's not hard to tell what side of the health-care debate these writers came out on the side of.

* HollywoodLaw: [[spoiler: There is no way that John would only spend 2 years in prison for all his crimes in any reasonable court of law, whether or not his intentions were good. He's found not guilty of attempted murder and armed criminal action simply because there were no bullets in the gun, which would not hold up, because an empty gun is still considered a deadly weapon.]]

* SenselessSacrifice: [[spoiler:[[AvertedTrope Averted]] by a ''' ''hairsbreadth'' '''. John was within a second or two of committing suicide so his heart could be given to his son, until his wife informs him that they found another one to use (see ChekhovsGunman above).]]

* ValuesDissonance: To a certain degree, between American and some foreign audiences. To those in countries that have universal healthcare, many of which consider healthcare to be a human right, the American medical system displayed in the movie (and in RealLife) can range from baffling and complicated to downright horrifying.

* SympatheticCriminal

* FoxNewsLiberal: It's not hard to tell what side of the health-care debate these writers came out on the side of
* GoodDocBadDoc: The kidnapped doctors and nurses get into it during a debate over HMO coverage

** On the other hand, the gun was never loaded, and some of the points made about the HMO's (that they pay doctors not to check in exchange for cash, that the most wealthy and powerful country should be able to afford health care on a nation wide level, and that health care is in need of reform) are legitimate