Everybody loves an underdog. That’s just a fact. Human nature dictates that when we see a person with everything stacked against them, we want them to overcome all the obstacles, defy all odds, and come away in a good place. It’s even written about in biblical terms in the story of David vs. Goliath. And whenDenzel Washingtonplays the role of David, the audience can’t help but cheer him on. His unmatched charisma and undeniable magnetism are why we go to see him time after time at the movies. Whether Denzel plays a bad guy likeAlonzo Harris in his Oscar Award-winning turn inTraining Dayor a good guy likeRobert McCall inThe Equalizerfilms, the master actor pulls you into his character arc. InJohn Q, Washington plays maybe his most identifiable role as a father who will go to any length to save his son’s life. You don’t even have to be a parent to identify with the desperation he feels in Nick Cassevetes' 2002 thriller.
John Quincy Archibald takes a hospital emergency room hostage when his insurance won’t cover his son’s heart transplant.
‘John Q’ Is About a Father Desperately Trying to Save His Son’s Life
John Quincy Archibald (or John Q.) has a wonderful family. He and his wife Denise (Kimberly Elise) are the proud parents of a young boy named Mike (Daniel E. Smith).He is a blue-collar man who works a 9-5 jobat an auto parts manufacturing plant. Denise works as a cashier at a local supermarket. Sadly, they are struggling to make ends meet. In the movie’s opening sequence, John’s car is repossessed, and he is looking for a second job. Their lives aren’t perfect, but things are about to go from uncomfortable to desperate.
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While at Mike’s little league baseball game, he unexpectedly collapses on the field. John picks his unconscious son up and rushes him to the nearest hospital emergency room. Mike is diagnosed with a rare enlarged heart disorder that will require a transplant. The scene where hospital director Rebecca Payne (Anne Heche) and cardiac surgeon Dr. Raymond Turner (James Woods) inform the parents that their son has just days to live is brutal to watch. It gets even worse when they find out John’s insurance policy won’t cover the cost of the procedure. After an HR director at his work informs him they won’t help,John decides to take drastic measures to give his son a chance at surviving.
Denzel Washington’s Desperation Is Raw and Relatable in ‘John Q’
John and Denise do their best to raise the cash legally. They sell all their belongings, take donations at the church, and even go to the local news outlet to start a crowdsourcing campaign, but it isn’t enough, as Mike is running out of time. When John decides his only option is to take the bull by the horns and force the hospital’s hand, Denzel’s desperation and sense of urgency are palpable. When the hospital is going to release Mike and let him die, John is no longer messing around. When John pulls a gun on Dr. Turner, it’s incredibly intense, and a series of events begins that will bring out the best in the actor and have the audience on the edge of their seats. From the beginning, there is a sense that what John is doing may be desperate, but isn’t necessarily outrageous or crazy. Any parent in that situation might do the unthinkable and do everything possible to give their child the best chance of survival.How can you possibly root against him?Without launching a debate into universal healthcare, would you be the one who told a desperate Denzel Washington “no”?
‘John Q’ Is Reminiscent of Al Pacino in ‘Dog Day Afternoon’
In Sidney Lumet’s 1975 bank heist thrillerDog Day Afternoon, starringAl Pacino, the community rallies around him and embraces him as a symbol of one man’s battle against an overbearing system. Even though he is trying to rob a bank, the crowd around the scene embraces an underdog mentality. In John Q., Denzel Washington takes on the cold, faceless insurance industry. While not endorsing taking people hostage and wielding a gun, you can make the argument that his cause is just and noble. This is a father who has done everything right. He’s paid his insurance premiums every month, and to be thwarted by a capricious policy while his son is dyingmakes rooting for Denzel as John Q. feel like the right thing to do. As the film progresses and the news picks up the story, John’s situation brings out crowds who do everything short of chanting “Attica! Attica!” to support him. Even his group of hostages are working with John by the end of the movie to make sure little Mike gets the heart transplant he needs. If you loved Pacino inDog Day Afternoon, you will love Washington inJohn Q. because he is fighting a good fight.
Denzel Washington Shows He Can Be an Anti-Hero in ‘John Q’
John will never harm any of the hostages; he is only using them for leverage against Payne to get Mike’s name bumped to the top of the transplant list. His gun wasn’t even loaded. Some will argue that John Q’s son is no more important than the other dying people on that list. Still, when it’sDenzel Washington immersing himself within the roleof a father willing to do whatever it takes, it makes for a damn entertaining film. When it appears that John will have to pay the ultimate price and give his own life so his heart can be transplanted into Mike’s, he is ready and willing to do it as law enforcement (Robert Duvall,Ray Liotta) closes in.
John is only seconds away from shooting himself in the head when he gets the news that Mikey is going to get another heart. Most parents would do the same thing, butJohn Qand Denzel Washington stick the question right in your face and demand you also contemplate how far you would go. Even people that don’t have children are forced to take a close look at the value of human life. Denzel is never the bad guy inJohn Q.He’s the voice of reason and common sense in a world that often values profit over human life.Near the film’s end, John Q says, “When people are sick, they deserve a little help!” He’s right.
John Qis available to rent or buy on Prime Video in the U.S.
