I just rented John Q on DVD. I went into it with an open mind. Denzel Washington plays John who is down on his luck but a hard worker. His son is suddenly diagnosed with a failing heart. He does everything right by the system but the system is against him. Heart replacement sugery is an elective procedure and not covered by his insurance. The story quickly starts to look like Dog Day Afternoon meets e.r. with Denzel playing Al Pacino’s gun weilding part.
What I found interesting about this movie is that (almost) all of the characters are compasionate and seem to honestly be trying to help him. James Woods plays the heart surgeon who is donating his time. Robert Duval is the police negotiator who is straight forward with John during the stand off. Even Anne Heche comes off as resembing a human being.
The antagonist in this story in the end is the system. It’s a worthly rental if you enjoy movies like Erin Brockovich.