You won't be disappointed!

Just what I expected

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

I really wanted to be sympathetic to the plight of these characters, their son denied a life-saving transplant due to complexities of insurance and the avarice of private healthcare providers, but I just couldn't tell where the political advertisement ended and the film actually started. Director Cassavetes seems to be flirting with an expensive commercial for a means-tested healthcare model which is fine (Hollywood jingoism is nothing new), though it's usually more subtle. Washington seems to have the right amount of despair and Woods plays the schmoozing cardiologist with aplomb; his characterisation brought more depth to what could've been a very one-dimensional part. Heche on the other hand as the cold, heartless 'system' personified, epitomised the hollow cliché that Woods somehow managed to avoid (by acting). The Liotta vs Duvall contest is also pretty shallow and unimaginative.Overall, despite the capable cast, it's difficult to distinguish ad from movie which I'd attribute mostly to the banal dialogue and overly clichéd approach taken. Could've had more tension, action and entertainment if they'd gone with Mel Gibson (a la Ransom, Payback) alas, the makers opted for a dramatic pose and the result is consequently extremely superficial and underwhelming.

Despite all the on-cue cheering from the crowd, John Q is a piece of irresponsible agitprop (especially for a movie released in 2002, one year after 9/11) that sanctions vengeance, mob rule and anarchy. How many patient and law-abiding parents did John Q leap-frog in order to get immediate care for HIS offspring? (Talk about the 'selfish gene'!) Of course, writer James Kearns makes it all work out for the best -- to the point that the hospital actually seems to run better when it's being lorded over by a hothead with a gun. But then Kearns had improbably staffed the hospital with a fiendish administrator who was a cross between Eva Braun and Anne Robinson of the Weakest Link -- for which the script writer, incidentally, owes an apology to the vast majority of hospital administrators who (agitprop notwithstanding) actually have a heart -- and are forced to work within restraints that are for the overall benefit of everybody and shouldn't be subject to veto by any angry parent with a firearm.I could tolerate this film if John Q had shown any repentance at all, ever -- but far from it, he rides off into the sunset (to an incredibly short stint in the pokey) with a self-satisfied smirk on his face -- apparently totally uninterested in the fate of the sniper whom he gratuitously sucker punched so hard as to likely cause internal bleeding that could easily lead to death in real life -- possibly depriving that sniper's son of a father. But then John Q has made it clear all along that he's not interested in "sons" in the abstract: he just cares about his own son, thank you very much.If I could have rewritten the movie, I would have ended it with the grown Mike (now enrolled in college) chastising his father as follows:Mike: "Dad, I'm grateful for you saving my life, but..." Dad: "But what, son?" Mike: "Well, it's just that I've been reading Immanuel Kant in philosophy class and...." Dad: "You've been reading WHAT?" Mike: "And I fail to see how your actions square with the Categorical Imperative." Dad: "Look, you got a new heart, son: be happy." Mike: (after a moment of frustrated silence) "Dad, have you ever even HEARD of the word 'ignoble'???"

John Q - Started off just like one of your average Denzel films, but to be fair, I'm a huge fan so this wasn't a problem.He plays an out of luck father who's son suddenly develops a terminal condition and he only has months to watch him die.Himself and his family and the community go through hell and back to try and save his life. This fighting takes a turn for the worse, or better depending on your view on the situation. He takes matters into his own hands and accidentally gets the whole city behind him. If you haven't seen it, I can't tell you the whole picture or it'll spoil it.To recap, it's one of the best movies I've seen and even had me stopping the tears at one point. A true hero of a father story by Ben Nicholls @ WWW.KUDOSFILMCLUBREVIEWS.BLOGSPOT.CO.UK

John Q is one of the best movies i've ever seen. It's very dramatic and affecting. The way Denzel Washington acts (Especially the "last talk" with his son) is incredible, the best performance I have ever seen! The movie to me shows how strong a band between a father and a son should be. A father who is willing to do anything for his son! Simply amazing. The way how everyone turns to support him, even the hostages, makes the faith in humanity restored (altough it is a movie)I can't understand why this movie only has a 6.8 in the ratings. in my opinion this is the most underrated movie ever!My favorite quote in the movie was "I AM NOT GOING TO BURRY MY SON, MY SON IS GOING TO BURRY ME!!!". I really felt it and had to struggle to resist my tears.