Mike LeMar All she does is bark at the husband that he needs to do something, needs to try harder at everything he does. Furthermore: first, she's in the doctors' faces about inquiring what's wrong with her son while they're trying to focus on diagnosing him; then, she's repeatedly stressing to James Woods and Anne Heche at the table that she doesn't understand why this is happening because just that morning, he was fine. I wanted to be at the table with all of them and jump down her throat, "Well he's not fine anymore, obviously, so get that out of your head and just listen and comprehend what they're trying to draw in crayon for you."

donnyx 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'???"

amypjs2 I love this movie, and have ever since I could remember. I feel like people that are giving this movie a bad review is just over analyzing every little detail. Denzel Washington is as fantastic as ever and makes this movie as emotional as it is. I think this movie is pretty accurate to how American health systems work, yet there are still flaws to how it was portrayed in the movie--THIS IS TYPICAL!! If it were completely accurate, I'm pretty sure everyone would be drooling from napping because the movie would be so boring. This has the perfect amount of drama, excitement, comedy, and everything in between! I think people just need to sit down and relax while watching this movie, because if you're going to pick at every detail you are not going to have a good time watching it. I would love to own this movie, but I see it on TV about once a year and each time I get so excited to watch it. It's so heartfelt and moving and I think anyone would enjoy this movie!

Liam Blackburn Do not waste a couple hours on this stinker. I like DW usually but he is just boring and not believable as the "crazed Dad gone crazy for his dying son" role. The first hour or so of the movie is just so boring, and the acting by Woods and the other doctor is just bad. This is more of a bad TV movie not a 30 million dollar budget movie lol. Seriously, the part where DW rips his gun out on the Doctor to take everyone hostage is completely out of nowhere, the buildup by DW's character until that point, does NOT warrant his actions. He could've done a way better job at making his character more believable but maybe that's asking too much of him considering he usually plays the same type of roles in every movie.