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John Q.

200 statements
38 feature instances
13 referencing feature instances

John Q.	type	TVTItem
John Q.	label	John Q.
John Q.	page	JohnQ
John Q.	comment	John Q. is a 2002 crime film directed by Nick Cassavetes and starring Denzel Washington 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.	fetched	2023-05-12T16:29:11Z
John Q.	parsed	2023-05-12T16:29:11Z
John Q.	processingComment	Dropped link to HitmanWithAHeart: Not a Feature - ITEM
John Q.	isPartOf	DBTropes
John Q.	sameAs	John_Q
John Q. / int_1122f435	type	Pregnant Hostage
John Q. / int_1122f435	comment	Pregnant Hostage: When John takes the ER hostage, one of the hostages is a woman named Miriam who is pregnant with her first child.
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John Q. / int_1122f435	featureConfidence	1.0
John Q.	hasFeature	John Q. / int_1122f435
John Q. / int_19e41d8f	type	And This Is for...
John Q. / int_19e41d8f	comment	And This Is for...: Has one scene involving a guy attempting to take down John Q while his girlfriend instead, mace sprays him and not John, in addition to kicking him down, even in the groin.
John Q. / int_19e41d8f	featureApplicability	1.0
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John Q. / int_1c445e86	type	Poor Communication Kills
John Q. / int_1c445e86	comment	Poor Communication Kills: The reason for John's 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, prompting her to run into the hospital screaming for him. Fortunately, she makes it in time.
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John Q. / int_1c445e86	featureConfidence	1.0
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John Q. / int_1dacdb4f	type	Senseless Sacrifice
John Q. / int_1dacdb4f	comment	Senseless Sacrifice: Averted by a hairsbreadth. John was within a second or two of killing himself so his heart could be given to his son, until his wife informs him that they found another one to use (see Chekhov's Gunman above).
John Q. / int_1dacdb4f	featureApplicability	-1.0
John Q. / int_1dacdb4f	featureConfidence	1.0
John Q.	hasFeature	John Q. / int_1dacdb4f
John Q. / int_1dfd19f9	type	Papa Wolf
John Q. / int_1dfd19f9	comment	Papa Wolf: John, most definitely. He takes an entire hospital hostage, knowing that he's going to jail for it, while proclaiming "I am not gonna bury my son! My son is gonna bury me!" to the news media who come to look. Once he believes that no help is coming, John almost commits Heroic Suicide, but is stopped at the last second by finding out that they found a donor after all.
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John Q.	hasFeature	John Q. / int_1dfd19f9
John Q. / int_1e020735	type	Heroic Suicide
John Q. / int_1e020735	comment	Heroic Suicide: John planned to shoot himself so his son could get his heart, but another was found at the last minute by his wife.
John Q. / int_1e020735	featureApplicability	1.0
John Q. / int_1e020735	featureConfidence	1.0
John Q.	hasFeature	John Q. / int_1e020735
John Q. / int_231e8193	type	Mistaken Identity
John Q. / int_231e8193	comment	Mistaken Identity: Towards the end of the film, one of the hostages pretends to be John by dressing in his coat and hat, in order to give John a chance to watch his son's operation.
John Q. / int_231e8193	featureApplicability	1.0
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John Q. / int_27a42ebc	type	Spiritual Successor
John Q. / int_27a42ebc	comment	Spiritual Successor: A Race Lift remake of Dog Day Afternoon, right down to the the awesome "Attica!! Attica!!" scene where John turns an angry public against the police.
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John Q. / int_3322dd48	type	Hollywood Law
John Q. / int_3322dd48	comment	Hollywood Law: During the ending of the movie. There is no way that John would only spend two 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. The jury can ignore the evidence and acquit him, which is likely what happened here since he had lots of public sympathy, but that still doesn't explain getting only two years on multiple kidnapping charges.
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John Q. / int_3ed23024	type	Surprisingly Realistic Outcome
John Q. / int_3ed23024	comment	Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: John is a good man pushed to the breaking point while trying to obtain a lifesaving treatment for his son. While he certainly got public opinion on his side, his actions clearly broke the law, resulting in him being found guilty and sent to prison, although his lawyer says she'll try to get him the minimum sentence. John is clearly surprised by being found guilty of kidnapping at the end of the movie, despite multiple hostages testifying for him that John shouldn't be going to jail.
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John Q. / int_40cc0c7e	type	Bittersweet Ending
John Q. / int_40cc0c7e	comment	Bittersweet Ending: Michael gets the lifesaving heart transplant he needs, but it doesn't change the fact that John broke the law to make it happen. John is ultimately acquitted of attempted murder and armed criminal action, but convicted of kidnapping and false imprisonment, and will be going to jail for at least three years. On the plus side, all of John's former hostages testify on his behalf, and since he never planned on killing anybody, his lawyer might be able to get his sentence reduced to two years.
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John Q. / int_44989f6f	type	"Could Have Avoided This!" Plot
John Q. / int_44989f6f	comment	"Could Have Avoided This!" Plot: The doctors finds out that the gun was never loaded. They ask if John was bluffing this whole time. He admits that he was, before loading it to shoot himself in the head. Fortunately, his wife reaches him in time and reveals there's a donor that matches Michael's blood type.
John Q. / int_44989f6f	featureApplicability	1.0
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John Q. / int_44bed14c	type	Hostage Situation
John Q. / int_44bed14c	comment	Hostage Situation: A rare case where the audience is actually supposed to be rooting for the kidnapper. Hell, even the hostages were rooting for him (most of them, anyway). Lt. Grimes even tried to get his wife to say something to use against him but she catches on and makes it clear she's on her husband's side.
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John Q. / int_4eaa9b84	type	Author Tract
John Q. / int_4eaa9b84	comment	Author Tract: The film is an extended parable against the American health industry, and is very heavy-handed in getting its message across: healthcare should not be for profit, and it should not let people die when it could save them, whether they can pay for it or not.
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John Q. / int_590eb583	type	Domestic Abuse
John Q. / int_590eb583	comment	Domestic Abuse: One of the kidnapped patients is arrogant and a mean drunk. His girlfriend ultimately has enough, giving him a Groin Attack so intense that other men wince when she does it.
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John Q. / int_590eb583	featureConfidence	1.0
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John Q. / int_59907e4f	type	Police Are Useless
John Q. / int_59907e4f	comment	Police Are Useless: Well, at least the Chief of Police and those who listen to him.
John Q. / int_59907e4f	featureApplicability	1.0
John Q. / int_59907e4f	featureConfidence	1.0
John Q.	hasFeature	John Q. / int_59907e4f
John Q. / int_5b19cc1b	type	Air-Vent Passageway
John Q. / int_5b19cc1b	comment	Air-Vent Passageway: Used to get into the emergency room by a sniper who's looking to take out John.
John Q. / int_5b19cc1b	featureApplicability	1.0
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John Q.	hasFeature	John Q. / int_5b19cc1b
John Q. / int_6eaff95	type	Leno Device
John Q. / int_6eaff95	comment	Leno Device: The denouement includes a montage of various late-night hosts, news anchors, and other assorted talking heads discussing the morality and ramifications of John's actions, as well as the American healthcare system.
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John Q. / int_6eaff95	featureConfidence	1.0
John Q.	hasFeature	John Q. / int_6eaff95
John Q. / int_730e57b4	type	Billy Needs an Organ
John Q. / int_730e57b4	comment	Billy Needs an Organ: The central conflict of the film is John taking an entire hospital hostage in exchange for a life-saving treatment for his son's life.
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John Q. / int_730e57b4	featureConfidence	1.0
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John Q. / int_89434320	type	Protagonist-Centered Morality
John Q. / int_89434320	comment	Protagonist-Centered Morality: John's son needs a heart transplant, but he has no insurance to afford it. The insurance agent is evil for not paying for his son's surgery, and the hospital proceeds to announce they're discharging Michael even though John has raised a third of the money. So John holds an entire hospital emergency room hostage, and threatens to kill people if his son doesn't get a heart. However, there are only so many hearts available for transplant in the world. Then, his son had his heart transplanted last minute by a group unprepared for the surgery, which lowered the odds of the transplant working properly. Not to mention, the hospital being locked down nearly caused someone else to die. While John's plight is certainly tragic, he's framed as an Anti-Hero and a Justified Criminal throughout the movie in spite of nearly causing a lot more heartache.
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John Q.	hasFeature	John Q. / int_89434320
John Q. / int_a11f8240	type	Bad Cop/Incompetent Cop
John Q. / int_a11f8240	comment	Bad Cop/Incompetent Cop: 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 or use a tear gas grenade?! And they degrade to the point of telling him that his feelings for his son's death are meaningless.
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John Q.	hasFeature	John Q. / int_a11f8240
John Q. / int_a3eae597	type	Award-Bait Song
John Q. / int_a3eae597	comment	Award-Bait Song: The Voice Inside My Heart by Patti LaBelle.
John Q. / int_a3eae597	featureApplicability	1.0
John Q. / int_a3eae597	featureConfidence	1.0
John Q.	hasFeature	John Q. / int_a3eae597
John Q. / int_a4905771	type	Double-Meaning Title
John Q. / int_a4905771	comment	Double-Meaning Title: The title John Q. refers both to the main character's name and the term "John Q. Public", which is meant to symbolize the common man.
John Q. / int_a4905771	featureApplicability	1.0
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John Q.	hasFeature	John Q. / int_a4905771
John Q. / int_a62f4c49	type	Good Doc, Bad Doc
John Q. / int_a62f4c49	comment	Good Doc, Bad Doc: The kidnapped doctors and nurses get into it during a debate over HMO coverage.
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John Q. / int_a62f4c49	featureConfidence	1.0
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John Q. / int_a70223	type	Karma Houdini
John Q. / int_a70223	comment	Karma Houdini: The police guys who tried killing John unnecessarily because it was an election year. Almost happened with Payne, but the guilt stab to her heart may or may have not been sufficient.
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John Q.	hasFeature	John Q. / int_a70223
John Q. / int_a922f8de	type	To Be Lawful or Good
John Q. / int_a922f8de	comment	To Be Lawful or Good: John seems to be going through a series of these during the entire Hostage Situation. He knows he's causing a lot of pain and suffering, but he sees no other way to save his son's life.
John Q. / int_a922f8de	featureApplicability	1.0
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John Q.	hasFeature	John Q. / int_a922f8de
John Q. / int_b53077b3	type	Take That!
John Q. / int_b53077b3	comment	Take That!: The only hostage that is heavily critical of John is an obnoxious abusive Jerkass. Real subtle.
John Q. / int_b53077b3	featureApplicability	1.0
John Q. / int_b53077b3	featureConfidence	1.0
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John Q. / int_c2cedbfc	type	Big "NO!"
John Q. / int_c2cedbfc	comment	Big "NO!": When a mother watches her kid die in the hospital.
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John Q. / int_c3c18143	type	Hope Spot
John Q. / int_c3c18143	comment	Hope Spot: John starts to raise the money for his son's operation, selling his truck and cutting back on expenses. Just as he's already paid the hospital $22,000 (of the $75,000 needed), his wife informs him that the hospital isn't waiting any longer for the money and they're releasing Michael. This makes John desperate, and he goes to beg for his son's life from the administrators in charge of the case. It's only when Dr. Turner coldly refuses to keep Michael (as an act of good faith) that he brings out a gun.
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John Q. / int_c4f3a09a	type	Share the Male Pain
John Q. / int_c4f3a09a	comment	Share the Male Pain: Upon the delivery of the Groin Attack mentioned above, Dr. Turner and hostage Lester both visibly wince.
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John Q.	hasFeature	John Q. / int_c4f3a09a
John Q. / int_c75df49a	type	Shout-Out
John Q. / int_c75df49a	comment	Shout-Out: To bodybuilding. John's son is a big fan and references several past time legends in the sport. There are even pictures hung all over his room.
John Q. / int_c75df49a	featureApplicability	1.0
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John Q. / int_c9868780	type	Playing Possum
John Q. / int_c9868780	comment	Playing Possum: After the sniper narrowly misses John, he briefly fakes slowly falling down to the floor. It quickly turned out to be somewhat unneeded, as the sniper soon enough looses his footing and is left dangling from the air vent. John immediately drops the charade and moves to beat him into unconsciousness.
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John Q. / int_d21f3d5d	type	Justified Criminal
John Q. / int_d21f3d5d	comment	Justified Criminal: John only creates the Hostage Situation out of despiration for his son's life. The hostages in question even come to sympathize with his plight, for the most part.
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John Q. / int_dca70c44	type	Reasonable Authority Figure
John Q. / int_dca70c44	comment	Reasonable Authority Figure: Lieutenant Grimes proves to be this. When John releases the hostages, he realizes the man walking outside in his clothes isn't him. He goes inside, seeing John and his wife watch the doctors operate on Michael. While he says he has to arrest John, he waits until the operation is a success and John surrenders without a fight.
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John Q. / int_dcbe8a6e	type	Chekhov's Gunman
John Q. / int_dcbe8a6e	comment	Chekhov's Gunman: In the opening scene, the woman who dies ends up becoming this as she turns out to be the donor that Michael needs. Also, newsman Tuck Lampley. John and Jimmy go to see him about a public appeal for Michael long before the hostage situation. He's the first reporter on the scene, and he helps shape the media narrative painting John as a desperate everyman rather than a ruthless criminal, and his cameraman hacking and broadcasting the security footage is the only way John is able to survive the SWAT team's attempt on his life.
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John Q. / int_e88e8a8f	type	Writer on Board
John Q. / int_e88e8a8f	comment	Writer on Board: It's not hard to tell what side of the health-care debate these writers came out on the side of.
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John Q. / int_eaf5a1ac	type	Groin Attack
John Q. / int_eaf5a1ac	comment	Groin Attack: The abused girlfriend gives this to her Jerkass boyfriend as the coup de grace of a major beat-down after she foils his attempt to subdue John Q.
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The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

John Q.	hasFeature	AB Negative / int_ba21056c
John Q.	hasFeature	African-American Media / int_ba21056c
John Q.	hasFeature	Billy Needs an Organ / int_ba21056c
John Q.	hasFeature	Birth-Death Juxtaposition / int_ba21056c
John Q.	hasFeature	Bloodless Carnage / int_ba21056c
John Q.	hasFeature	Endangering News Broadcast / int_ba21056c
John Q.	hasFeature	Good Doc, Bad Doc / int_ba21056c
John Q.	hasFeature	Healthcare Motivation / int_ba21056c
John Q.	hasFeature	Justified Criminal / int_ba21056c
John Q.	hasFeature	Never Hurt an Innocent / int_ba21056c
John Q.	hasFeature	Pregnant Hostage / int_ba21056c
John Q.	hasFeature	Protagonist-Centered Morality / int_ba21056c
John Q.	hasFeature	Stop, or I Shoot Myself! / int_ba21056c

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