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Drama thriller

John Q (2002): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot

John Q (2002) movie poster

John Q is a 2002 drama thriller directed by Nick Cassavetes, starring Denzel Washington. It runs 1 hour 56 minutes and earned $102.2 million worldwide on a $36 million budget. Critics gave it 26% on Rotten Tomatoes and 30 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.1/10.

IMDb rating
7.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes
26%
worldwide gross
$102.2M
Metascore
30
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John Q (2002) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 56m (116 min)
Director
Nick Cassavetes
Genres
Drama , Thriller , Crime
Original language
English
Budget
$36M
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is John Q About?

The premise of John Q without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

A loving father faces impossible choices when his young son needs a heart transplant but is denied due to financial and bureaucratic obstacles. Desperate to save his child's life, John Q. Archibald takes a hospital emergency room hostage, sparking a tense standoff with the medical staff and authorities. His actions highlight the struggles families face when navigating the healthcare system and the lengths a parent will go to for their child.

John Q Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • insurance
  • heart transplant
  • universal health care
  • hospital
  • hostage
  • insurance company
  • medical insurance
  • sick child
  • health insurance
  • police barricade
  • doctor
  • heart
+38 more
  • heart failure
  • emergency room
  • morality
  • ethics
  • second job
  • auto repossession
  • reckless driving
  • red tape
  • dying
  • shooting
  • nurse
  • physician
  • jury
  • rifle
  • blood transfusion
  • father daughter relationship
  • family relationships
  • suicide threat
  • heart surgeon
  • factory worker
  • crash victim
  • heart in hand
  • gun in mouth
  • organ donor
  • bureaucracy
  • police
  • hmo
  • car accident
  • organ donation
  • father son relationship
  • reference to bill maher
  • reference to larry king
  • reference to hillary clinton
  • reference to jay leno
  • national health
  • politics
  • anti republican
  • shorts
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Cast & crew

John Q Cast

Denzel Washington stars in John Q. Directed by Nick Cassavetes.

From the director

More from Nick Cassavetes

More films directed by Nick Cassavetes, best-rated first: She's So Lovely, The Notebook, Alpha Dog and My Sister's Keeper.

Full filmography
Ratings

John Q Reviews & Ratings

Critics gave John Q 26% on Rotten Tomatoes and 30 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.1/10.

Plot

John Q Plot Summary

What happens in John Q from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

The film opens in Canada, where a young woman recklessly drives head-on into traffic. As she attempts to overtake a semi, she gets clipped by another, resulting in a horrific collision that tragically claims her life. Flashback to Chicago, Illinois, where John Quincy Archibald (Denzel Washington) and his wife Denise are grappling with financial struggles as they fall behind on payments. Their lives take a devastating turn when their young son, Michael, collapses during a baseball game.

Full summary

The whole story of John Q, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Box office

John Q Box Office & Budget

John Q grossed $102.2 million worldwide on a $36 million budget, 2.8 times what it cost. $71.8 million came from the US and Canada and $30.5 million (30%) from the rest of the world.

2002 box office

Worldwide gross

$102.2M

2.8× its budget

US & Canada
$71.8M
International
$30.5M
Budget
$36M
US & Canada 70% Rest of the world 30%
Videos

John Q Trailers & Videos

3 videos: 1 trailer and 2 clips.

Trailer
  • Clip The Hospital is Under New Management
  • Clip Take My Heart
Quiz

How Well Do You Know John Q?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

What tragic event starts the story of John Q?

Details

John Q Also Known As

21 alternative titles, including “Dzhon Kyu” and “Situación extrema”.

Also known as
  • Dzhon Kyu
  • Situación extrema
  • Dzhon K'yu
  • John Q. - Verzweifelte Wut
  • John Q.
  • 迫在眉梢
  • Джон Кью
  • ジョンQ -最後の決断-
  • Végszükség
  • ג'ון קיו
  • Um Ato de Coragem
  • Джон Кю
+9 more
  • Джон К'ю
  • 존 큐
  • John Q - oikeuden puolesta
  • Džons Kū
  • John Q: Situación extrema
  • Džonas Q
  • John Q - Srdce pre syna, ჯონი ქიუ
  • จอห์น คิว ตัดเส้นตายนาทีมรณะ
  • جان کیو

Seen John Q?

FAQ

John Q FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Runtime

Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings and post-credit scenes of John Q, each answered in a sentence.

How long is John Q?

John Q runs 1 hour 56 minutes (116 minutes).

When was John Q released?

John Q was released on February 15, 2002.

Who directed John Q?

John Q was directed by Nick Cassavetes.

More films by Nick Cassavetes

Who is in the cast of John Q?

John Q stars Denzel Washington.

How much did John Q make at the box office?

John Q grossed $102.2 million worldwide ($71.8 million domestic, $30.5 million international) on a budget of $36 million.

How is John Q rated?

John Q has 7.1/10 on IMDb, 26% on Rotten Tomatoes, 30 on Metacritic and 71% on TMDB.

Does John Q have a post-credit scene?

No. John Q has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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