Thank you Hollywood, we needed that. Written by James Kearns, directed by Nick Cassavetes and presented by New Line Cinema, “John Q” addresses the poor state of health care coverage in this, the richest country in the world.

While a bit melodramatic at points and even a little unrealistic, “John Q” manages to both entertain and raise awareness about the insurance issue. John Q. Archibald, poignantly portrayed by Denzel Washington, is a lower-middle class Chicago factory worker struggling to support his family. The Archibalds’ life is turned upside down when their son suddenly collapses during a Little League game. They quickly rush him to the emergency room where they are told, after test results show, that their son’s heart is enlarged to three times its normal size.

John Q. and wife Denise, played by Kimberly Elise, then sit down at the sterile hospital administrative conference table and are told by cardiologist Dr. Turner, played by James Woods, that the family has two options. The first is a heart transplant and the second is assuring a good “quality of life” for their son’s last few days.

Quickly deciding the option for the Archibald’s is icy hospital administrator Rebecca Payne, played by Anne Heche, whose main concern is the bottom line. She informs the devastated parents that their insurance does not cover an operation of this magnitude and that the only way the hospital will even put their son on the donor list is if they make a $75,000 down payment on the $250,000 procedure. Baffled by his lack of coverage, John Q. finds out that his insurance provider and coverage had been changed by the factory without his knowledge and that his new HMO plan does not even come close to footing the astronomical bill to save his son’s life.

Determined to not let his son die, John Q., after exhausting all money-raising possibilities, takes over the hospital’s emergency wing at gunpoint. Cops surround the hospital hostage scene immediately and John Q. informs seasoned negotiator Lt. Grimes, played by Robert Duvall, that he wants his son’s name put on the donor list as soon as possible or else.

The hostage scenario is entertaining in itself, containing an about-to-burst pregnant lady, a battered girlfriend and her shady boyfriend, a non-English speaking mom with a screaming baby, Dr. Turner and others.

Unaware of the whereabouts of her husband, Denise stays vigilantly at her son’s bedside while his condition rapidly deteriorates. Meanwhile, outside, politically-fueled Police Chief Monroe, played by Ray Liotta, arrives on the scene to gain some publicity and “clean things up fast and tidy.” Chief Monroe and Rebecca Payne decide to just tell John Q. that his son has been placed on the list, while a sniper scales the air ducts poised to kill. Police lure John Q. to the target area by a phone call from his dying son. Unbeknownst to Chief Monroe, a live feed has been tapped to the local news channel and the whole fiasco is being broadcast live as it unfolds.

Now, the masses are rooting for the everyman hero that John Q. has become. Some very suspenseful moments tantalize the near end of this movie that keep you holding your breath and crossing your fingers. The ending however, is the weak point of this movie. It probably will leave you a little confused and the world may never know the truth.

One thing is for certain. Thanks to Hollywood, the state of our nation’s health care is now in the mainstream awareness. While something like “John Q” may not actually happen, it seems that there may be some disgruntled parents out there within our “50 million uninsured.”New Line Cinema Photo