Desperate Measures
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Desperate Measures | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster |
|
| Directed by | Barbet Schroeder |
| Produced by | Gary Foster |
| Written by | David Klass |
| Starring | Michael Keaton Andy Garcia Brian Cox Marcia Gay Harden Erik King Efrain Figueroa Joseph Cross |
| Music by | Trevor Jones |
| Cinematography | Luciano Tovoli |
| Editing by | Lee Percy |
| Release date(s) | January 30, 1998 |
| Running time | 100 min |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Gross revenue | $13,806,137 |
| IMDb profile | |
Desperate Measures is a 1998 action thriller starring Michael Keaton, Andy Garcia, Brian Cox & Marcia Gay Harden.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
San Francisco police officer Frank Conner (Andy Garcia) is in a frantic search for a compatible bone marrow donor for his gravely ill son, Matt. There's only one catch to the potential donor: he is Peter McCabe, an incarcerated multiple murderer (Michael Keaton). McCabe views a trip to the hospital as the perfect opportunity to get what he wants most: freedom. With McCabe's escape, the entire hospital becomes a battleground and Connor must pursue and, ironically, protect the deadly fugitive who is his son's only hope for survival. It's worth noting that this plot led to some criticism, in that the "hero" willingly sacrifices the lives of several innocent people to save his own son.
Although establishing shots and the climactic chase scene were shot on location in and around San Francisco, much of the movie, including all the hospital and jail shots, were filmed in Pittsburgh and feature such Steel City landmarks as the Allegheny County Courthouse's "Bridge of Sighs" and One Mellon Center.
[edit] Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Michael Keaton | Peter McCabe |
| Andy Garcia | Frank Conner |
| Brian Cox | Capt. Jeremiah Cassidy |
| Marcia Gay Harden | Dr. Samantha Hawkins |
| Erik King | Nate Oliver |
| Efrain Figueroa | Vargas |
| Joseph Cross | Matthew Conner |
[edit] Reception
The film was panned by most critics. As of May 27, 2008 the film had received a 19% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. [1]
Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly wrote, "By the time Desperate Measures degenerates into an old-fashioned car chase, you may wish you were watching General Hospital. Although I suspect there is plenty of bone-marrow- and leukemia-related preposterousness here, my limited medical education precludes me from informed eyeball rolling. I may not be a doctor, but I know a movie with iron-poor blood when I see one." [2] Online film critic James Berardinelli, stated "when you consider how many contrivances the characters have to endure to reach the ending, you may think that the title has more to do with the film makers' approach than with anything that happens on screen." [3]
[edit] Awards
ALMA Awards (1999)
- Won, "Outstanding Actor in a Feature Film in a Crossover Role" - Andy Garcia
