John Q (2001)

All Critics (142) | Top Critics (34) | Fresh (32) | Rotten (100) | DVD (25)

A polemic in search of a plot.

November 6, 2002 Full Review | Comment

Jeff Strickler

Minneapolis Star Tribune

Top Critic

Manipulative sentimentality, contrived plot and phony climax.

March 13, 2002 Comment (1)

Rex Reed

New York Observer

Top Critic

A sappy, melodramatic Denzel Washington vehicle that ensnares you in the standard hostage-movie scenario and doesn't let go until the director runs the whole playbook.

March 4, 2002 Comments (2)

Bill Muller

Arizona Republic

Top Critic

It pulls out more stops than that old silent serial The Perils of Pauline. Unfortunately, it's a talkie.

February 24, 2002 Full Review | Comment

Peter Rainer

New York Magazine

Top Critic

Cassavetes thinks he's making Dog Day Afternoon with a cause, but all he's done is to reduce everything he touches to a shrill, didactic cartoon.

February 21, 2002 Full Review | Comment

Owen Gleiberman

Entertainment Weekly

Top Critic

...a ridiculous script that gets just about everything wrong...

February 19, 2002 Full Review | Comment (1)

Richard Roeper

Ebert & Roeper

Top Critic

Thought-provoking. Too intense for young teens.

January 1, 2011 Full Review | Comment

Afsheen Nomai

Common Sense Media

Strands good actors in mushy, movie-of-the-week material. [Blu-ray]

May 17, 2009 Full Review | Comment

Peter Canavese

Groucho Reviews

The movie comes dangerously close to saying that the solution to a personal grievance is, well, terrorism, when you get right down to it.

September 24, 2007 Full Review | Comments (2)

Rob Gonsalves

eFilmCritic.com

With Hurricane, Training Day, now John Q, Denzel perfects the righteous rebel, a fine blend of hot rage and charismatic cool, declaring free health care for all.

July 15, 2007 Full Review | Comment

Prairie Miller

WBAI Web Radio

Social messages, simplistic action, and teary melodrama are manipulatively but unsuccessfully mixed in this picture, which tries to provide a "hard" look at an honest working-class man (Washington) who loses control while trying to save his child's life

December 18, 2006 Full Review | Comment

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Instead of presenting the story and allowing us to draw our own conclusions, Cassavetes blatantly tells us what we should think.

January 7, 2004 Full Review | Comment

Greg Maki

Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)

Washington, Woods, and Duvall are so capable, they almost save this schlock-fest from itself.

February 8, 2003 Full Review | Comment

John R. McEwen

Film Quips Online

A coercive script by James Kearns, and some middling direction by Nick Cassavetes, can't rob the movie of an undeniable, headlong crowd-pleasing power as it tackles an issue that touches us all.

January 21, 2003 Full Review | Comment

John Patterson

L.A. Weekly

• 1. John Q. Archibald: I am not going to bury my son! My son is gonna bury me!
  – Submitted by Alex M (3 months ago)
• 1. John Q. Archibald: I'm not gonna bury my son. He is gonna bury me.
  – Submitted by ???????? ? (5 months ago)
• 1. Dr. Raymond Turner: Mr. Archibald, these people have nothing to do with this. You have got to let them go. They need treatment.
  2. John Q. Archibald: This is a hospital, isn't it? You're a doctor. Treat them.
  3. John Q. Archibald: [points to Lester] Start with him.
  4. Dr. Raymond Turner: [Stands frozen]
  5. John Q. Archibald: What's the matter, Doc? You want to see his insurance card first?
  6. John Q. Archibald: [stands on a table addressing the room] This hospital is under new management, ladies and gentlemen. From now on, free care for everyone.
  – Submitted by Harlem F (8 months ago)
• 1. Mike Archibald: Bye, Dad.
  2. John Q. Archibald: Not goodbye. Remember? See you later.
  – Submitted by Harlem F (8 months ago)
• 1. Desk Guard: You know something, man? You're alright.
  2. John Q. Archibald: Sure am. Only one thing can stop me now.
  3. Desk Guard: What's that.
  4. John Q. Archibald: Mitch here being B-positive.
  5. Mitch: No, sir. Type-O. Swear to God.
  – Submitted by Harlem F (8 months ago)