Extreme Measures

Last updated

Extreme Measures
Extreme measures.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Michael Apted
Screenplay by Tony Gilroy
Based onExtreme Measures
by Michael Palmer
Produced by Elizabeth Hurley
Starring
Cinematography John Bailey
Edited byRick Shaine
Music by Danny Elfman
Production
companies
Distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing
Release dates
  • September 27, 1996 (1996-09-27)(US)
  • January 31, 1997 (1997-01-31)(UK)
Running time
118 minutes [2]
Countries
  • United Kingdom [3]
  • United States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$38 million [4]
Box office$17.4 million [5]

Extreme Measures is a 1996 crime thriller film based on Michael Palmer's 1991 novel of the same name, dealing with the ethics of medical sacrifices. The film was directed by Michael Apted and starred Hugh Grant, Gene Hackman, Sarah Jessica Parker, and David Morse.

Contents

Plot

Dr. Guy Luthan is a New York emergency room doctor who one night comes across a strange patient: a homeless man who has a wristband from a hospital he's not familiar with, mentioning a drug he's never heard of, and with strange symptoms, including a wildly fluctuating heart rate. When the man dies, Guy attempts to follow up and find out more about the patient - only to find that the body and all records have disappeared, and he's told by his superiors to drop the case.

As he continues trying to find out what happened, Guy's personal and professional life get suddenly sidetracked. His home is ransacked and cocaine is planted near his bedside. The police arrest him and he is convicted and in the process he loses his job, his license to practice medicine and all of his friends. In desperation, he manages to get the help of some homeless men who lead him to their underground home. His ER patient who died also had lived there. Through them he's led to an organization, led by neurosurgeon Dr. Lawrence Myrick, that performs spinal experiments on the homeless people, all of whom have died thus far, in an attempt to find a cure for paralysis.

Myrick attempts to sway Guy to join his team, telling him that his "test subjects" are heroes, and that killing one to save millions is worth the sacrifice. Guy admits that while there is some truth in what Myrick says, Myrick's victims did not choose to give up their lives, which makes Myrick a murderer. Myrick is accidentally shot and killed by rogue FBI Agent Frank Hare. Later, Myrick's widow hands the discs and documentation regarding the research to Guy, telling him, "My husband was trying to do a good thing, but in the wrong way." He opens the package, views the materials and proceeds towards the neurology building where he is now working.

Main cast

Production

The film was based on a 1991 novel by Michael Palmer. It was originally developed as a vehicle for Alec Baldwin. [4]

Then it went to Simian Films, the company of Hugh Grant and his then-girlfriend Elizabeth Hurley, which had set up at Castle Rock Entertainment. The film marked a change of pace for Grant, being a drama. "I was always on the lookout for one (a drama), but I wasn't saying, `I've got to do a serious role now.' It was just that that was the best script around." [4]

The script was developed for about a year, including rewrites with involvement from William Goldman. "We just tamed it a bit for me," said Grant. "We just tweaked it." [4]

Palmer said, "They apologized for the way they deviated from the book. Hugh Grant has turned the protagonist into a character he can live with, but the nature of the character hasn't changed. The more I think about it, the more it seems like my book." [6]

Filming took place in Toronto and New York City, beginning February 1996.

Director Michael Apted found it challenging working with Grant and Hurley. "It's not something I'd recommend, however genial the people are.... It was tricky. We had the same agendas, mercifully, so it was all right.... Producers are powerful. And actors are powerful these days. So, to have the double whammy up there, it makes your job harder. The other challenge I had was that this was the first film they (Hurley and Grant) produced. They were learning as they were doing.... I didn't know whether they were going to be dilettante producers.... They really got their hands dirty. They weren't just swanning in for the glamour bits. They were there the whole time in the trenches." [4]

Added Hurley: "I've been on film sets for about nine years as a hired hand so it wasn't that I didn't know anything.... Yes, there are things I know now that I didn't know before. But there are things a monkey could learn to do.... I think learning to keep on top of things ... You have to, sort of, learn that as you go. I hadn't realized how fragile a film could be. I did end up being very hands-on. I ended up doing much more than I had expected to. I didn't realize how easy it was to really not make the film you set out to make.... I think having to concentrate very, very hard on every department was a shock." [4]

Reception

The film had a mixed reception from critics. [7] [8] It currently holds a 56% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel both gave the film 3 out of 4 stars. Ebert mentioned in his review that the film is "pitched at a higher level than most thrillers; the dialogue is literate and intelligent, and Grant is more of an everyman than an action hero." [9] [10] Grant's performance received particular praise for this film, along with An Awfully Big Adventure , for playing against type in his post- Four Weddings and a Funeral career in the late 1990s. Kenneth Turan, who disliked the film, said of Grant's performance: "Though he doesn't have enough weight to stabilize the film when the plotting turns silly, overall he does a capable job in an unlikely role." [11] Janet Maslin, writing in The New York Times , was generally positive about the film, describing it as "stylish and taut with a taste for macabre little surprises". [12]

Box office

Despite debuting in second place at the US box office, the film was not a box office success. [13] It opened at third place at the UK box office. [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roger Ebert</span> American film critic and author (1942–2013)

Roger Joseph Ebert was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, essayist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013.

<i>On Deadly Ground</i> 1994 film

On Deadly Ground is a 1994 American environmental action adventure film directed, co-produced by, and starring Steven Seagal, and co-starring Michael Caine, Joan Chen, John C. McGinley and R. Lee Ermey. It is Seagal's only directorial effort and features a minor appearance by Billy Bob Thornton in one of his early roles. Seagal plays Forrest Taft, an expert firefighter who chooses to fight back against the environmental destruction caused by his ruthless former employer (Caine). On Deadly Ground was theatrically released in the United States on February 18, 1994, by Warner Bros. It garnered negative reviews from critics and grossed $78.1 million worldwide on a $50 million production budget.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hugh Grant</span> English actor (born 1960)

Hugh John Mungo Grant is an English actor. He established himself early in his career as a charming and vulnerable romantic leading man, and has since transitioned into a more dramatic character actor. Hallmarks of Grant's comic skills include a nonchalant touch of sarcasm and characteristic physical mannerisms. Among his accolades, he has received a British Academy Film Award, a Golden Globe Award, and an Honorary César. As of 2018, his films had grossed a total of nearly US$3 billion worldwide. In 2022, Time Out magazine listed Grant as one of Britain's 50 greatest actors of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gene Siskel</span> American film critic (1946–1999)

Eugene Kal Siskel was an American film critic and journalist for the Chicago Tribune. He is best known for co-hosting various movie review television series with colleague Roger Ebert.

<i>Dantes Peak</i> 1997 film by Roger Donaldson

Dante's Peak is a 1997 American disaster film directed by Roger Donaldson, written by Leslie Bohem, and starring Pierce Brosnan, Linda Hamilton, and Charles Hallahan. The film is set in the fictional town of Dante's Peak where the inhabitants fight to survive a volcanic eruption from a long dormant stratovolcano that has suddenly woken up. The film was released on February 7, 1997, under the production of Universal Pictures and Pacific Western Productions. It received negative reviews from critics but was an average success financially. It was the last film in which Charles Hallahan starred before his death nine months later in November 1997.

<i>Broken Arrow</i> (1996 film) 1996 American action thriller film by John Woo

Broken Arrow is a 1996 American action-thriller film directed by John Woo, written by Graham Yost, and starring John Travolta, Christian Slater, and Samantha Mathis. The film's main themes include the theft of two American nuclear weapons, the attempts of U.S. military authorities to recover them, and the feud between Travolta and Slater's characters. The film was a commercial success despite mixed reviews.

<i>At the Movies</i> (1986 TV program) Movie review television program

At the Movies is an American movie review television program produced by Disney–ABC Domestic Television in which two film critics share their opinions of newly released films. Its original hosts were Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel, the former hosts of Sneak Previews on PBS (1975–1982) and a similarly titled syndicated series (1982–1986). Following Siskel's death in 1999, Ebert worked with various guest critics until choosing Chicago Sun-Times colleague Richard Roeper as his regular partner in 2000.

<i>North</i> (1994 film) 1994 American comedy drama adventure film

North is a 1994 American comedy-drama adventure film directed by Rob Reiner. The story is based on the 1984 novel North: The Tale of a 9-Year-Old Boy Who Becomes a Free Agent and Travels the World in Search of the Perfect Parents by Alan Zweibel, who wrote the screenplay and has a minor role in the film.

<i>Hard Rain</i> (film) 1998 film by Mikael Salomon

Hard Rain is a 1998 disaster heist action thriller film directed by former cinematographer-turned director Mikael Salomon, written by Graham Yost, produced by Ian Bryce, Mark Gordon, and Gary Levinsohn, and starring Morgan Freeman, Christian Slater, Randy Quaid, Minnie Driver, and Ed Asner. An international co-production among the United States, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Germany, and Japan, the plot centers around a heist and man-made treachery amidst a natural disaster in a small Indiana town.

<i>Dr. Dolittle</i> (1998 film) 1998 film directed by Betty Thomas

Dr. Dolittle is a 1998 American fantasy comedy film directed by Betty Thomas, written by Larry Levin and Nat Mauldin, and starring Eddie Murphy in the title role along with Ossie Davis and Oliver Platt. The film was based on the series of children's stories of the same name by Hugh Lofting, but used no material from any of the novels; the main connection is the titular character Dr. John Dolittle and his ability to talk to animals, although the Pushmi-Pullyu, a much-loved feature of the books, notably makes a very brief appearance in a couple of scenes. The first novel, The Story of Doctor Dolittle (1920) had originally and previously been filmed in 1967 as a musical of the same name, which was a closer adaptation of the book. The film was a box-office success and became a cult classic, although it received mixed reviews from critics upon release.

<i>Oscar</i> (1991 film) 1991 film by John Landis

Oscar is a 1991 American comedy film directed by John Landis. Based on the Claude Magnier stage play, it is a remake of the 1967 French film of the same name, but set in Depression-era New York City. Oscar stars Sylvester Stallone, in a rare comedic role, as Angelo "Snaps" Provolone, a mob boss who promises his dying father that he will leave the world of crime and become an honest businessman. Alongside Stallone, the film's cast includes Marisa Tomei, Ornella Muti, Tim Curry and Chazz Palminteri. Its score was composed by Elmer Bernstein.

<i>Shes Out of Control</i> 1989 film by Stan Dragoti

She's Out of Control is a 1989 American independent coming of age comedy film directed by Stan Dragoti. Starring Tony Danza, Ami Dolenz and Catherine Hicks. The original music score was composed by Alan Silvestri. The film was marketed with the tagline "She was Daddy's little girl. Now she's at that age when girls go wild, guys go crazy and Dads go nuts". The film was shot with the working title Daddy's Little Girl.

<i>Sneak Previews</i> American film review television series

Sneak Previews was an American film review show that ran for over two decades on Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). It was created by WTTW, a PBS affiliate in Chicago, Illinois. It premiered on November 26, 1975 as a monthly local-only show called Opening Soon...at a Theater Near You and was renamed in 1977 to Sneak Previews and it became a biweekly show in 1978 airing nationally on PBS. It grew to prominence with a review-conversation-banter format between opinionated film critics, notably for a time, Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel. By 1980, it was a weekly series airing on over 180 stations, and it was the highest rated weekly entertainment series in the history of public broadcasting. The show's final broadcast was on October 4, 1996.

<i>Paperhouse</i> (film) 1988 film by Bernard Rose

Paperhouse is a 1988 British dark fantasy film directed by Bernard Rose. It was based on the 1958 novel Marianne Dreams by Catherine Storr. The film stars Ben Cross, Glenne Headly and Gemma Jones. The original novel was the basis of a six-episode British TV series for children in the early 1970s which was titled Escape Into Night.

<i>Hello Again</i> (1987 film) 1987 film by Frank Perry

Hello Again is a 1987 American romantic fantasy-comedy film directed and produced by Frank Perry, written by Susan Isaacs and starring Shelley Long, Judith Ivey, Gabriel Byrne, Corbin Bernsen, Sela Ward, Austin Pendleton, Carrie Nye, Robert Lewis, Madeleine Potter, Thor Fields and Illeana Douglas.

<i>Wise Guys</i> (1986 film) 1986 film directed by Brian De Palma

Wise Guys is a 1986 American black comedy crime film directed by Brian De Palma and produced by Aaron Russo from a screenplay written by George Gallo and Norman Steinberg. It stars Danny DeVito and Joe Piscopo as two small-time mobsters from Newark, New Jersey, and features Harvey Keitel, Ray Sharkey, Lou Albano, Dan Hedaya, and Frank Vincent.

<i>The Road to Wellville</i> (film) 1994 American film

The Road to Wellville is a 1994 American comedy-drama film written, produced and directed by Alan Parker, an adaptation of T. Coraghessan Boyle's novel of the same name, which tells the story of the doctor and clean-living advocate John Harvey Kellogg and his methods employed at the Battle Creek Sanitarium at the beginning of the 20th century.

<i>Agnes of God</i> (film) 1985 film by Norman Jewison

Agnes of God is a 1985 American neo-noir mystery film directed by Norman Jewison and starring Jane Fonda, Anne Bancroft and Meg Tilly. It was written by John Pielmeier, based on his 1979 play of the same name. The plot is about a novice nun (Tilly) who gives birth and insists that the dead child was the result of a virginal conception. A psychiatrist (Fonda) and the mother superior (Bancroft) of the convent clash during the resulting investigation.

<i>Fuzz</i> (film) 1972 film by Richard A. Colla

Fuzz is a 1972 American action comedy film directed by Richard A. Colla and starring Burt Reynolds, Yul Brynner, Raquel Welch, Tom Skerritt and Jack Weston.

<i>Streamers</i> (film) 1983 film directed by Robert Altman

Streamers is a 1983 film adapted by David Rabe from his play of the same name. The film was directed by Robert Altman and produced by Robert Michael Geisler and John Roberdeau, who later produced The Thin Red Line. The cast includes David Alan Grier as Roger, Mitchell Lichtenstein as Richie, Matthew Modine as Billy, Michael Wright as Carlyle, George Dzundza as Cokes, and Guy Boyd as Rooney.

References

  1. ↑ "Hugh Grant is feeling Blue". CNN . Retrieved December 13, 2010.
  2. ↑ BBFC: Extreme Measures, distributor Retrieved March 5, 2013
  3. ↑ "Extreme Measures". British Film Institute . Archived from the original on December 29, 2017. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Willistein, Paul (September 22, 1996). "HUGH GRANT, ELIZABETH HURLEY GO TO 'EXTREME MEASURES' TO STAY TOGETHER". The Morning Call. p. F.01. ProQuest   392830140.
  5. ↑ Extreme Measures at Box Office Mojo
  6. ↑ Strickler, Jeff (July 21, 1996). "Bottleneck at box office // The hits just keep on coming". Star Tribune. Minneapolis. p. 08.F. ProQuest   426723651.
  7. ↑ "Extreme Measures". Entertainment Weekly . October 4, 1996. Retrieved December 13, 2010.
  8. ↑ Klady, Leonard (September 15, 1996). "Extreme Measures". Variety . Retrieved December 13, 2010.
  9. ↑ Roger Ebert (September 27, 1996). "Extreme Measures". Chicago Sun Times . Retrieved September 28, 2019.
  10. ↑ Siskel, Gene (September 27, 1996). "Extreme Measures". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved December 13, 2010.
  11. ↑ Turan, Kenneth (September 27, 1996). "'Extreme Measures' Finds Case of Trauma in the E.R." Los Angeles Times.
  12. ↑ Maslin, Janet (September 27, 1996). "Macabre Surprises in a Medical Plot". The New York Times.
  13. ↑ Brennan, Judy (September 30, 1996). "'First Wives' Are Really Enjoying the Last Laugh". Los Angeles Times.
  14. ↑ "UK Top 15: January 31-February 2". Screen International . February 7, 1997. p. 43.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.