Extraordinary Measures
Starring Brendan Fraser and Harrison Ford
Directed by Tom Vaughan
Desperate Man, Cranky Man
One test of a competent tearjerker is whether it makes you cry, or at least tear up at the appropriate moments. By this standard, Extraordinary Measures was a success, though I refuse to admit whether I was flat out bawling or merely holding back the flood.
The film is about two men, one a father/business exec, the other a theoretical scientist, who team up to pursue a treatment for a rare and deadly muscular disease called Pompe. The desperate man is John Crowley (Fraser), the father of two children afflicted by the condition. The cranky man is Dr. Robert Stonehill (Ford), the socially-challenged scientist who has a theory for treating the illness. They raise funds and start a lab to test Stonehill’s theories. When money and time run short they sell out to a large bio-tech company and join its staff to continue the fight.
At this point, the movie, which had been small (in a good way) and intriguing, turns into a twisted tale of corporate politics. The corporate scenes envelop and blunt the emotional power that had been building, until Crowley organizes an event where those suffering from Pompe, and their families, introduce themselves to scientists and managers working at the company. This re-energizes the movie and puts a human face on the medical problem at hand. The film’s most powerful moment occurs during the event, as one father, played by Courtney B. Vance, talks about his child, who suffers from Pompe.
Crowley and Stonehill, who start off as allies, battle as the corporate scenes unfold. They are working towards the same goal with different personal agendas. Who will blink? Who will win? Brendan Fraser and Harrison Ford are competent as the leads, but notwithstanding the theatrics of their relationship the emotional center of the movie lies with Crowley’s wife (Keri Russell), and their eight year old daughter Megan (Meredith Droeger), who steals every scene she’s in. She may be in a wheelchair, losing use of her arms and legs, a breathing apparatus attached to her throat, but she’s more alive and happy than anyone we see. She talks bluntly and with joy, whizzes about fearless, and exudes a playful imagination without ever losing touch with reality. Russell, as her mother, supports and questions all that happens with a face so powerful yet tender, strong yet scared, that we feel every pain and hope a woman in her position has to endure. Russell’s outstanding work is no surprise after her starring turn in Waitress (2007) and her welcome presence in several lesser films since.
Extraordinary Measures reminded me of Lorenzo’s Oil (1992), starring Susan Sarandon and Nick Nolte as parents also trying to save their dying child from a rare disease. But the films diverge, taking different paths to their conclusions. Although Extraordinary Measures may not live up to the power of its predecessor, it has much to offer and, corporate politics aside, may be worth your while.
Rating: 7 out of 10 (recommended) on the Movie Fraction Rating System™
See Also:
 Men In Black III Global Dates By Country |
 Blue Pill Or Red Pilll Your Choice |
 Art House Spotlight: Drexel Theatre Columbus, OH |
