Extraordinary Problems in John Q - Essay Example

John Q” is a highly romanticized representation of real-world financial trouble that is experienced by normal people such as George Tillman on a regular basis.
Denzel Washington’s character in the movie is a common man with a common name who encounters Extraordinary Problems. John is a factory worker and is experiencing financial hardship in lieu of his hours being cut. At a baseball game, his son passes out and the parents soon discover that the son is in desperate need of an emergency heart transplant. Although the family has health insurance, the coverage will not provide for such an expensive procedure. John is able to convince a heart surgeon to complete the surgery at a lower cost but he is still unable to cover the costs. Faced with the impending death of his son, John holds the hospital hostage in order to complete the surgery. In the end, his son receives a heart transplant but John must serve time in jail.

The article about George Tillman deals with a similar circumstance but applies to a real-world setting. Mr. Tillman found himself on welfare and living in a shelter with his children after quitting his security job. However, Tillman was able to pull himself out of the system and even founded a successful business enterprise after receiving work training. Tillman was an outspoken critic of the system and continually wrote to government agencies to voice his complaints regarding the inefficient nature of work training agencies.
The two men both faced daunting circumstances that could have potentially damaged their families. In the case of John Q, the healthcare crisis in the United States is examined and criticized. A common man took on an unfair system but was forced to resort to violence when everyone refused to help him.

John Q’s story is highly romanticized because in real-life situations, holding up an emergency room is not an option. Tillman's experiences present a more realistic approach to dealing with an unfair system. His battle with unemployment is represented through his letter writing and correspondence with government help agencies. Using brute force or violent intimidation was not an option for Tillman and he was forced to rebuild his life from scratch. The two men also differed in the support systems available for their usage. In the movie, John and his wife were both equally affected by their son’s illness. John took matters into his own hands and acted without his wife’s knowledge. In Tillman’s case, his girlfriend left him and the children when she moved to Washington D.C. therefore she was not a part of the equation while the family lived in a shelter.

Both the article and the movie show plans of action while addressing a financial crisis. While John Q was capable of holding up an emergency room, a violent plan of action would not have worked in Tillman’s case. Tillman’s story follows a more realistic and probable approach to dealing with financial difficulties. While the Hollywood version is captivating, it is highly unrealistic and improbable. In real-world situations, Tillman’s course of action would be more acceptable. Read More