Luke HickmanThe Reel take
A made-for-TV movie on the big screen.
I’m pretty sure this is dialogue happened when the CBS executives behind Extraordinary Measures were putting the movie together:
Producer #1 – “I think we have a pretty good made-for-television movie here.”
Producer #2 – “I agree. We’ve got Brendan Fraser cast as a lead after all!”
Producer #1 – “I know! It’s great! Who do you think we could get to play the supporting role?”
Producer #2 – “Not sure. Hey! I dare you to ask Harrison Ford!”
Producer #1 – “You’re on!”
And when Harrison Ford actually accepted the role, they were forced to put it on the big screen. The end result is a poorly crafted movie fit only for television.
Although the film is based on a true-story – a story that is pretty incredible and powerful – the way it is told and made takes the heart and emotion right out of it.
Extraordinary Measures tells the story of a father (Fraser) willing to do whatever it takes to find a cure for a form of autism known as Pompe Disease, a disease that two of his three children have. As both sick children get closer to the age of mortality, their symptoms worsen, so their father takes a lea of faith, quits his job and searches for a miracle at the hands of a little-known doctor (Ford). The majority of the movie is spent showing you how they financially put his untested theoretical research into practice to the point where they could start a clinical trial.
Just like most feel-good movies, after only seeing a few minutes of the movie, you know exactly where Extraordinary Measures is going to end. The typical clichés in character and plot are all there, making it a gruelingly long and painful experience. Instead of unraveling in a heart-felt manner, from the movie’s opening sequence, it’s overly manipulative.
If you are in the mood for a sad-yet-hopeful movie about trials involving families and disease, I suggest you rent My Sister’s Keeper – although it’s got some corny moments, it’s a far more emotion and powerful movie without all of the unnecessary manipulation.
Photo credit: CBS Films