Extraordinary Measures

Extraordinary Measures

Starring:  Brendan Frasier, Kerri Russell, Harrison Ford
Drama, 2010 (Rated PG)

Brendan Frasier stars as John Crowley the father to two children with a rare and deadly disease called Pompei.  He feels helpless as he watches his two children become sicker and sicker until one day he decides to take matters in his hand.  He contacts a brilliant rough around the edges scientist (Ford) and teams up with him in a next to impossible attempt to get his research off the ground and into the labs so that a new drug can be developed that might save his children.  There are so many ups and downs along the way.  Is there time to save his children's lives?

• Ford is excellent as a hard nosed, rude, and quite impossible to get along with scientist.  As brilliant as he is he is hopeless at working with others and as the movie goes on I grow to sort of hate him and wish I could reach through the TV myself and give him a kick in the head.
• This is based on a true story and you can't do anything else but root hard for John Crowley as he seriously does everything that is humanly possible to save his children.
• Great story, great acting, great movie.

5 STARS

Just Me

Extraordinary Measures

If Extraordinary Measures looks on the surface like a made-for-TV tale of real life medical drama, that's because it is.

As the first movie to come out of the newly-formed CBS Films, the movie wing of the renowned CBS TV corporation, it hardly attempts to reinvent the wheel. It wouldn't have been at all surprising to see this slightly schmaltzy drama filling the mid-afternoon TV schedules.

What is surprising is the high level of professionalism brought to the project by lead actors Brendan Fraser and Harrison Ford, as well as What Happens In Vegas director Tom Vaughan. Between them they manage to turn a reality-based melodrama into something approaching cinematic art, and Extraordinary Measures ends up being the best made-for-TV medical drama never to hit the small screen.

Still, the narrative struggles to get beyond its tearjerker origins, and no amount of acting nous can gloss over its more exploitative moments.

Brendan Fraser plays John Crowley, a biotech executive whose two youngest children both suffer from Pompe disease, a genetic inability to process sugar that gradually leads to muscular wasting and early death. His daughter, Megan, is eight years old - already way beyond the average life expectancy for real-life Pompe sufferers - and the clock is rapidly ticking down for both her and her brother.

Crowley has to make a decision whether to spend their last remaining years together, or to devote every moment of his spare time to pursuing a treatment for the disease - and it's little surprise that he opts to go down fighting. He abandons his own career to set up a research laboratory with forward-thinking but cranky scientist Dr. Robert Stonehill (Harrison Ford), and they seem to be drawing agonisingly close to producing a wonder drug. When money starts to get tight, however, a multinational corporation enters the frame, and Megan's survival becomes susceptible to the company's inevitable red tape.

The story of desperate perseverance and medical miracles is obvious enough, and if you can't work out the ending then you've obviously missed the medical drama explosion of recent years. Extraordinary Measures may have been remarkable in real life, but on our screens it looks outstandingly ordinary.

Both Fraser and Ford are close to the top of their game, however, and they imbue the narrative with an emotional honesty that you won't have seen on its made-for-TV cousins. While the narrative jumps from crisis to crisis with furious earnestness, the key players keep their heads and come close to career-best performances.

It's not enough to rescue Extraordinary Measures entirely, but it does keep it from sinking into mushy melodrama, and that can only be a good thing. It's still hard to get beyond the survival-against-the-odds cliches, but Extraordinary Measures is a cut above the likes of My Sister's Keeper and every other movie on the Hallmark Channel. Just keep the Kleenex handy.

3/5

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Extraordinary Measures

Ah  the cancer kid movie, how well we love them. They allow us to exorcise  our guilt about being all healthy in a privileged western world because  if we truly empathize with a hypothetical version of those who suffer  for two hours, then damn isn't our luck redeemed. But uninformed  psycho-analysis aside, I have very little affection for the entire  concept of the weepie. Its particular brand of sickly saccharine  emotional patronization leaves me cold. Yet this was the first prominent  Harrison Ford release in a long time ( Because Indiana Jones And The  Crystal Skull DID NOT HAPPEN) and of course there's Brendan Fraser,  otherwise known as B fRaze.

The plot follows B fRaze as he tries  to find a cure for his two kids, who have a rare muscular disorder  through the genius of the curmudgeonly scientist Harrison Ford and the  wonders of capitalism. Thankfully the film focuses more on the slightly  hostile working relationship of Ford and B fRaze rather then excessive  and exploitative scenes of kiddie suffering. Which is usually the kind  of thing a movie like this will do, so fair play to it for that. Ford  plays what perhaps his most recurring role, the asshole with a heart of  gold. He does it well and his grumbling and complaining comes across  almost as much more kiddie-friendly version of Dr House. I wish he was  as funny though. B fRaze does surprisingly well. He has been good in the  past, Gods and Monsters and The Quiet American spring to mind, but he  is certainly bad more times then he is good. He handles the corporate  aspect well, and I bought him as the business man. Perhaps some of the  more sentimental scenes he struggled in, but B fRaze was good value  here. The problem is this felt like a TV movie more then any film that  I've seen in the cinema for a long time, and I should imagine it only  made the multiplexes on the back of Ford's clout. It looked perhaps  cheaper then it should have been, and the structure felt horribly like a  lifetime movie of the week. Two respected actors (although given this  new monicker for Fraser, which I shall use until I die, he doesn't earn  that much respect.) can only make so much difference to something so  entirely run of the mill.

Avoid unless you have a craving for  mediocrity. I'll leave it to B  fRaze to clap us out.

Rating: 5/10

Review: Extraordinary Measures

* * out of four

Brendan Fraser (“The Mummy,” “Journey to the Center of the Earth”) and Harrison Ford (“Indiana Jones,” “Star Wars”) take a rest from their usual gunfighting adventure types and settle in for this drama that looks like a TV movie, smells like a TV movie and is made by CBS.

Fraser plays the intelligent yuppie father of three children, two of which suffer from the crippling Pompe disease, a boy and a girl. The girl just turned eight, the boy is six. Estimated lifespan for a person born with Pompe (a genetic disease, we learn) is nine years. The father, John Crowley, looks up Pompe expert researcher Dr. Robert Stonehill (Ford). Stonehill is hard to get ahold of, and once Crowley finds him he proves to be an interesting fellow.

Crowley impresses Stonehill after holding a fundraiser for Stonehill’s research and generating far less cash than Stonehill needs, but more than he expected. Stonehill gets Crowley on board and the two set out to cure Pompe. Soon, they will have shared success, failure, the standard falling out, and then a reconciliation. None of these happen naturally. Everything feels forced.

Fraser is occasionally good as Crowley. He’s at his best in his scenes with his kids. Here he is more free to be himself, and we get a more realistic feel from him. Harrison Ford, on the other hand, is a different matter. Ford portrays Stonehill like a subdued caricature, if that’s possible. He hardly shows any emotions except for when they are most required and for the rest of the time looks bored and tired. His interpretation is cranky, rude, but honest. Yeah, we’ve seen this character before, and we know how it’s going to work out.

Tom Vaughan directed this movie. You may have already forgotten his earlier film “What Happens in Vegas.” You’ll forget this one too. It’s like a Lifetime Movie of the Week remake of “Lorenzo’s Oil,” only without the Oscar-worthy performances and genuine emotions. Or maybe “My Sister’s Keeper” without the interesting premise or logical outcome.

I have to also mention the film’s soundtrack. It’s terrible. Big numbers play off our emotions begging for tears… in every single scene. There are a lot of easy answers. “Dad, you’re not spending time with me any more.” “OK, I’ll spend time with you.” Cue music. “Stonehill I need your help!” “Get out of my lab, Crowley! I never want to see you again!” Cue music, dissolve to next scene with Crowley crying in a corner (probably from the emotional music). “Crowley.” “Yes Stonehill?” “I didn’t mean it, I’m sorry.” “So you’ll help?” “Yes.” Cue music again. Get the idea? The music is composed by Andrea Guerra, a man named Andrea.

I’m not saying “Extraordinary Measures” is terrible. I’m not saying it’s bad. I’m saying it’s not good.

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Extraordinary Measures: Magnificent Results

The Movie Slut was afraid EM was just another weepy malady-of-the-month movie. How wrong she was.

What we have here are two men: a cantankerous, eccentric research scientist with great taste in old rock music, (Harrison Ford playing to type); a desperate, warm & fuzzy, dad, who knows his way around corporate mumbo-jumbo (Brendan Fraser owning the role); and two adorable tykes suffering from a rare, degenerative condition that will take their lives within a year.Talk about a race against time!

The odd couple — who make Oscar and Felix look like they met on match.com — must put their differences aside and join forces to find, if not a cure, then at least a treatment for Pompe's disease, a form of muscular dystrophy that will soon attack the children's little hearts. As if that were not difficult enough, they also have to contend with bottom-line obsessed drug companies with no interest in hearts unless they can sell a drug for them.

Based on a non-fiction book, the movie seesaws smoothly from the heart-wrenching family drama to the corporate tussles, and in the process opens eyes about how drugs are researched, tested and marketed.

See you at the movies, The Movie Slut

Extraordinary Measures

Often when a movie is bad, it's hard to say exactly what the problem is.

Such is not the case with family medical drama "Extraordinary Measures." I know with certainty why it doesn't work.

Here's the plot. See if you can spot the problem.

Brendan Fraser has three beautiful children. Two of them have a debilitating muscle condition called Pompe disease. The movie opens with the eldest suffering a respiratory crisis that looks sure to claim her life.

But she pulls through. She returns to her happy, funny self.

Knowing his daughter is on the clock, Brendan Fraser seeks out the foremost researcher on Pompe disease: a cantankerous old coot played by Harrison Ford.

Ford is so prickly he won't even take Fraser's calls. So Fraser drives to Ford's Nebraska research lab. Through persistence, he convinces Ford to talk to him. Ford explains that he has a promising theory but no money to test it with.

So Fraser and his wife call a bunch of old friends. They raise money. They present it to Ford, who does Fraser one better. He offers Fraser a job with a new biotech start-up the two will create.

Their new start-up needs more money, however, so Fraser takes Ford to an investment company called Renzler. As usual, Ford is prickly and blows the meeting by losing his temper. But, with persistence, Fraser keeps Renzler interested and eventually gets them to buy the biotech firm for scads of money.

However, the Renzler research division operates in four different "core groups," each of which competes against each other for best results. Fraser knows cooperation is essential to finding a cure so, through persistence, he convinces the company to merge their groups into one cooperative team.

And on and on.

The problem is, this is no way to tell a story. 

One fire bursts into existence. It is extinguished by our plucky hero. Then another flames to life. Our hero puts that out too. Another appears. At some point the movie stops and credits roll.

This isn't even a story!

In a story, the hero must progress backward. Every step he/she takes to improve his/her situation must make matters WORSE.

This is the most common misconception non-writers or first-time writers (or second, or third) have about storytelling. They think they need to start their character in a hole, then show the character climbing out of it. Once the character's out, the story ends.

Nothing could be less interesting.

Here's what's interesting: failure. Catastrophe. Bitter, painful defeat. Followed, impossibly, by final victory.

Pulling that off is tricky, of course. But you have to try.

In "E.T.," our boy Elliot tries to hide his extra-terrestrial friend from the government authorities looking for him. This gets progressively harder as the authorities close in on E.T.'s location.

After a series of failures -- failure to contact E.T.'s fellow aliens, failure to keep E.T. healthy with a diet of Reese's Pieces -- Elliot fails to keep the authorities at bay. They crash into the house and seize possession of the dying alien.

Within minutes they are performing electroshock therapy on E.T.'s corpse, Drew Barrymore is jumping with startlement and Elliot is screaming "You're killing him!"

Now THAT'S a story!

Shortly after our uttermost depth of despair (Elliot's final speech to the deceased E.T.), the geranium comes back to life. E.T.'s people are on the way. All is not, apparently, lost.

But you have to fail your way to that victory. You can't be confronted with a new crisis every ten minutes, then solve that crisis and never hear of it again. The results will be episodic at best, cheap and fraudulent at worst.

And those are two good words to describe "Extraordinary Measures": cheap and fraudulent. They can quote me for the DVD cover if they'd like.

If that's insufficient, try this:

"Brendan Fraser is fat, Harrison Ford is old, and British actor Jared Harris does the worst American accent in years!"

SCORE

How Accomplished: 24/100

How Much I Enjoyed: 23/100


SCORE (E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial)

How Accomplished: 99/100

How Much I Enjoyed: 108/100

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Extraordinary Measures

I have to start out my review by being respectful and stating first that I admire the purpose of "Extraordinary Measures". I admire that it is teaching us about the dangers of Pompe disease which is a rare form of muscular dystrophy. I respect that it is telling me how father John Crowley tried to find a cure for his two children by supporting the work of Doctor Robert Stonehill. I think a movie about this should be made but should have been aired on Lifetime, TNT or the O Network but not on a movie screen. I am sorry but this movie is supremely dull in it's delivery. I felt like someone was narrating to me the history of Pompe disease and about John Crowley's struggle in a monotone voice. It is such a noble and safe movie that it can't even spring to life. I am not saying that it isn't interesting but I think maybe more so at home on television. This is so even with the big screen presence of Harrison Ford who also produced. Maybe a movie about Ryan Dempster's daughter would be more lively and fun because he is very charismatic but Crowley is a bore as presented here. All Harrison Ford does is act grouchy and scream at people. Brendan Fraser is good but more dull than usual when he is not given action or comedy material. I don't want to be mean to this movie but someone should have noticed how dull this was. It doesn't inspire, it doesn't create emotion, it just lays there. I am not against disease movies released on the big screen. I loved last year's "My Sister's Keeper" which was about a girl with cancer. There have been many movies about disease and overcoming it that have been powerful but this isn't one of them.

Vincent Snavely

Extraordinary Measures

     I almost didn't see "Extraordinary Measures."  I almost allowed a lot of poor critical reviews stop me from going to see a well done story of courage, hope, human drama, and just the right amount of some very heartwarming humor.  I'm glad I don't always listen to the critics.
 
     "Extraordinary Measures," based on a book and actual events, is the story of a father, John Crowley, played by Brendan Fraser, who is desperate to find a cure for two of his children who are dying of Pompe disease.  He finds Dr. Robert Stonehill, played by Harrison Ford, an eccentric researcher whose work is radically different and advanced.  Crowley begins to raise money for Stonehill's research and eventually gets the good doctor in a position where he can make real progress on an actual treatment before Crowley's children die.
 
     I've heard that the book "Extraordinary Measures" is based on, as well as the movie its self, doesn't quite stick to the facts and gives too much credit to John Crowley and not enough to Dr. William Canfield, the real life researcher that Ford's character is based on.  I don't know how true this is or exactly how accurate or skewed the facts are, but that doesn't really matter.  "Extraordinary Measures" is a story based on true events, not a historical bio pic.  Even though the character of John Crowley is supposed to be the hero, and he is in some very important ways, when he is not being a loving, dedicated father who will do anything to save his children, he's still a corporate executive, a stuffed suit, and not all that likable, and despite the fact that the character of Dr. Stonehill seems to have to be pushed to overcome himself in order to do the right thing, his character seems far more human than Crowley and, ultimately, is the real hero.  It likely doesn't help each of these characters much that Brendan Fraser, who is a fine actor,  pales next to the incredible acting talent of seasoned veteran Harrison Ford.  I do sympathize with a father trying to save the lives of his children, but that doesn't make him, or his character a likable person.  Perhaps these actors do a better job in their respective roles than they are given credit for.  In any case, the story is supposed to be about how a father's determination saved his children, but what comes through is that large pharmaceutical companies are heartless and driven solely by profit, a father will be as much of a jerk as he has to be in order to save his children, and  a brilliant and kind-hearted, yet odd, doctor did everything he could to save one man's children, and many others, from death at the hands of a terrible disease.  (That and Meredith Droeger is absolutely adorable as a sick little girl who won't give up.) 
 
     "Extraordinary Measures" may not exactly be the truth, but is makes for a good story and a bittersweet, good time.  Besides, I'm sure The History Channel will come out with a more accurate account, and we can all watch that and be informed.  Until then, just feel good that there's one less disease killing children.

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Brian
Ciné Critique Américain

Extraordinary Measures

Break out the tissues, Extraordinary Measures is one of those tear-jerkers.  This is a solid effort though, but I have to say these kinds of movies are hard to screw up.  I mean come on, it's a story about two children inflicted with a serious disease.  I find it hard to believe audiences would walk out saying, "Gee, you know, I really didn't like that."  These are always safe films.  Director Tom Vaughan (What Happens In Vegas) gives a good effort, but this movie is entirely carried by the great Harrison Ford. 

Although I would have liked to of seen Harrison Ford in more scenes, I guess it was more effective to limit his screen time.  Ford plays the brilliant Dr. Robert Stonehill whose scientific theories hold the key to developing a medicine for Pompe Disease, a condition that causes muscle weakness.  The great thing about Ford's character is that he's eccentric, a jackass, argumentative, and compassionate all at the same time.  Ford plays all these emotions to perfection.  By far his most powerful scenes are when he's in a shouting match.  Whether it be with other scientists, CEOs, or Brandan Fraser's character, you are glued to his performance. 

Unfortunately the real weakness in the film is Fraser.  He just can't keep up with Ford, and this is a problem because he is in almost every scene.  I've never been that impressed with Fraser.  He's never sucked, but he's never been great either.  I guess he was pretty funny in Airheads and Encino Man, although I don't think he wants to hear that those roles were his crowning achievements.  There are a couple intense confrontation scenes with Harrison Ford where he shines, but I think this is more that Ford is carrying him in the scene.  This movie moves at a very quick pace.  Fraser's character Crowley goes from work-a-holic business man to "I don't care about anything but my family and I'll risk anything" guy in like two seconds.  I just didn't buy this quick turn, but I think a better actor could have sold it.  This character has to make some risky calls and big life decisions, and the performance just wasn't there.  It also doesn't help that his wife played by Kerri Russell is about as bland as a keyboard.  But Fraser doesn't hurt the film a whole lot, and he really is bailed out by Ford in those critical scenes.

Aside from Ford, the other performance that really stands out is Meredith Droeger as Crowley's 8 year old daughter Megan, who's inflicted with the Pompe Disease.  This is a very important role, because the audience has to love the shit out of this character, and they do.  She delivers that cutesy funny dialogue with great timing, and there is one scene in particular where her and Ford's character meet for the first time, which is very powerful.  That scene alone makes the audience think, "Okay, if she doesn't make it, I'm going to be angry."  And that's all you need for this movie to work.

So this is a pretty solid film that you'll get exactly what you expect from it.  There is nothing great about it though aside from Harrison Ford and Meredith Droeger.  It does at times feel like the director is just going through the motions.  The pace is also a little too fast.  It seems like a lot of the film's intense conflicts get solved a little too quickly, whether it's trying to raise money to get Stonehill's research going or getting a company to invest in Stonehill, which limits the emotional impact a little bit.  But this is based on a true story, so it's a little hard to really complain about that kind of stuff.  The movie is worth seeing, but you don't need to sprint to the theatres.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10