January 04, 2022
'The Fugitive'
The Ringer's Bill Simmons, Andy Greenwald, and Chris Ryan are on the run and eager to clear their good names by rediscovering the 1993 thrill ride 'The Fugitive,' starring Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones.
Cast
Harrison Ford as Dr. Richard Kimble
Tommy Lee Jones as U.S. Marshal Samuel Gerard
Joe Pantoliano as Cosmo Renfro
Sela Ward as Helen Kimble
Julianne Moore as Dr. Anne Eastman
Directed by: Andrew Davis
Written by: Jeb Stuart
Music by: James Newton Howard
Notes
- Started filming February 1993, released August 1993 – roughly 7 months from start of shooting to theaters.
- The train crash cost $1 million to film. One chance. The train came faster than planned (42 mph vs. 35 mph). Six Harrison Ford dummies ($75,000) were all destroyed. The wreckage remains a tourist attraction in Dillsboro, North Carolina.
- The dam scene cost $2 million – twice the train crash.
- Tommy Lee Jones improvised much of his dialogue, including 'think me up a cup of coffee and a chocolate donut with some of those little sprinkles on top.'
- The St. Patrick's Day parade chase was unscripted – Andrew Davis used the real Chicago parade. No permits. Parade-goers' reactions to Harrison Ford were genuine.
- Harrison Ford damaged ligaments in his leg during filming and refused surgery so his character would have a limp.
- Richard Jordan (originally cast as Dr. Nichols) had a brain tumor and was replaced by Jeroen Krabbe. Jordan died three weeks after the film's release.
- Joey Pantoliano lobbied for his character not to die, in case there was a sequel. He appeared in U.S. Marshals.
- Sela Ward lobbied for her character to be in a coma instead of dead (rejected).
- Julianne Moore's role was originally a love interest; changed because it didn't work for a man on the run.
- The script went through ~25 drafts over 5 years with many uncredited writers.
- The only adaptation of a regular TV series to be nominated for Best Picture at that time.
- One of the first great DVDs (released March 1997).
Categories
Most re-watchable scene
- The dam/waterfall jump – 'I don't care' scene. Character-based tension at its best.
- The bus escape / train crash – 'as fun of a five minutes of an action movie as you're gonna get.'
- Tommy Lee Jones taking over the investigation – 'I guess I'll take over your investigation.'
What aged the best?
- Tommy Lee Jones's performance – described as 'timeless,' comparable to Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs.
- The dam scene – character-based, holds up.
- The train crash set piece – physical, no CGI.
What aged the worst?
- The CGI in the train/dam scenes looks a bit dated.
- Harrison Ford's fake beard.
- The lack of DNA evidence – in modern times, DNA would clear Kimble within a week.
- Cell phones/modern tech would make the entire plot impossible.
- Kimble's ability to walk into any hospital with a forged ID.
Casting what-ifs
- Alec Baldwin was the first choice for Kimble (his Hunt for Red October era).
- Michael Douglas, Kevin Costner, and Andy Garcia were also considered.
- Jon Voight and Gene Hackman were both offered Samuel Gerard.
- Walter Hill wanted to direct with Nick Nolte starring.
Best "heat check" performance
- Tommy Lee Jones disqualified (too big a role).
- Bill picks the black convict – 'goes like 7 for 8 with 10 rebounds in three scenes.'
- Chris makes a case for Jeroen Krabbe 'dining out' on his villain scenes.
Apex Mountain
- Tommy Lee Jones: unquestionable. Launched the 'Tommy Lee Jones era' – The Client, Natural Born Killers, 'Batman' Forever, Men in Black.
- Joe Pantoliano: debated – this or Sopranos (as Ralphie).
- Harrison Ford: not his apex – that's Raiders or original 'Star Wars'.
- Jeroen Krabbe: definitely his apex.
Picking nits
- Dr. Kimble never gets a lawyer despite facing first-degree murder / death penalty.
- The entire trial/conviction is skipped (18-27 months through the justice system).
- Where does Kimble sleep/eat/use the bathroom during weeks on the run?
- The Devlin MacGregor pharmaceutical plot ('Provasic') takes up too much of the third act.
- Nichols is immediately obvious as the villain on rewatch.
- Tommy Lee Jones's six-mile radius fails to catch a guy 'limping in a straight line next to the river for three days.'
Sequel, prequel, prestige TV or untouchable?
- 11-episode Netflix series: Mark Ruffalo or Jon Hamm as Kimble, Viola Davis or Idris Elba as Gerard.
- The Marshal or the Fugitive should be a woman or minority to change the dynamic.
- The pharmaceutical plot is 'more believable now than in 1994.'
Who won the movie?
Tommy Lee Jones – unanimously. Made him from a respected character actor into a legitimate star.