'The Fugitive' live from Chicago
Live from every warehouse, farmhouse, henhouse, outhouse, and doghouse in Chicago, The Ringer's Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Mallory Rubin kick off the 'Rewatchables' Cold Weather Tour by revisiting the timeless classic '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
- Live show recorded in Chicago as part of the Cold Weather Tour (4 movies in 5 nights). The podcast has been going 7 years with almost 325 movies.
- Budget of $44 million, grossed $368.9 million – second biggest 1993 movie behind 'Jurassic Park'. 96% on Rotten Tomatoes.
- The only remake of a TV series to be nominated for Best Picture. 7 Oscar nominations total; Tommy Lee Jones won Best Supporting Actor.
- Filmed and released in 7 months (started February, released August). 10-week shoot; 8 editors working round the clock; studio said 'perfect, don't change a thing,' then they made 1,500 more edits.
- The train crash was done in one take – they had one chance. Expected 35 mph but it came in at 42 mph. If it failed, they'd have lost ~$3 million. The wreckage is still there in North Carolina.
- Harrison Ford damaged his knee ligaments during running scenes and refused surgery, saying 'my character's going to have a limp from this point forward.' He limps through the rest of the movie.
- Ford grew up in Chicago, pushed for filming there. 'The Saint' Patrick's Day Parade was filmed during the actual 1993 parade at 21 degrees. Ford: 'I'm fine, I don't need a jacket.'
- Much of the dialogue was improvised by Tommy Lee Jones and Harrison Ford. The interrogation scene was mostly improvised.
- Tommy Lee Jones told Joey Pants 'it's not like anyone is going to win any awards for this film' before it came out.
- Joey Pants lobbied to keep Cosmo alive because he anticipated a sequel.
- Richard Jordan was originally cast as Dr. Nichols but had to bow out due to a brain tumor; they had to refilm the opening party scene.
- Bill's first great DVD – the surround sound train crash going from speaker to speaker was 'one of the coolest moments of my life.'
- Ford pursued the role because he was excited to grow a beard – he'd never had a beard in a movie.
Categories
Quote from Rog's review:
“One of the best entertainments of the year, a tense, taut, and expert thriller with all the standards of an earlier, more classic time.”
Ebert gave it 4 stars. Called Ford 'once again, the great modern movie Everyman.' Said Tommy Lee Jones has 'the charm of a hangman, promising to make things as comfortable as possible.'
- Mallory: The dam chase – 'I didn't kill my wife.' / 'I don't care.'
- Chris: The first 24 minutes and 20 seconds – bus fight, crash, train crash, Tommy Lee showing up.
- Other contenders: The opening interrogation (largely improvised), busting Copeland ('I don't bargain'), the Saint Patrick's Day chase, Kimball calling Gerard from Sykes's house, the conference confrontation.
- Chicago as a movie location.
- Filmed and released in 7 months – 10-week shoot, 8 editors, 1,500 additional edits after studio approval.
- The evils of Big Pharma / Devlin McGregor – Chris: 'way ahead of its time.'
- Tommy Lee's improvised lines: 'I don't bargain,' 'I don't care,' 'Think me up a cup of coffee and a chocolate doughnut with all them sprinkles on top.'
- The cast: Joey Pants, Jane Lynch, Julianne Moore, Sela Ward.
- James Newton Howard's Oscar-nominated score.
- Helen Kimball relentlessly wanting to have sex with Richard in the flashbacks.
- No DNA evidence – post-OJ, everyone is conditioned to ask about DNA, which would have quickly proved another person was present.
- Why didn't Kimball testify on his own behalf?
- Half-hour in the middle investigating prosthetics drags a bit.
- Nobody in Chicago recognizes the most wanted fugitive despite Harrison Ford being extremely handsome.
- The Chuck Nichols vs. Kimball final fight is just a long shoving match – anticlimactic.
- Pre-CGI one-armed man shots (you can see the jacket bulging where the arm is tucked).
- Alec Baldwin was the actual first choice for Kimball (also beat Ford for Patriot Games).
- Walter Hill wanted to direct with Nick Nolte as the fugitive.
- Gene Hackman and Jon Voight were both considered for Sam Gerard.
- Richard Jordan was originally cast as Dr. Nichols but had to bow out due to a brain tumor.
- Tommy Lee Jones: Yes – becomes an A-lister after this (won Oscar; previously had 'JFK', 'Under Siege').
- Andrew Davis: Definitely yes.
- Harrison Ford: No – too many peaks.
- Joey Pants: No – it's Sopranos/Ralphie.
- One-armed killers: Yes.
Chris: Harrison Ford in the interrogation scene (Mallory is offended by the suggestion).
Ron Dean – always plays the Chicago guy; was in Above the Law, played Andy's dad in 'The Breakfast Club'.
Why did Devlin McGregor have to actually kill Dr. Kimball? Bad plan using a one-armed guy who is your head of security and appears in fishing photos with company executives.
- Mallory: Chuck Nichols should have had Sykes killed the moment Kimball escaped from prison.
- Bill: Kimball's defense should have been 'My wife was hot. Why would I kill her?'
- Who hires a one-armed security guard for a massive pharmaceutical company?
- Everyone's stolen clothes fit perfectly.
- The fundraiser is inexplicably a swimsuit fashion show for a children's charity.
- Harrison Ford could never shave that big beard perfectly with a disposable razor.
- Chuck Nichols has a framed photo of himself with convicted murderer Kimball behind his desk.
- What happened to the Kimball family cat visible at 10:34?
- Train crash done in one take at 42 mph (expected 35). Wreckage still in North Carolina.
- Ford damaged his knee ligaments and refused surgery – limps through the rest.
- Saint Patrick's Day Parade filmed during the actual 1993 parade at 21 degrees.
- 6 screenwriters, 25 drafts. Much dialogue improvised.
Bill and Chris: Tommy Lee Jones. Craig and Mallory: Harrison Ford. Audience split. Bill concedes this was Ford's 'last really great movie' – like Steph Curry's 2022 title run.
- If it looks like you may have killed your wife, get a lawyer immediately. Don't answer questions.
- Chris: Plain sight is the best hiding place; just because you're on the run doesn't mean you can't do good.
Chris: The Package (Andrew Davis directed, Tommy Lee Jones is the fugitive). Bill: 'Under Siege'. Mallory: Presumed Innocent.