John occurs as mill-hand around the mining town inside Illinois. His income is $18,000 a year (this may be seen when you took a section of a picture in which he fills out the medical form). His married woman, Denise (Kimberly Elise) , works as a grocery store clerk.

In the Sunday afternoon, John's son Michael (Daniel E. Smith) is playing baseball with the local Little League. When he is heading a bases, he suddenly collapses on the field. He is taken to (a made-up) Hope Memorial Hospital inside Chicago, Illinois. These are found that he has fallen into coronary failure; his blood pressure is 68/34. Dr. Raymond Turner, world health organization is played by James Woods, is assigned as Michael's doctor. Dr. Turner explains to John & Denise that Michael's heart is useless; he might require the transplant, as an alternative he may die.

The transplant costs $250,000. Naturally, John & Denise just can not afford it. John's insurance project has recently changed to an HMO. A representative from either his union tells John that an HMO occurs as less expensive policy, however there are occasionally restrictions, of these existence that there is a minimal ruinous coverage payout restrict of $20,000. Denise doesn't own any advantages from either her job.

John & Denise produce each effort to raise a money. It must produce the down payment of $75,000 sequentially to put Michael's title on the donor's listings to receive the freshly heart. It liquidate all about it have, & hang on to fund raisers in their church. It call for Babies's State Services & Medicaid to there are no help. Denise is told that a hospital is attend release Michael, & his personal may only develop to require him house & watch over him die. John is livid.

On the morning of Saturday, September 29, 2001, John enters the hospital by owning the gun hidden under his jacket. (A date of the incident is revealed on the facsimile machine in the hospital.) When he walks around, Dr. Turner is in the hall, getting the casual conversation by owning an ex-patient of his, the rich human world health organization has upright received the heart transplant. A personal is overjoyed & jokes by owning Dr. Turner all about the profits of the operation, which causes John into a hysteria.

John asks Dr. Turner to enter a next room, in which he points a gun at a md's head & orders him to give his boy the fresh heart. It enter a er, & he holds a hospital at point, threatening to put to death a surety in case his boy doesn't make their way a operation.

An ambulance arrives at a hospital, & a paramedical be caring of the situation, & it notify police force. When the 3-hour standoff, John at length surrenders. Even so, there exists however there is no heart available. He threatens to commit suicide, thus his heart may be utilized to save his boy. When he holds a gun to his develop head, the woman is flushed inside a car accident miles away, world health organization happens to have the equivalent blood group when Michael. He is given a operation, & appreciatively two father & boy survive, although John is sentenced to clink for 3 to 5 years for his criminal action.

a protest against the policies & hidden procedures of numerous of now's underwriter, John Q likewise stars James Woods, Anne Heche, Ray Liotta, and Robert Duvall, among others.

A picture show was shot within Toronto, Canada.