Extraordinary Measures is an extraordinary true story that is turned into a good movie with a nice dramatic role for Brendan Fraser. This is the first film from CBS Films and the movie does resemble a made-for-TV movie that would appear on their channel. But the A-list actors help it from becoming a disappearing television drama.
The true story is about a man named Jim Crowley (Fraser) who has a great corporate job and makes great money with terrific health insurance. His wife Aileen (Keri Russell) loves him and is very supportive. She is a caretaker and a loving mother to their children. Their two youngest have Pompe disease, which is a type of muscle deficiency. So Jim leaves his big corporate job and goes in search of Dr. Stonehill (Harrison Ford).
Stonehill’s research is the most advanced, as he has brilliant theories that could work, but does not have the budget at his Nebraska school. So with Jim’s money and Stonehill’s research, they join together to find a cure while dealing with the health industry and their policies.
The story itself is heartfelt and inspirational. It is about a father’s love and how nothing will stop him from trying to save his kids. The real Jim Crowley took a big risk by leaving a great job and venturing out on a journey to find a cure that may never work. Fraser shows the strength and emotion of Crowley and there is no doubt he loves his children.
We all know Fraser from portraying larger-than-life characters from action/adventure movies (The Mummy trilogy, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Inkheart) to comedies (George of the Jungle, Dudley Do-Right, Bedazzled). And let’s be honest, most of them have not been that great. But he has shown great promise with his roles in Gods and Monsters and Crash, and this one should be added to the list. His acting really shines through in this movie, and for him to play such a hard-driven, dedicated father, you have to cheer for him.
However, I am starting to wonder about Harrison Ford. I actually liked the last Indiana Jones movie, but Ford did seem like a grumpy grandpa in it. And Dr. Stonehill is a fictional character, but is a mixture of the real doctors who did find a cure. Ford plays Stonehill like a grumpy grandpa again. Stonehill is a smart man who likes to listen to music while he works. He does not give a damn about other people and is not that friendly. Yet he does smile towards the end of the movie, but only once. So I do not know if Ford is getting lazy, or since he is getting older, he only portrays one type of character. I hope his next role is a lot better.
Extraordinary Measures is a good movie about a great story. I am not sure if the movie does the story justice, but director Tom Vaughan (What Happens in Vegas) tries. The flow of the movie on how Crowley and Stonehill get to a cure is simple. They do go through some obstacles, but they do not seem like a big deal and are taken care of almost immediately.
So there is no suspense or surprises when it comes to how everything works out and the conclusion you are left with. But Brendan Fraser shows another side of his acting that takes you back to those few performances where he proves he can act. Ford doesn’t hurt the movie, but he certainly does not do much for it either and it hurts me to say that.
I think the movie itself is great to watch because of the simple fact that it’s an important story about a devastating disease that affects children all over the world. It is sad to know that Pompe disease takes a lot of children’s lives, but perhaps this movie can bring attention to this disease. After seeing this film and hearing about the real Crowley family and what they have done, we know a difference can be made. I did not know anything about Pompe and now I do. And just knowing about it is an improvement.
Brandon Vick is a member of The Music City Film Critics’ Association, the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and the star of The Vick’s Flicks Podcast. Follow him on Twitter @SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.
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