Review: Extraordinary Measures

An earnest Brendan Fraser stars as a businessman, husband to Keri Russell, and father to their three kids, two of whom suffer from Pompe disease, a rare genetic disorder in the vicinity of muscular dystrophy. The disease severely limits their life-span, with them not expected to live past the age of 9 (In real-life, however, it’s apparently much earlier than that, as dramatic license has been taken here). One of the kids’ 9^th birthday is not too far away, Fraser is fed up with doctors unable to give him answers or his kids miracle cures, and decides to take a more pro-active approach. He attempts to approach prickly medical researcher Harrison Ford, who apparently has a new perspective that the establishment aren’t keen on, but might just be what Fraser is looking for. Hermit-like Ford isn’t an easy man to get a hold of, and not very likeable or optimistic when Fraser does reach him, but Fraser manages to form a business partnership with him (through some financial fudging on Fraser’s part). From then on, Ford needs to work around the clock to find a cure that is legit, whilst Fraser handles the business and handshake end of things, which prove awfully tricky and at times, involve seemingly heartless people. David Clennon plays an investor, Jared Harris and Patrick Bauchau are the ‘corporate suits’ on the medical side of things, Courtney B. Vance is the father of another Pompe sufferer, and Alan Ruck is Fraser’s former co-worker.

Directed by Tom Vaughan, I’m not sure how this 2010 flick got a theatrical release in the US (OK, it’s obviously because it stars Indiana Jones), but even seeing it on cable here in Australia, I was pretty underwhelmed. When you see a film stars two big names, one of whom served as executive producer, and appears to be about an important subject, you’re obviously going to have certain expectations. Unfortunately, those expectations will not be met by this prosaic, clichéd, rather heavy-handed (that shot of the 8^th birthday candle when Fraser hears that kids with Pompe die at around 9 was just too much) ‘disease of the week’ film. Which is a shame, because it’s ‘based on a true story’ and the two stars are certainly committed, with Fraser perhaps in his best ever performance (He doesn’t tend to make movies that lend themselves to great thesping). Ford lays on the grizzle a touch too much at times, like he did in “Morning Glory”, but nonetheless like that film, gives an enjoyable performance. He is very believable as a socially awkward scientist, no doubt about it (Being known for somewhat prickly behaviour makes him a good choice), and it’s a pretty accurate portrayal of someone who spends a lot of time in the lab on his own.

The best movies of this type are able to transcend their ‘disease of the week’ synopsis, films like “Philadelphia”, “Awakenings”, “My Life”, “Dad” and “Lorenzo’s Oil” (which this film is an inferior version of), but this one is so beneath its talented cast, which even includes veterans like Courtney B. Vance, Dee Wallace, and Alan Ruck, in completely useless roles, as well as the usually terrific Jared Harris in what I like to call the J.T. Walsh role (except Harris at least has a scintilla of humanity afforded to him here in the end). The annoying thing is that even before the end, I felt like Harris was playing a reasonable guy sold down the river by a cruel screenwriter. Wallace and Ruck barely have walk-ons, whilst poor Vance has to deal with being ‘the other guy with sick kids...who aren’t as important ‘coz their daddy wasn’t in “The Mummy”’, but like I said, the dude doesn’t seem to care about movies anymore, seemingly happy to collect cheques in this and “Final Destination 5”. “Felicity”, meanwhile, and to an extent even the kids, seem like props and plot points, not real flesh-and-blood characters. All of the emotional pull is on Fraser’s shoulders, which seems insane considering there must’ve been potential for real tear-jerking with those kids (Especially since the screenplay makes the kids older, and thus able to be more three-dimensional and interesting characters) and the wife. Cliché or not, the chance for tear-jerking is mostly overlooked. Instead, Fraser mostly leaves the wife and kids at home to go off on the business side of things with Ford and the corporate suits as they race around the clock to find a cure. Some of that is interesting, but very dry for the most part, and mostly it’s just as clichéd as any family heart-tugging would’ve been. See, “Lorenzo’s Oil” was able to combine the two and was more than just a TV-movie experience.

I will give the film credit, however, for not going into “John Q” territory like the trailer seemed to suggest. That was one disaster thankfully averted. The film didn’t even make me cry, though, which almost never happens in films like this. I’m a big softie, so you know it’s got to be inferior stuff if I’m dry-eyed by the end, and coming from “CBS Films” just about says it all, really. Ford’s a smart guy, and should’ve known this material wasn’t much good, so I guess he was too emotionally invested in the subject matter to really notice. The issue at hand is no doubt important (especially for those Americans who would dearly like a better health care system than the one they have. Ironic given the real-life Crowley is apparently a Republican. I couldn’t believe it when I read it, so I hope you don’t mind the semi-relevant tangent), but you’ve seen this film before and better. I mean, based on fact or not, there’s no way I was buying the idiotic scene where Fraser gets frustrated with what he sees as Ford ignoring him, when he actually had a mishap with his phone. Gimme a break, that kind of crap only happens in movies. Underwhelming ones made by the likes of the man behind “What Happens in Vegas” (Answer: Nothing amusing).

It’s never for a moment boring, but honestly, unless you’re into clichéd TV movies (which is what this would be if it didn’t have stars), I wouldn’t really bother. It’s palatable and never dull, but has no balls nor does Vaughan seem to be above workman-like filmmaking. The paint-by-numbers screenplay by Robert Nelson Jacobs (“The Shipping News”) is based on a presumably superior book by Geeta Anand called “The Cure”. Well, at least the film has a better title than that.

Rating: C+