Extraordinary Measures [Blu-ray]

Director: Tom Vaughan

Overview

Inspired by an incredible true story, the CBS Films docudrama portrays one father's desperate quest to save his children from succumbing to a rare life-threatening genetic disorder. Working-class father John Crowley (Brendan Fraser) is finally on the fast track to corporate success when his two young children, Megan and Patrick, are diagnosed with Pompe disease -- a condition that prevents the body from breaking down sugar. In time, it disables the heart and the muscles, ultimately resulting in death. With the support of his wife, Aileen (Keri Russell), John ditches his career and teams with unconventional specialist Dr. Robert Stonehill (Harrison Ford) to found a bio-tech company and develop a cure in time to save the lives of Megan and Patrick. As Dr. Stonehill works tirelessly to prove the theories that made him the black sheep of the medical community, a powerful bond is forged between the two unlikely allies. Still, their greatest struggle is yet to come.

Product Details

Release Date:	05/18/2010
UPC:	0043396351318
Original Release:	2010
Rating:	PG
Source:	Sony Pictures
Language:	English
Time:	1:46:00
Sales rank:	38,979

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Harrison Ford	Dr. Robert Stonehill
Brendan Fraser	John Crowley
Keri Russell	Aileen Crowley
Meredith Droeger	Megan Crowley
Diego Velazquez	Patrick Crowley
Sam M. Hall	John Crowley Jr.
Jared Harris	Dr. Kent Weber
Patrick Bauchau	CEO Erich Loring
Alan Ruck	Pete Sutphen
David Clennon	Dr. Renzler
Dee Wallace	Sal
Courtney B. Vance	Marcus Temple
Ayanna Berkshire	Wendy Temple
P.J. Byrne	Dr. Preston
Andrea White	Dr. Allegria
G.J. Echternkamp	Niles
Vu Pham	Vinh Tran
Derek Webster	Cal Dunning
Jana Lee Hamblin	Renzler Scientist #1
Shelly Lipkin	Senior Scientist
Chris Harder	Researcher
Eric Derovanessian	Security Officer
Patricia Ferguson	Reception Nurse
Jeanette McMahon	Day Nurse (Jana)
Brennan Claire	Julia
Tra'Renee Chambers	Night Nurse (Marcy)
Quigley Provost-Landrum	Maria
Kimberly Howard	ICU Nurse
Lily Mariye	Dr. Waldman
Sherilyn Lawson	Day Nurse (Kate)
Eric Martin Reid	ICU Doctor
Sharonlee McLean	Stonehill's Secretary
Bryce Flint-Somerville	Van Driver
Jeanine Jackson	Nell Madden
Gavin Bristol	Webber's Assistant
Robert Blanche	Armed Guard
Olga Sanchez	Pediatric Nurse
Chrisse Roccaro	Mega Store Cashier
Michael Shamberg	Renzler Venture Capitalist #1
John Crowley	Renzler Venture Capitalist #2
Christopher Desmond Williams	Security officer #2
Melanie Sanders	ICU Nurse #2
Diego Vel?zquez	Patrick Crowley
Andrea Guerra	Composer

Technical Credits

Robert Nelson Jacobs

Geeta Anand

Robert Nelson Jacobs	Screenwriter
Stacey Sher	Producer
Michael Shamberg	Producer,Producer
Harrison Ford	Executive Producer
Nan Morales	Executive Producer
Margery Simkin	Casting
Kai Shelton	Special Effects
Geeta Anand	Screenwriter
Bruce Lawson	Key Grip
John Pritchett	Sound Mixer

Editorial Reviews

Extraordinary Measures is an exercise in adapting a meaningful story for the big screen, but it fails in delivering the kind of subtle nuances and poignancy that are needed to elevate this from what feels like a Lifetime/Hallmark Channel/ABC Family made-for-TV movie to a thoughtful big-screen film with top-billing stars. The film follows the efforts of John (Brendan Fraser) and Aileen Crowley (Keri Russell) to save their two young children, Megan (Meredith Droeger) and Patrick (Diego Velazquez), who suffer from Pompe disease, a form of muscular dystrophy with no discernible treatment. As the lives of their children hang in the balance, John seeks out Dr. Robert Stonehill (Harrison Ford), a brilliant biochemist dreamer renowned for his work in the field with a penchant for playing '60s classic rock in the lab. The two strike up a partnership and form a biotech company in hopes of finding a solution, but navigating the corporate jungle proves difficult, and lack of capital -- not to mention John's temper tantrums and Robert's does-not-work-well-with-others attitude -- threatens the likelihood of a miracle cure. As time runs out for the Crowley kids, John and Robert must put aside their differences to reach the greater goal. Ford -- who not only starred in but served as executive producer for this project -- didn't entirely phone in his performance, but he falls short of the caliber of acting we're used to seeing from an Oscar-nominated actor (perhaps not of late, considering Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull); still, he's convincing as the idiosyncratic genius. Brendan Fraser -- who earns top billing -- takes a step back from light-hearted family action movies and delivers a surprisingly effective performance. He deftly switches gears between concerned parent and pragmatic businessman and evokes sympathy for his plight. Likewise, Keri Russell is convincing as the grief-stricken mother forced to put on a brave face for her ailing children, though she's clearly underused and merely serves as sounding board for Fraser's character. There's a definite feel-good quality, and director Tom Vaughan (What Happens in Vegas) does a decent job of establishing the bond between the members of the Crowley family, and later on, the bond between John and Robert. What's most interesting about Measures is the portion where the men start their biotech firm, but when the film is taken outside the realm of medical procedural for too long, it gets bogged down in sentimentality. Measures, as noted in the opening credits, is inspired by a true story and based on the book The Cure by Geeta Anand, so it's clear that the story is meaningful to those who worked to bring it to the celluloid arena, but writer Robert Nelson Jacobs (The Water Horse) fails to establish the emotional connection needed to resonate with the audience, and in the end, the film comes across as painfully ordinary.