Here is an inspiring and engaging drama about the power of perseverance, a quality which seems to be in short supply in our hurried society. It consists of a quiet and enduring patience which is able to see the big picture and to wait instead of giving up. It requires the flexibility to change when obstacles appear and when things aren't going our own way. It includes resiliency, the ability to face challenges and bounce back. And it's an ingredient of the spiritual practice of hope. Perseverance enables us to act strongly without complaint, to hold true to our dreams, and to keep focused in the face of constant change. At the heart of Extraordinary Measures is a father who exudes perseverance from every pore of his being. He is willing to do anything it takes to find a cure for his children's life threatening disease.
John Crowley (Brendan Fraser) is an Ivy League educated corporate executive on the fast track at work. At home, he and his wife Aileen (Keri Russell) are caretakers for their three children. Two of them, Megan (Meredith Droeger) and Patrick (Diego Velasquez), suffer from Pompe disease and are on respirators and in wheelchairs. According to doctors, neither child has very long to live. There is no cure for this fatal genetic disorder.
When John reads about the experiments of Dr. Robert Stonehill (Harrison Ford), one of the leading researchers of Pompe disease, he unsuccessfully tries to reach him. Determined to become more procactive in helping his two sick children, John impulsively flies to Nebraska to meet Stonehill, who turns out to be a very unconventional scientist. He has been working on a drug for Pompe victims for ten years. He tells John that he needs $500,000 to set up a company to produce the drug. With incredible will power and flexibility this young man raises $91,000, and Stonehill decides to take a leap into the dark with him. Pulling off another miracle, John manages to convince some venture capitalists in Chicago to invest more money in the project.
Tom Vaughan directs this compelling movie with a screenplay by Robert Nelson Jacobs inspired by the book The Cure by Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Geeta Anand. John has a very close relationship with Megan, his very smart and capable daughter who wins many "sprint races" in her wheelchair. But his character is tested repeatedly in his love/hate relationship with Stonehill who doesn't get along with anyone and is proud of his cantankerous independence. They face many setbacks and surprises with their start-up company both in Nebraska and then in Seattle when more challenges come with an alliance with a huge and very profitable pharmaceutical company.
Perseverence is a character quality that deserves more exploration and acclaim. We are pleased that Extraordinary Measures delivers both with integrity.
Special features on the DVD include deleted scenes and a "go behind the scenes" of the uplifting movie with interviews of the cast and the family whose true story inspired the film.
