***
Wednesday night, Jan. 6, 2010 was a fabulous start to our 2010 film club series at the Imperial Theatre with marvelous adaptation of screenplay by Robert Nelson Jacobs based on Geeta Anand`s Pulitzer winning book, The Cure! Brendan Fraser met us at the entrance and presentented the film in a warm, humorous manner on the beautiful Imperial stage. This film is not to be missed with Ford & Fraser outdoing themselves.
Brendan Fraser plays John Crowley, a biotechnology executive, whose two youngest children are afflicted with Pompe disease. Along with his wife, Aileen (Keri Russell), he raises money for research scientist Robert Stonehill (Harrison Ford) (most likely representing the real Dr. William Canefield), forming a company to develop a drug to save his children's lives.
Not to be missed, this film gives faith & proof to all that determination can rise above the most powerful structures to save lives, when a seasoned Harvard educated MBA`er joins forces with a brilliant researcher scientist to join forces with a deal that corporate venture capitalist can`t refuse. The best part of this film is that ``chasing the wind`` did have a winning outcome in this real life case. It also proved WC Fields belief & Christopher Plummers` fear in `Sound od Music` that children upstage the best of actors!
This cast of children are fabulous so do not miss this film!
Happy New Year to you all, Katherine M.
Thanks again for tonight
julie
Marilyn
It was fun to be there, so thanks indeed for arranging that.
Straight up I should say I am just not a big fan of this type of Hollywood movie so I went in with moderate expectations, and the film lived up - or down - to those.
I thought the acting was convincing within the limits of the script. I appreciated the relative complexity with which the film tackled the scientific trade-offs of developing pharmaceuticals, and I appreciated that it did not go down the road of either demonising or glorifying that industry or medicine in general. Given the subject matter it was not as wildly sentimental as I feared.
What I did not like was the "hollywood polish", which I find irritatingly hard to both define and articulate, but somehow makes mainstream movies like this ultimately bland and neither believable nor out of this world. Why do the people and the sets have to be so beautiful, the family so functional and well-behaved even in crisis, the quirks so cliched (like Ford's mad scientist shtick) and the symbols so overt (like the fish toy) ?
Nothing was really brilliant about this film so it did not rise above sameness and blandness. The story is true, relatively accurately portrayed as far as I can gather, and almost unbelievable in what the family managed to achieve yet as piece of cinema I just did not find it compelling.
Susan
I was so touched by the story and the actors, in particular Brendan Frazier. His commitment was so genuine. Stories like this can be very difficult to tell on the big screen but not with EM. Even though I knew the premise, I was still engaged and surprised from beginning to end. What a touching inspirational story that I took home in my heart and am still reflecting on. How wonderful that human stories are continuing to be told more and more.
They are as inspiring as you are Peter, for manifesting such a wonderful group of Cinemagique. Where members are privileged to enjoy such beautiful screenings together!
Thanks so much,
Dawn
Brendan Fraser plays John Crowley, a biotechnology executive, whose two youngest children are afflicted with Pompe disease. Along with his wife, Aileen (Keri Russell), he raises money for research scientist Robert Stonehill (Harrison Ford) (most likely representing the real Dr. William Canefield), forming a company to develop a drug to save his children's lives.
Not to be missed, this film gives faith & proof to all that determination can rise above the most powerful structures to save lives, when a seasoned Harvard educated MBA`er joins forces with a brilliant researcher scientist to join forces with a deal that corporate venture capitalist can`t refuse. The best part of this film is that ``chasing the wind`` did have a winning outcome in this real life case. It also proved WC Fields belief & Christopher Plummers` fear in `Sound od Music` that children upstage the best of actors!
This cast of children are fabulous so do not miss this film!
Happy New Year to you all, Katherine M.
***
Loved the movie and especially the theatre - I LOVE that place - wish they were open for more movies. .. a friend of mine will also be writing you about joining and they will come too but I'll let her book it.Thanks again for tonight
julie
***
Good movie, down to earth, reality, no fakes, lesson to all, how lucky we are to have people that can tap into the geniuses we have all around us and are not recognized or supported by society wasn't this always the case. perhaps this will never change. should have an international think tank (no polititians) perhaps we could beter tap into our own priceless resources and make a better world for all. I could go on and on but the movie delivered the mesage at all leves. ***
Came home so happy to have seen Extraordinary Measures - many thanks for making this possible,Marilyn
***
It was fun to be there, so thanks indeed for arranging that.
Straight up I should say I am just not a big fan of this type of Hollywood movie so I went in with moderate expectations, and the film lived up - or down - to those.
I thought the acting was convincing within the limits of the script. I appreciated the relative complexity with which the film tackled the scientific trade-offs of developing pharmaceuticals, and I appreciated that it did not go down the road of either demonising or glorifying that industry or medicine in general. Given the subject matter it was not as wildly sentimental as I feared.
What I did not like was the "hollywood polish", which I find irritatingly hard to both define and articulate, but somehow makes mainstream movies like this ultimately bland and neither believable nor out of this world. Why do the people and the sets have to be so beautiful, the family so functional and well-behaved even in crisis, the quirks so cliched (like Ford's mad scientist shtick) and the symbols so overt (like the fish toy) ?
Nothing was really brilliant about this film so it did not rise above sameness and blandness. The story is true, relatively accurately portrayed as far as I can gather, and almost unbelievable in what the family managed to achieve yet as piece of cinema I just did not find it compelling.
Susan
****
Once again, thank you for organizing our presence at the Premier of Extraordinary Measures. I am so grateful that I was there to share the opening energy with so many people in attendance.I was so touched by the story and the actors, in particular Brendan Frazier. His commitment was so genuine. Stories like this can be very difficult to tell on the big screen but not with EM. Even though I knew the premise, I was still engaged and surprised from beginning to end. What a touching inspirational story that I took home in my heart and am still reflecting on. How wonderful that human stories are continuing to be told more and more.
They are as inspiring as you are Peter, for manifesting such a wonderful group of Cinemagique. Where members are privileged to enjoy such beautiful screenings together!
Thanks so much,
Dawn
***
... enjoyed the movie had seen the trailers previously when attending other movies. It was very interesting, first I heard about Pompe, although had heard of Muscular dystrophy. The dedication of the movie to tell this story, the importance of research, motivation, sacrifice, risk time , money and hard work for a pitch at the possibility of a happy conclusion.
Louise d.
Louise d.
***
I am sorry to say that this movie did not do it for me. Even though the subject is based on a terrible disease and real facts (you think?). A real intrigue was missing, something that would have made it more of a medical thriller instead of an Hallmark movie of the week.
Diane
Diane
***
Before going to see the movie, I thought it's going to be predictable throughout. I was very pleasantly surprised by the very good acting by the stars, Harrison Ford, Brendan Fraser, and Keri Rusell. It was presented very interestingly , and kept my full attention to the end .
Thank you, Peter.
Nelly
Thank you, Peter.
Nelly
***
The Premiere of Extraordinary Measures was an extraordinary event. Brendan Fraser's appearance was totally Hollywood with all the television networks there and cameras flashing non-stop in the gorgeous Imperial's lobby, for half an hour. Brendan presenting his film prepared us to savour an extraordinary film which kept your attenton all the way through. Harrison Ford really played his part out of the ordinary. Brendan Fraser definitely managed to make you feel the pain parents go through when their children have what they call untreatable conditions. This film will give hope to all parents facing children with such health challenges and will further encourage donations to medical research organizations.
Renée
Renée
***
Thanx for the tickets for the movie at the imperial. What a treat too to have brendan Fraser address the audience. The film was very enjoyable and the acting was great. Though the script was weak at some parts, I still found it immensly pleasing.
Thanx again. - judy :)
Thanx again. - judy :)
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