A Reel 20: THE FUGITIVE

“Your fugitive’s name is Doctor Richard Kimble…”

 

This month marks the 20^th anniversary of Andrew Davis’ THE FUGITIVE

Loosely based on the 1960’s TV series of the same name, THE FUGITIVE, which told the story of a doctor wrongly accused of killing his wife, was led by a heavyweight cast in the form of Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones. Although Ford would take the role of Doctor Kimble and immortalize it, he was not the first choice for the part; Alec Baldwin, Nick Nolte, Kevin Costner, and Michael Douglas were auditioned first. Tommy Lee Jones’ character of the U.S. Marshall assigned to chase down Dr. Kimble was also auditioned for by other actors; Gene Hackman and Jon Voight were considered.

The selection of Ford and Jones proved to be a masterstroke. The two veteran actors complimented each other perfectly, even though they would only share the screen together a handful of times. The casting paid off; THE FUGITIVE was nominated for seven Oscars that year, including Best Picture, and Tommy Lee Jones would take home Best Supporting Actor. Harrison Ford was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actor. The film itself, which was a clever combination of mystery-solving and pulse-pounding action, was a box office smash, holding down the No. 1 spot for six weeks. The American Film Institute lists the film amongst its Top 100 Most Thrilling American Films.

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In 1993, this Bloggers’ Uncle mentioned that his brother-in-law had said THE FUGITIVE wasn’t a good movie. Twenty minutes into the film, just after a thrilling escape from an oncoming freight train, this Blogger learned who to listen to and who not to when it came to movies. Aside from that, the legacy of THE FUGITIVE certainly centers around Harrison Ford. Although the popular actor had already taken steps in his career to separate himself from whip-carrying archeologists and scoundrely space smugglers, it was THE FUGITIVE which was a wake-up call and a reminder of his abilities. As a fugitive from the law, Ford displayed a new depth and heart which made us respect him and love him even more.

“I didn’t kill my wife!”