The Fugitive (1993) – Encore Review

“Are you suggesting that I killed my wife? Are you saying that I crushed her skull and that I shot her? How dare you! When I came home, there was a man in my house. I fought with this man. He had a mechanical arm. You find this man. You find this man.” – Dr. Richard Kimble

Number of Times Seen – More than 10 times (Theater in 1993, video, DVD and 29 Jan 2014 and 17 Aug 2018)

Link to original review – Here

Brief Synopsis – A prominent surgeon is accused of murdering his wife and must try and find a way to prove his innocence while being pursued by an idealistic peace officer.

My Take on it – I still recall after 25 years the first time I saw this film in the theater and the people who I saw it with.

None of us knew much about the story at the time and the way that the film plays out stays ingrained in one’s mind so clearly because this is such a well thought out thriller.

It works on numerous levels and constantly stays in motion throughout the entire runtime.

The cast is superb and they chose the leads really well.

Both Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones are perfectly cast here an are great adversaries the entire time.

Jones deservingly won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for this role and we get to meet a character who is extremely idealistic in his views and never feels the need to hide behind any facade in his pursuit of justice.

The musical score of the film is great and I really like how it’s done very subtlety which helps move the story along.

The supporting cast is also great and is filled with some very colorful characters who help add so much to the story.

In addition, they help keep things both humorous and interesting the whole time.

The plot of the film moves along at a great pace and I have always enjoyed the way that this film manages to tell two concurring stories about men seeking the truth from different angles and perspectives.

This film is one of the best thrillers ever made and that largely has to do with the realistic feeling that this film presents the entire time.

Th dialogue is superbly written and is quite clever which helps flesh out the characters which allows us to understand them even more.

This is one of the best films of the year (even though that it had no chance of beating Schindler’s List (1993) for Best Picture)

Can’t wait to see this film again soon!

Bottom Line – Such an amazing film that works on so many levels.  Ford is great in the lead and having him and Jones at odds throughout the film works so well.  Jones deservingly won an Oscar for his idealistic role because we get to see what kind of man he is without having to hide behind any facade. The musical score is superb and due to its subtlety helps carry the story along. The supporting cast is filled with some very colorful characters who also help keep things interesting and even humorous at times. The plot moves along at a great pace and I have always liked the way that they have two concurring stories about two men pursuing the truth from different angles. This film is a great thriller and stays at a level of believability the whole time that shines through over and over.  This dialogue is quite clever and that also helps flesh out the characters even more because it makes us understand them at much deeper levels. One of the best thrillers ever made and among the best films of the year (even if it had no chance of beating Schindler’s List (1993) for Best Picture). Highly Highly Recommended!

MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – The scene where Kimble is running through the St. Patrick’s Day parade was not scripted. This was a later addition by Andrew Davis. Davis, a native of the city, really wanted to capture the parade and was granted permission from the mayor’s office to film the day of the parade. The entire sequence was shot with a hand held steady cam. Without rehearsal, Ford and Jones just went out into the crowd and did their thing, with camera operators running around trying to keep up. Ford observed that since his character was keeping a low profile, it meant he himself didn’t stand out much and lasted several minutes in the crowd before being recognized. (From IMDB)

Rating – Oscar Worthy (10/10) (no change from original review)

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