John Q John Q Archibald example essay topic

Daniel Jones Business Ethics Film Analysis Ms. Corso December 6, 2002 In my film analysis I will be discussing some of the fourteen principles of a satisfactory moral system and a good ethical decision. I will also discuss how some of the characters use the theory of care ethicist (care ethicist is to treat others as a human being fairly or equally) and virtue theorist (virtue theorist is doing the hard thing). My movie analysis is on John Q. John Q. Archibald (care ethicist's) is an ordinary man who works at a factory and takes care of his family. His wife Denise and young son Michael are his world. But when Michael falls seriously ill and needs an emergency heart transplant operation that cost $250,000. John can't afford the money, but vows to take the initiative to do anything in coming up with money by selling all his personal belonging.

John and Denise (wife) then goes to numerous health clinics to receive aid, but were denied because John was over qualified. As result of John not receiving any medical insurance John goes to his boss and ask for the complete insurance coverage, but was also denied because John's boss cut John's hours to part-time. John was devastated; he was devastated because his boss cut his hours and didn't even let him know. As a result of John not coming up with the complete amount of the transplant the doctors will not perform the surgery. John can't believe that his son (Michael who John has a proper relation to the cosmos and the greater scheme of the web of life by John already living his life and wanting his son to fulfill his life. John doesn't care about anything else other than his son fulfilling his life.) is about to die and the doctors are not taking in consideration that John has some of the money, but not all and they still can't perform the transplant.

John says, "All his life, he has tried to do the right thing". John feels the doctors don't treat the people as they deserve. He feels they can do a better job in letting the community know about the different health plans, they can let the public know that HMO (medical coverage) is suited to pay there doctors not to test, because it would bring the cost down. As a result of there doctors not testing; the HMO give the doctors a big bonus at the end of the year.

All John would have liked was for his boss and the people at the hospital to explain the different medical care services they have and try in the there best power to give Michael the transplant, so he gets an extra chance of living. With time and options running out, John makes a desperate gamble in hope that the doctors would perform the transplant by taking the emergency room hostage. While John was performing this terrible action he was not being a rational or reasonable person. He was not being a rational or reasonable person because he wants to do anything he can to keep his son alive. No one can relate to how he feels. He is in a whole different world.

John sees this hostage situation as a way of the doctors doing what he says; by John taking these people hostages, John has no intentions on hurting them. He is out of control, but has a view of the overall picture. John knows by him putting his life on the line he has a chance for his son to live. John will do anything so that his son will live.

John Q. is a movie that has some ethical dilemmas in it. John Archibald was faced with the biggest situation to deal with. His son is on the verge of dying; if John does not come up with $250,000 for a heart transplant. Mr. Archibald did what he felt was the best thing to do at that time; holding people hostage.

He was absolutely wrong for keeping those people hostage. There are no words to justify what he did. John should have handled the situation much differently than keeping innocent people hostage. John should have gone to the media. He should have gone to the mayor, government, and congressman.

He should have done that to let the public know that he was being treated unfairly. John actions were not handled properly; he was not an ethical person at all by performing the actions he did. John Q., also had a virtue theorist person in the movie name Dr. Truner. Dr. Truner is a heart surgeon, who had the duty to explain to John Archibald that he has to come up with $250,000 for his son's transplant. Dr. Turner is a man of self-respect and honesty.

As much as John wants Dr. Truner to perform the surgery to keep Michael from dying; Dr. Truner can not because John does not have the money. In return of Dr. Truner explaining to John that he wouldn't be able to perform due to the money; John takes Dr. Truner hostage. During the hostage, John was willing to put his life on the line so that his son would live. But Dr. Truner was stunned by John actions and refuses to do such thing. His response was defiantly no. He said that he can not perform the procedure because it wasn't under the hospital policy and he can risk his job.

After contemplating on what he should do; Dr. Truner finally realizes that how he has been acting was not fair. He realizes, he was being selfish and self- minded; so he had a change of heart and was prepared to perform the procedure. He performs the procedure not with John Archibald heart. A donor appeared before John was going to kill himself.

But Dr. Truner performed the surgery against the hospital policy. Dr. Truner was a character that showed "bend but don't break" attitude; until he realize that a young boy was about to die. It was hard for Dr. Truner to do something against the rules (virtue theorist); when he has pride his life on doing things the correct way. Dr. Truner was faced with the hardest thing as a doctor and that was to explain to the Archibald family that surgery could not be performing because of money. He was overcome with the situation again when John proposed to give half of the money so the surgery could perform. Dr. Truner was again had to break the bad news when John was willing to commit suicide and Dr. Truner still refuses to do the surgery.

He was dealt with the hardest decision to make, because here is had a father who is willing to kill himself because of hospital policies and money that he can't help this family. Dr. Truner actions could have been handling differently. His approach to the Archibald family could have been more sympathetic. Dr. Truner could have put up a fight with hospital administrators and the board of trustees to see what other options they could have proposed to the family.

This movie in enlightened me because in learning the different ethicist's. I was able to see how a care ethicist and virtue theorist acts. It was a very emotional movie. This showed me the different medical plans they have available.

What do their plans offer to me; if I am ever put in situation like John Q.? I have to know what medical plan I have to have; God forbid anything every happened to me or my family we can be covered.