Extreme Measures is a 1996 crime thriller film based on Michael Palmer s 1991 novel of the same name, dealing with the ethics of medical sacrifices. The film was directed by Michael Apted and starred Hugh Grant, Gene Hackman, Sarah Jessica Parker, and David Morse.

Plot

Dr. Guy Luthan is a New York emergency room doctor who one night comes across a strange patient: a homeless man who has a wristband from a hospital he s not familiar with, mentioning a drug he s never heard of, and with strange symptoms, including a wildly fluctuating heart rate. When the man dies, Guy attempts to follow up and find out more about the patient – only to find that the body and all records have disappeared, and he s told by his superiors to drop the case.

As he continues trying to find out what happened, Guy s personal and professional life get suddenly sidetracked. His home is ransacked and cocaine is planted near his bedside. The police arrest him and he is convicted and in the process he loses his job, his license to practice medicine and all of his friends. In desperation, he manages to get the help of some homeless men who lead him to their underground home. His ER patient who died also had lived there. Through them he s led to an organization, led by neurosurgeon Dr. Lawrence Myrick, that performs spinal experiments on the homeless people, all of whom have died thus far, in an attempt to find a cure for paralysis.

Myrick attempts to sway Guy to join his team, telling him that his test subjects are heroes, and that killing one to save millions is worth the sacrifice. Guy admits that while there is some truth in what Myrick says, Myrick s victims did not choose to give up their lives, which makes Myrick a murderer. Myrick is accidentally shot and killed by rogue FBI Agent Frank Hare. Later, Myrick s widow hands the discs and documentation regarding the research to Guy telling him my husband was trying to do a good thing, but in the wrong way . He opens the package, views the materials and proceeds towards the neurology building where he is now working.

Main cast

• Hugh Grant as Dr. Guy Luthan
• Gene Hackman as Dr. Lawrence Myrick
• Sarah Jessica Parker as Jodie Trammel
• David Morse as FBI Agent Frank Hare
• Bill Nunn as Det. Bob Burke
• John Toles-Bey as Bobby
• Paul Guilfoyle as Dr. Jeffrey Manko
• Debra Monk as Dr. Judith Gruszynski
• Shaun Austin-Olsen as Claude Minkins
• André De Shields as Teddy Dolson
• J. K. Simmons as Dr. Mingus
• Peter Appel as Det. Stone
• Diana Zimmer as Helen
• Nancy Beatty as Ruth Myrick
• Gerry Becker as Dr. Gene Spitelli
• Gene Ruffini as Izzy
• Bill MacDonald as Det. Stone s Partner
• Simon Reynolds as Simon
• D. Garnet Harding as E.R. Doctor
• Derwin Jordan as E.R. Doctor
• Tara Rosling as E.R. Doctor
• Martin Roach as E.R. Doctor
• Bernard Browne as E.R. Doctor
• Sanjay Talwar as E.R. Doctor
• Christina Collins as E.R. Nurse
• Arlene Duncan as E.R. Nurse
• Cheryl Swarts as E.R. Nurse

Production

The film was based on a 1991 novel by Michael Palmer. It was originally developed as a vehicle for Alec Baldwin.

Then it went to Simian Films, the company of Hugh Grant and his then-girlfriend Elizabeth Hurley, which had set up at Castle Rock Entertainment. The film marked a change of pace for Grant, being a drama. I was always on the lookout for one (a drama), but I wasn t saying, `I ve got to do a serious role now. It was just that that was the best script around.

The script was developed for about a year, including rewrites with involvement from William Goldman. We just tamed it a bit for me, said Grant. We just tweaked it.

Palmer said, They apologized for the way they deviated from the book. Hugh Grant has turned the protagonist into a character he can live with, but the nature of the character hasn t changed. The more I think about it, the more it seems like my book.

Filming took place in Toronto and New York City, beginning February 1996.

Director Michael Apted found it challenging working with Grant and Hurley. It s not something I d recommend, however genial the people are…. It was tricky. We had the same agendas, mercifully, so it was all right…. Producers are powerful. And actors are powerful these days. So, to have the double whammy up there, it makes your job harder. The other challenge I had was that this was the first film they (Hurley and Grant) produced. They were learning as they were doing…. I didn t know whether they were going to be dilettante producers…. They really got their hands dirty. They weren t just swanning in for the glamour bits. They were there the whole time in the trenches.

Added Hurley: I ve been on film sets for about nine years as a hired hand so it wasn t that I didn t know anything…. Yes, there are things I know now that I didn t know before. But there are things a monkey could learn to do…. I think learning to keep on top of things … You have to, sort of, learn that as you go. I hadn t realized how fragile a film could be. I did end up being very hands-on. I ended up doing much more than I had expected to. I didn t realize how easy it was to really not make the film you set out to make…. I think having to concentrate very, very hard on every department was a shock.

Reception

The film had a mixed reception from critics. It currently holds a 56% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel both gave the film 3 out of 4 stars. Ebert mentioned in his review that the film is pitched at a higher level than most thrillers; the dialogue is literate and intelligent, and Grant is more of an everyman than an action hero. Grant s performance received particular praise for this film, along with An Awfully Big Adventure, for playing against type in his post-Four Weddings and a Funeral career in the late 1990s. Kenneth Turan, who disliked the film, said of Grant s performance: Though he doesn t have enough weight to stabilize the film when the plotting turns silly, overall he does a capable job in an unlikely role. Janet Maslin, writing in The New York Times, was generally positive about the film, describing it as stylish and taut with a taste for macabre little surprises .

Box office

Despite debuting in second place at the US box office, the film was not a box office success. It opened at third place at the UK box office.

Year	1996
ReleaseDate	1996-09-27
RuntimeMins	118
RuntimeStr	1h 58min
Plot	A young doctor confronts a famous colleague when he learns about the true methods of his work.
Directors	Michael Apted
Writers	Michael Palmer, Tony Gilroy
Stars	Hugh Grant, Gene Hackman, Sarah Jessica Parker
Produced by	Chris Brigham,Elizabeth Hurley,Jeanney Kim,Andrew Scheinman
Music by	Danny Elfman
Cinematography by	John Bailey
Film Editing by	Rick Shaine
Casting By	John Brace,Linda Lowy
Production Design by	Doug Kraner
Costume Design by	Susan Lyall
Makeup Department	Carol Davidson,William A. Farley,David Fields,Leslie Fuller,Mary-Lou Green-Benvenuti,Carol Marinoff,Donald Mowat,Ron Scott,Gordon J. Smith,Jay McClennen
Production Management	Chris Brigham,Tricia Miles,Denise Pinckley,Marilyn Stonehouse,Heidi Vogel
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director	Bruno Bryniarski,Conrod Ciandre,Cassandra Cronenberg,Kate Eisemann,Tony Gittelson,Amy Lauritsen,Patrick Mangan,Michele Rakich,David Webb,Jim Chad,Kayla Popp
Art Department	Paul D. Austerberry,John Bannister,Daniel William Brown,Paul Brush Jr.,Thomas Carnegie,Nigel Churcher,Brian Clancy,Joe Curtin,Frank Didio,David Evans,Richard Ferbrache,John Flynn,Ian Fraser,Christopher Geggie,Greco,Daniel K. Grosso,Vincent Guarriello,David W. Howell,Karen Kates,Mun Ying Kwun,Jessica Lanier,Glenn Lloyd,Nicholas J. Mongelli Jr.,Nicky Mongelli Sr.,Melissa Morgan,Richard Nelson,Sheri O’Rourke,Denis Perrier,Ron Petagna,Marlene Rain,Caleb Ransom,Dusty Reeves,Karl Shefelman,Cliff Shore,Gordon Sim,Keith Sly,James Sorice,Andrew M. Stearn,David Stein,Robert H. Steiner,Ron Stone,Richard Tenewitz,Margot Therre,Michael Vanderteems,Tom Warren,Ken Watkins,Dave Weinman,Alyssa Winter,Ray Fisher,Peter Legault,Jen Martley
Sound Department	Lou Angelo,Paul Apted,David A. Arnold,Bill Banyai,Craig Berkey,Brad Biggart,James Bolt,David Boulton,David Burk,Ted Caplan,Bruce Carwardine,Christian T. Cooke,Susan Dawes,Linda Di Franco,Teri E. Dorman,Ann Ducommun,John Edwards-Younger,Sean Garnhart,Nerses Gezalyan,Jerelyn J. Harding,Gary A. Hecker,Doug Hemphill,Doug Kent,R.J. Kizer,Dave Kulczycki,Larry Mann,Cindy Marty,Paul Massey,Peter Melnychuk,Tom Nelson,Thomas J. O’Connell,Matt Patterson,Eric Potter,Charleen Richards,Daniel Rosenblum,Greg Steele,Donald Sylvester,Jeffrey Wilhoit,David Lewis Yewdall,Paul J. Zydel
Special Effects by	Warren Appleby,James R. Bilz,Michael Kavanagh,Michael Parmelee,Dawn Rivard,Matt Vogel,Daniel White,Jim Peacock,Jeff Skochko
Visual Effects by	Rob Hodgson,Aisling O’Brien,Chris Watts,Travis Baumann,Robert Chapin,Shannon Blake Gans,Shelly McKnight
Stunts	Bill Anagnos,Dana Bertolette,Peter Bucossi,Cliff Cudney,Norman Douglass,Andy Duppin,Rick Forsayeth,Mickey Giacomazzi,Jery Hewitt,Jamie Jones,Jennifer Lamb,Steve Mack,Todd Schroeder,Manny Siverio,Lonnie R. Smith Jr.,Lynna’ Davis,Jeffrey Eith,Tim Gallin,Donald John Hewitt,Gregg Smrz
Camera and Electrical Department	Phil Abraham,Kevin Alanthwaite,Diana Alvarez,Bob Becchio,David Breeze,Earl Brokenshire,Hugh Brule,Kenny Burke,Ronald Burke,Carlo Campana,Morgan Carpenter,John Clifford,Angelo Colavecchia,Yvonne Collins,Michael J. Delaney,Robert Dolan,Samuel G. Friedman,Michael Galbraith,Julia Gardner-Patsos,Barry Goodwin,Xavier Henselmann,Gábor Kövér,Michael J. Maurer,Michael ‘Flash’ McDonald,Mike Moyer,Christopher Nethercoat,Norman O’Halloran,John Panuccio,Derek Parkes,Phil Pastuhov,Christopher Patak,John Platt,Tom Prate,Takashi Seida,Michael Stone,Randy Tambling,Kris Wood,David J. Woods,Petr Hlinomaz,Roman M. Neubacher
Casting Department	Vicki Cosentino,Tina Gerussi,Barbara Harris,Andra Reeve,Jane Rogers,Claudia Smith,Grant Wilfley,David H. Kramer
Costume and Wardrobe Department	Daniel J. Adkins,Jill E. Anderson,Kim W. Chow,Michael Clancy,Jay Du Boisson,Frank L. Fleming,Kathleen Meade,Jane E. Williams,Lawrence Tarzy
Editorial Department	Doug Caron,Marc Cohen,Mo Henry,Lara Johnston,Sophie Kil,Tia Nolan,Bob Putynkowski,Alain J. Romi,Arthur Schlenger,Eric O. Schusterman,Dylan Shrader
Location Management	Debra Beers,Beth Boigon,Joel Thomas ‘JT’ Camp,Carl I. Johnson,Beverley Kolbe,Isabelle Kostic Crosley,Mark Logan,Jonathan Matthews,Stan Mendoza,Bryan Thomas,Mark Van Holstein,Sam Rohn,Joseph Stephans
Music Department	Rick Baptist,Steve Bartek,Andy Bass,Steve Becknell,Bill Booth,Zachary Cahn,Debbi Datz-Pyle,Jeff DeRosa,Carol Drake,David Duke,Danny Elfman,Fawn,Arlene Fishbach,Jerry Folsom,Sean Garnhart,Marc Gebauer,Zigmund Gron,The Hollywood Studio Symphony,The Hollywood Symphony Orchestra,Tommy Johnson,Artie Kane,Edie Lehmann Boddicker,Jon Lewis,Charlie Loper,David Marquette,Loren Marsteller,Mark McKenzie,Malcolm McNab,Joe Meyer,Todd Miller,Shawn Murphy,Richard Nash,Roy Poper,Bill Reichenbach,John Reynolds,Paul Salamunovich,Ellen Segal,Jay Selvester,Edgardo Simone,Phillip A. Teele,Richard Todd,Dave Washburn,Phillip Yao,Patti Zimmitti,Tom Boyd,James Thatcher
Script and Continuity Department	Kay Chapin
Transportation Department	Pat Deaudrow,Matt Garland,Steven R. Hammond,Jim Kennedy,Eugene O’Neill
Additional Crew	Leon Adair Jr.,Keith Adams,Wendy Altman-Cohen,Ray Angelic,Joane Baptiste,Michelle Bellerose,Richard Brooks Burton,Antonia Calzetti,Matthew Cavaliero,Al Cerullo,Cheryl Compton,John ‘JR’ Craigmile,Debbie Eaton,Horst Ehricht,John B. Finn,Jason A. Fisher,Ellen Goldin,Greg Goossen,Richard Grant,Jennifer Hartley,Joanne Jackson,Jeffery Manko,Marc Mann,Steve McAuliff,Karen McClennan,Shannon McKibbin,Susan Starre McKibbin,Kiersten Pilar Miller,Lois Nalepka,Craig Newman,Phill Norman,Shannon O’Connor,Martin A. Oakes,Rick Parker,Susan Phillips,Elaine Rae,Justine Rae,Matthew Rawley,Holly S. Rymon,John Sauvé,Pasia Schonberg,Bart Schoudel,Karin Smith,W. Ed Stephenson,Nicholas Tabarrok,Stan Wiencko,Terri Williams,Joanna Zorick,Deborah Zwicker,Christine Akrey
Genres	Crime, Drama, Mystery
Companies	Castle Rock Entertainment, Simian Films, Starcraft Services
Countries	UK, USA, Canada
Languages	English
ContentRating	R
ImDbRating	6.2
ImDbRatingVotes	19705
MetacriticRating	56
Keywords	hospital,doctor,neo noir,based on novel,homeless man