The thing about The Fugitive (1993) was it was a perfect example of using the format of adaptation.

For background, The Fugitive was based on a 60s television series where Richard Kimble was on the run for four years, helping people each episode and then escaping Gerard again. The network cut it without a finale, but the writers were invested enough that the producers paid out of pocket to make the grand finale where Kimble and Gerard finally team up, capture the real culprit, and Kimble is finally exonerated. The network had so little faith in it that they aired it in the dump month of August, but it was still the most watched episode in history until its record was broken 15 years later and basically invented television's grand finale. So how do you follow that up in a film format?

You don't.

You make a film about a relentless, nail-biting chase where the protagonist can never let up. You change the chase from steady but wearing to fast and exhausting. When Gerard finally clears Kimble in the end and says "you can stop running", it's not the relief of the original series, the years of running finally coming to an end, but it's relief of its own because of how stressed everything is. You make a film that can stand on its own and yet still convey the same emotions as the original.

Now it was a small miracle it turned out good at all, the production was a nightmare, but I have no shortage of admiration for that sort of adaptation. Not copying plots one to one, but using the medium rather than awkwardly working around it.

My new favourite thing is finding pictures of characters in suits (or something like suits) so they can be the Bugs Bunny meme

bonus:

"All right, listen up, Ladies and Gentlemen, our fugitive has been on the run for ninety minutes. Average foot speed over uneven ground, barring injuries, is 4 miles per hour. That gives us a radius of six miles. What I want from each and every one of you is a hard-target search of every gas station, residence, warehouse, farmhouse, henhouse, outhouse and doghouse in that area. Checkpoints go up at fifteen miles. Your fugitive's name is Dr. Richard Kimble. Go get him."

Happy 30th Anniversary to The Fugitive

August 6th 1993-August 6th 2023

i did this a hot second ago but it’s genuinely my favorite piece I did over the summer

i was hoping to do a sam gerard to compliment him but!! haven’t gotten around to it yet. maybe sometime when the fugitive brainrot kicks in full gear again

anyway, here’s doctor kimble !

"THE FUGITIVE" (1993) Review

"THE FUGITIVE" (1993) Review

During a period between the late 1980s and the 2000s, Hollywood released a good number of film adaptations of successful or not-so-successful television shows. This is ironic, considering the television industry tend to do the opposite. One of those film adaptations of TV shows happened to be the 1993 action thriller, "THE FUGITIVE".

Based on the ABC 1963-1967 television series that starred David Janssen, "THE FUGITIVE" told the story of prominent Chicago vascular surgeon Dr. Richard Kimble, who is accused and convicted of murdering his wealthy wife. The movie began with Kimble arriving home from a fund-raising event and later, a surgery, to find his wife murdered. He then struggled with her killer, a one-arm man who yet to make his escape. Despite his efforts to inform the Chicago Police about the one-arm man, the latter charged Kimble with his wife's murder. Following his conviction and death sentence, Kimble found himself being transported to prison on a bus. A few of Kimble's fellow prisoners attempted an escape. In the pandemonium, two prisoners and the driver were killed; and the bus rolled down a ravine and into the path of an oncoming train. Kimble saved a guard, escaped the on-coming collision, and fled as the train derailed. Hours later, U.S. Deputy Marshal Samuel Gerard and his colleagues arrived at the crash site and launched a massive manhunt that started in the Illinois countryside ended up back in Chicago. Upon his arrival in the city, Kimble started his own manhunt for his wife's one-arm killer.

I have never seen the 1963-1967 series that starred David Janssen. But I have heard and read so much about it over the years. I am aware of a few differences between the series and the movie. Whereas the latter began with Helen Kimble's death, the television series began with Kimble already on the run for six months. Sam Gerard was a U.S. Marshal in the film. Philip Gerard was a local police detective, obsessed with finding Kimble. Which made me wonder how he was able to track Kimble all over the country for four years without losing his job. The television series featured members of both Kimble and Gerard's families, whereas the movie only featured the pair's colleagues - past and present. And so on.

After years of watching movies, I came to the realization that I have never seen a perfect movie. "THE FUGITIVE" was certainly not one. As much as I like the Richard Kimble character, there were times when he came off as a little too ideal for my taste. He came dangerously close to being a Gary Stu - especially in those scenes featuring Gerard and his team's interrogations of Kimble's old medical colleagues. How can I put this? The Richard Kimble character struck me as so ideal that in the end, he did not really develop as a character. How could he? He seemed so perfect from beginning to the end. Unlike his television counterpart, the cinematic Kimble was also blessed with a happy marriage before her death. Kimble's counterpart was the U.S. Marshal Sam Gerard. Unlike Kimble, Gerard proved to be a more complex character who possessed a ruthless streak that bordered on brutality sometimes. Especially when it came to the welfare of the deputy marshals assigned to his team. He also possessed a sharp wit that blended with sarcasm. But like Kimble, Gerard also possessed an unrelenting steak that leads him to maintain focused on his goal. And like Kimble, Gerard never really developed as a character. Now many might find my last observation hard to swallow, considering that Gerard realized that Kimble was an innocent man. So what if Gerard had finally realized that Kimble was innocent? He was never the investigator for the Kimble case in the first place. Gerard's task was to simply hunt down Kimble, who was a fugitive of the law, and return him to jail. Which he did in the end. Only he learned that Kimble was an innocent man along the way. But this discovery did not change or develop his character. After all, it was up to the Chicago Police to realize Kimble was innocent. Yet, the two original police investigators had refused to acknowledge Kimble's innocence and their mistake right up to the bitter end.

Also, a part of me wondered whether Richard Kimble or his wife Helen had relatives in Chicago. My one last complaint about "THE FUGITIVE" centered around at least two action sequences. One involved the collision between the prison bus conveying Kimble and a freight train. I was amazed that so many of the occupants inside that bus managed to survive, especially Kimble who had lingered inside longer to care for a wounded prison guard. The other action sequence that left me scratching my head was Kimble's swan dive from a dam spillover. Perhaps it was plausible for him to survive such a dive. Unfortunately, I cannot see that happening . . . even to this day. I wish that screenwriters Jeb Stuart and David Twohy, along with Andrew Davies, had used another way for Kimble to evade Gerard. Something a bit more plausible.

For a movie based on an old television series from the 1960s, "THE FUGITIVE" proved to be first-rate. That is correct. I enjoyed this film very much. In fact, I more than enjoyed it. I thought Stuart, Twohy and Davies had created a very satisfying movie filled with top-notch action, a solid mystery involving the killer's identity, intelligence and deep emotion.

Although I believed the sequences featuring the prison bus/train collision and Kimble's leap from a dam spillover bordered on the implausibility, I certainly had no problems with the film's other action sequences. In fact, I especially enjoyed three in particular - the chase sequence through downtown Chicago on St. Patrick's Day, Kimble's encounter with the one-arm man aboard a Chicago El-train and especially the final sequence that featured both Kimble and Gerard's confrontation with the real culprit behind Helen Kimble's murder. Andrew Davis did a great job in directing these sequences, filling them with breathless tension.

The 1960s television series had mainly focused on Kimble evading the police and finding the one-arm man's whereabouts. I had no problems with this. Once the cinematic Kimble had made his way back to Chicago, he started off doing the same. But thanks to screenwriters Jeb Stuart and David Twohy, the film featured an additional twist that allowed the one-armed killer to be a part of a bigger conspiracy involving a pharmaceutical company and new drug called Provasic that Kimble had failed to approve, because it caused liver damage. During Kimble's search for the one-armed man and his investigation of the mystery behind his false conviction, I felt pleased that the movie also delved into his continuing grief over his wife's death via flashbacks. These brief moments reminded audiences that Kimble was more than an action man trying to prove his innocence. He was a man still grieving over the death of his wife. Another aspect of "THE FUGITIVE" was its portrayal of Tommy Lee Jones and his team of U.S. Marshals. Unlike the ABC series, which almost portrayed the Philip Gerard character as a modern version of Inspector Javert of "LES MISERABLES" in Les Misérables - relentless and obsessive in pursuit of his prey; U.S. Marshal Sam Gerard seemed to lack the obsession of his television and literary counterparts. Which I personally found refreshing. Well, Gerard is relentless in this film, but only in a cool and professional manner. And thanks to Stuart and Twohy's screenplay, along with Tommy Lee Jones' performance, Gerard conducted his assignment with a dry and sarcastic wit.

I might as well discuss the cast's performances. What can I say? There did not seemed to be a false step among any of them. The movie boasted some first-rate supporting performances from the likes of Ron Dean, Joseph Kosala, Nick Searcy, Eddie Bo Smith, Dick Cusack, David Darlow, Kirsten Nelson, Neil Flynn, Andy Romano and Richard Riehle. This movie marked the first time I saw Julianne Moore in any motion picture, and I thought she gave a sharp performance as a hospital physician nearly overwhelmed by a crisis. Both Jane Lynch and John M. Watson Sr. seemed equally sharp as two of Kimble's colleagues and closest friends. In her few scenes, Sela Ward radiated warmth and wit as Kimble's loving wife and murder victim, Helen Kimble. It seemed a pity that she was not featured in more scenes. Andreas Katsulas gave an intelligent, yet sinister performance as Fredrick Sykes aka the One-Arm Man and Helen Kimble's killer. Jeroen Krabbé portrayed another one of Kimble's friends and colleagues, Dr. Charles Nichols, who also believed in the former's innocence. Krabbé injected a "proud father" aura in his performance, as he needled the U.S. Marshals for their failure to capture Kimble and come to the realization of the latter's innocence. I found this aspect of Krabbé's performance very subtle and very entertaining. For me, one of the most entertaining aspects of "THE FUGITIVE" proved to be those who portrayed the deputy marshals who formed Gerard's team. I am referring to L. Scott Caldwell, Daniel Roebuck, Tom Wood, Johnny Lee Davenport and especially Joe Pantoliano. Not only did I enjoy the wit and humor that permeated their interactions with each other, but I also enjoyed their interactions with Tommy Lee Jones' Gerard. In fact, Jones and Pantoliano's scenes proved to be so funny that it seemed as if they had created some kind of comedy team.

I realized I had been a little critical of the Dr. Richard Kimble and U.S. Deputy Marshal Sam Gerard characters. And I stand by my criticism. But I cannot do the same about the two actors that portrayed them. I believe Harrison Ford gave one of his career best performances as the beleaguered surgeon who found himself convicted of murdering his wife. Ford did an excellent job of conveying not only Kimble's grief over his wife's death, but also his desperation to evade the police and U.S. marshals searching for him, and the character's intelligence, while he investigates the one-arm man and the latter's motive behind Helen's death. Sam Gerard seemed like a different kettle of fish in compared to Richard Kimble and Tommy Lee Jones' portrayal of the colorful lawman proved to be one of the film's highlights. Jones managed to infuse a great deal of energy into Gerard's determined search for Kimble, without transforming the character into a copycat of the Javert character from "Les Misérables". Jones' Gerard is a tough and no-nonsense man who would ruthlessly defend members of his team and his slightly extreme form of law enforcement. I am not surprised that Jones managed to snag both acting nominations and awards for his portrayal of Gerard. However, I am astounded that Ford was never nominated.

One can tell how good a movie after so many years had passed. Twenty-nine years have passed since the release of "THE FUGITIVE". It might have a few flaws, but I believe it still holds up after so long. I also believe the movie proved to be just as superb as the 1960s television series it was based on. One can thank Andrew Davis for his energetic and intelligent direction, Jeb Stuart and David Twohy's excellent screenplay; and the superb cast led by Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones.

Mellpen’s Hidden Gems 2022

I watched 24 movies during July, August, and September of 2022, and these are my top picks:

July - Master & Commander (2003) August - The Fugitive (1993) September - Roman Holiday (1953)

Part 3 of 5

honestly one of my favorite fics I've written for an excellent movie i must have seen a million times

"Put that gun down. Put that gun down, now!"

-The fugitive,1993. Drawing: THE GREATEST SHOWDOWNS by Scott. C

And in "free youtube movies" day....The Fugitive!

Anyway, great acting, great tension, very clever writing, but man if this was made in modern times ********* wouldn't have bothered with his evil plan at all. All he'd need to do is factor the fines for killing people into the cost-benefit plan and the company would just shrug and sell it anyway.

Did I just spend one hour on this? Yes

Did I completely restart twice? Yes

Is it currently 6 am? Yes

Was it totally fuckin worth it?

You be the judge.

But yeah this was so worth it because I now finally have a drawing of helmet-less Ash that I'm finally happy with. Also yes their left hand is a knife, because their left arm and leg are mechanical. Just like The Fugitive, my favorite Harrison Ford movie I love the fugitive everyone should watch the fugitive go watch the fugitive I love the fugitive go watch the fugitive-

Little boy Bruce Wayne dragging his parents Martha and Thomas to see 1993’s The Last Action Hero, not knowing what would lie in store for them…

David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson in The X Files (1993) Tempus Fugit

S4E17

Mulder and Scully get involved in the investigation of a commercial airliner crash that had among its passengers a well-known alien abductee, Max Fenig. One survivor is found at the crash site and Scully is quick to notice that he is suffering from radiation burns. Mulder also notices there is a nine minute gap between the time the authorities say the plane crashed and the time found on the watches of several of the dead passengers. The government official in charge of the crash investigation, Mike Millar, scoffs at Mulder's other-worldly explanation of the crash and that it involved an encounter with a UFO. He begins to change his view when he can't explain some of the physical evidence.

*"Tempus fugit" is Latin for "Time flies."

Best Harrison Ford movies and performances:

1. The Empire Strikes Back - Irvin Kershner (1980)

2. Raiders of the Lost Ark - Steven Spielberg (1981)

3. Return of the Jedi - Richard Marquand (1983)

4. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade - Steven Spielberg (1989)

5. Blade Runner - Ridley Scott (1982)

6. The Fugitive - Andrew Davis (1993)

Friend and Stranger: Kimble/Gerard

I think I saw The Fugitive in the cinema when it first came out, 1993-1994, and enjoyed it. Back in April 2001, I'd just moved 500 miles to a new job and I was out of touch with a lot of people and I wasn't in the mood for socialising when I came home, and one evening I came home and switched on the TV and it was showing The Fugitive. I slipped a tape in the videorecorder (that's how long ago this was) and started recording the movie, because I planned to have it on in the background while I was making supper, feeding the cats, that kind of thing. I didn't plan to keep the tape. I did keep the tape. For months. I watched the movie, I watched the intensity of feeling between hunter and hunted, and I wanted to write a slash story, but throughout most of the movie, whenever they are in the same place at the same time, Kimble is running and Gerard is pursuing. The one time they're close enough to touch, standing still, and entirely alone, well "The guy did a Peter Pan right off of this dam, right here!"

And I wrote this story. I wrote this story because I loved every moment of Gerard's pursuit of Kimble, from "Go get him!" to that ice-pack for Kimble's hands at the end.

I wanted Kimble and Gerard to meet again:

Your fugitive’s name is – Gerard smiled. “Richard,” he said, casually pausing by the seat.

Doctor Kimble’s head snapped up and he stared at Gerard. What I want out of each and every one of you is a hard target search of every hiding place in that area. Go get him. Gerard wondered what the man was hearing. Remember, opera ain’t over till the Big Dog howls. All he’d known about this man then was a bearded face in a faxed photo and an empty set of leg-irons.

Gerard’s sense of humour had, he was unregretfully aware, got him into trouble a few times. But sometimes a joke went too far. There had been a look of panic in Doctor Kimble’s eyes, and Gerard was relieved to see it transmute into a scowl.

“Sorry, sir,” Gerard murmured, passing on. He had stopped for less than a minute. He had known Doctor Richard Kimble as quarry and puzzle for only five days. He’d thought about him since, but five days was hardly long enough to insist on an acquaintance.

One of my Things in fanfic is when a person who is accustomed to privilege, to having people listen and defer, abruptly has that privilege removed and is interacting with people on a completely different level. Richard Kimble went from being a respected, wealthy surgeon to being a captive, a felon, and a fugitive.

“What’s more, you could not believe that you were in a situation where no one would believe a word you said. Doctor Richard Kimble.” [Gerard] gave a curious, sarcastic emphasis to Doctor. “And where’d you get that crap lawyer?” Throughout the movie, whenever Gerard speaks to Kimble, he uses "Richard" - which struck me especially in the Chicago lock-up when Gerard sees Kimble going down stairs while he is climbing the stairs in the other direction and Gerard recognises him from that one glimpse of his back view. He’d had nightmares like this – too much like this: alone and believing himself safe, someone saying Richard, and looking up to see Deputy Marshal Gerard looming over him, with that tight-lipped, arrogant grin set on his face.

Throughout the movie we keep getting this sudden POV changes from Kimble to Gerard. I wanted to write this sequel to the movie with that same kind of effect, I wanted to transmute those intense feelings they had for each other as hunter and hunted into something more intimate and just as personal.

I had to think of something with an emotional impact on both their lives to bring them together, given the circumstances under which they'd originally met. What I came up with melds fact and fiction, the death penalty in Illinois and the death of a canon character, and yes, they do, of course, have sex. I researched the death penalty. Because in my story Richard Kimble is opposed to the death penalty, Sam Gerard had to be for it, and therefore I wrote, coming from Gerard's mouth, a sustained and passionate defence of the death penalty, which I didn't agree with and still don't - but I knew Gerard did. The story ended. I finished it and sent it out to be beta-read and got first responses back and got home from work on a Monday night in September, looked through my notes and the beta-reader's notes and decided, all else being equal, I would start the satisfying process of editing "Friend and Stranger" the next day. The next day was Tuesday 11th September 2001 and I didn't do anything with any fanfic for quite a while. I did, eventually, finish editing "Friend and Stranger" and I even wrote a sequel, since "Friend and Stranger" ended, unavoidably in my view, not cosily but with the costly and fruitful tension of opposites.

I messed around with Kimble and Gerard one more time purely for fun, but I still see Friend and Stranger / No Dreams, No Waking as the story I wrote from the movie, not the only story that could be written of course, but the only story I could write - and except for those kind of fannish games, I've never been tempted to write another story.