“I didn’t kill my wife!” – Dr. Richard Kimble
“I don’t care!” – Samuel Gerard
It seems crazy that thirty years ago The Fugitive was a frontrunner for awards during the Oscar season of that year. Although only securing one of its seven nominations – Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Tommy Lee Jones’ portrayal of U.S. marshal, Samuel Gerard – it did manage to receive recognition in some of the most prestigious categories, including Best Picture. Looking back at it now it seems like a fun little summer vehicle for its two leading stars, Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones. A cat-and-mouse thriller that isn’t unlike something we’ve seen many times over, but the journey these two men face is what makes The Fugitive a memorable one.
After the brutal death of his wife Helen (Sela Ward), Dr. Richard Kimble (Ford) is considered to be the prime suspect and later convicted of the crimes committed against her and sentenced to death. Whilst in transport to death row, Kimble’s fellow felons hatch a plan to escape, leaving Kimble a fugitive and on the run. But in order for him to clear his name, he’ll have to crack the cold case of the mysterious murder of his wife.
Directed by Andrew Davis of Under Siege (1992) and Collateral Damage (2002) fame, The Fugitive is made better thanks to its leading men. There’s certainly a compelling narrative surrounding it, and the film offers a handful of suspenseful sequences, but its the engaging exchanges between Ford and Jones that gives The Fugitive the gravitas it needs. Whenever the two share the screen it elevates the script and its structure beyond what is ultimately necessary.
What starts as a nationwide manhunt turns into a detective mystery as Kimble tirelessly fights for the facts in order to free himself. Almost every scenario puts Kimble only steps ahead, with heavy pursuit by the police putting him in sticky situations. Davis keeps things tense and whilst it’s easy to string clumsy close-calls together, he does so with coherency to its plot.
The Fugitive still remains a fun and successful suspense thriller to this day. A non-stop chase through the city of Chicago between the law and a man wrongly convicted of murder, with much of the conviction coming from the scene-stealing, dry-witted Jones and a fantastic Ford.
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