Desperate Measures

On the fog shrouded streets of San Francisco a father fights against time to save his gravely ill son. The only compatible donor is a convicted killer who lies in the same hospital, a man who has spent years flouting rules for his own gain. When a chance to escape arises, the inmate uses the medical crisis to manipulate the system and slip free, turning the hospital into a crucible of danger. Corridors become gauntlets as security collapses and every nurse, doctor, and cop must improvise. The father must balance procedure with mercy while the fugitive becomes his son’s possible lifeline, and every decision tightens the trap around them.

Barbet Schroeder directs this 1998 thriller with a screenplay by David Klass based on his own taut premise. The film teams Michael Keaton and Andy Garcia in a high stakes hospital bound chase, supported by Marcia Gay Harden and Brian Cox. The production leans into character driven tension and a claustrophobic sense of peril, rather than big scale action.

The movie carried a 50 million budget and earned roughly 13.8 million worldwide, a modest tally for a star driven thriller. The financial performance sparked discussions about audience appetite for morally complex crime dramas released in the late 1990s.

Critics centered on the moral strain of a father trying to protect his child within a legal and ethical maze. The film examines the boundaries between mercy and duty, and the pressure that emergency situations place on professionals and loved ones alike. Keaton and Garcia give grounded performances, anchoring scenes that mix suspense with emotional turmoil.

Although not a blockbuster, the title contributed to late 90s conversations about medical ethics under crisis and the way urban institutions become stages for power struggles and human frailty. It stands as a compact example of a thriller that marries personal stakes with public danger.