The Fugitive (film)

## *The Fugitive*

***The Fugitive*** is a 1993 film directed by Andrew Davis, based upon the television series of the same name. The film stars Harrison Ford as Dr. Richard Kimble, who is wrongfully convicted of his wife's murder and sets out to prove his innocence after escaping, while being pursued by U.S. Marshal Samuel Gerard, played by Tommy Lee Jones.

The film was followed by a spin-off, *U.S. Marshals*, with Jones reprising his role.

## Plot

In Chicago, following a hospital fundraiser, Helen Kimble is found murdered and her husband, vascular surgeon Richard Kimble, is questioned by police.

Kimble claims that the murderer was a one-armed man, with whom he engaged in a brief struggle. However, the police suppose that Kimble murdered her to benefit from Helen's life insurance as the sole beneficiary.

Kimble is charged with the murder and sentenced to death, due mostly to no signs of forced entry, Kimble's fingerprints being present on his gun, and a possibly incriminating 9-1-1 call made by the delirious dying Helen.

While being transported to prison, Kimble's fellow prisoners stage an escape, causing the driver to be shot and the bus to crash, landing on railroad tracks. One of the guards frees Kimble so he can administer medical treatment, but as a train approaches, the guard and surviving prisoner exit the bus, forcing Kimble to escape on his own. The train crashes into the bus, causing it to de-rail and Kimble escapes the wreckage.

U.S. Marshals, including Samuel Gerard, arrive at the scene of the wreck. The surviving guard gives a bogus story to the sheriff, stating his belief that none of the inmates survived, including Kimble. Gerard expresses his doubt and takes over the case. When empty shackles are found, the guard then states that Kimble may indeed have made it out. Gerard then orders an extensive search for Kimble.

Kimble finds clothing to replace his prison garments as the search party discovers a blood trail and a wounded guard from the crash is found. Kimble then sneaks into a hospital to treat his own wounds and shave his beard just as the hospital is given information about him. He has a close call with a deputy as he leaves and witnesses the wounded guard being taken inside. He then escapes, stealing an ambulance.

The Marshals progress their investigation and are informed of Kimble being sighted at the hospital and the absence of an ambulance, which is soon spotted on the road and the authorities give chase. They corner him in a tunnel and Kimble enters a storm drain, Gerard quickly realizes this and the Marshals chase him into the sewer. After Gerard slips, dropping his gun, Kimble finds it and tells Gerard that he did not kill his wife. Gerard – possessing a second gun – pursues Kimble to the sewer's deposit at a dam and orders Kimble to surrender. Kimble lays down the gun and leaps into the waters below.

Gerard orders a search for Kimble, his fellow authorities unconvinced that he survived the jump. A shaken Kimble reaches land and continues to run, but soon collapses from exhaustion. As he sleeps, he dreams of his wife, her murder, and his struggle with the one-armed man. Upon reaching civilization, Kimble dyes his hair and is picked up by a driver who finds him walking alongside the road.

The Marshals discover the whereabouts of an inmate that survived the train wreck, but Gerard kills him when he holds another Marshal hostage, later stating that he does not bargain.

Kimble calls his lawyer from Chicago (though telling him St. Louis), asking for help, but his lawyer implores him to give up. The Marshals receive a recording of this call and determine him to have called from Chicago.

Kimble encounters his friend and colleague, Dr. Charles Nichols and is given money by him, but escapes once again as he hears police nearby.

The Marshals speak with the Chicago Police who investigated Helen's murder, doubting their supposition that he killed for the insurance money, since he was already wealthy.

Kimble rents a basement apartment as the police are given an A.P.B. on him. He then makes his way to the hospital to search their records for anyone who had their prosthetic arm serviced soon after his wife's murder.

The Marshals talk to Nichols, who tells them of his encounter with Kimble earlier, but he does not offer them help, telling them that Kimble is innocent.

As Kimble searches for the one-armed man, the Marshals interview his colleagues – who all believe him to be innocent – and investigate the Kimble home. The authorities reach the building he is staying in, but are actually there to arrest the owner's son and another man.

Posing as a janitor, Kimble searches the computer records for the one-armed man and prints off his results.

The Marshals investigate Kimble's temporary residence as Kimble helps a child in the hospital's emergency room. A surgeon confronts him and he runs as the Marshals reach the hospital. Gerard then surmises that Kimble came to the hospital in search of the one-armed man.

Kimble makes phone calls in search of the one-armed man as the Marshals do their own search for him through the hospital records. Following up on a lead, Kimble goes to the prison to speak with the one-armed Clive Driscoll, who is not the man he is searching for. Gerard, having accurately predicted that Kimble would be there, spots him on a stairwell and pursues him into a St. Patrick's Day parade, where Kimble blends into the crowd and manages to make a getaway.

Kimble continues his search, breaking into the residence of former police officer Fredrick Sykes, determining him to be his wife's killer. He discovers that Sykes is employed by the pharmaceutical company Devlin MacGregor.

Kimble calls the Marshals, who trace his phone call. He announces to them that he has found a "big piece" to the puzzle of his wife's murder. The Marshals reach Sykes' home and question him and he claims to have an alibi for the night of the killing and confirms to them his employment in security for Devlin MacGregor.

Kimble calls Nichols, telling him of his findings, believing Devlin MacGregor wanted him killed because he determined that their drug, RDU-90, was causing liver damage. Kimble states that the drug's development was being overseen by Lentz, who Nichols says has been dead since the previous summer.

The Marshals speak to Nichols about a photo of Sykes and Lentz, who claims to not know either of them. Kimble then retrieves records on the development of RDU-90 as the Marshals search for more information about Lentz and his possible connection to Kimble.

Kimble's colleague, Dr. Kathy Wahlund, finds that Lentz allegedly approved the tissue samples for RDU-90 the exact day he died, prompting Kimble to search for Nichols. The Marshals determine that the release of the samples were authorized by Nichols. Meanwhile, Sykes follows Kimble.

The Marshals investigate further and find that Kimble called Sykes from his car phone the night of Helen's murder. They then receive a report that Sykes is absent.

Aboard a train, on his way to confront Nichols, Kimble is spotted by a citizen and is confronted by Sykes, who carries a gun. A police officer on the train steps into the car, but is shot and killed by Sykes. Kimble pulls the train's emergency stop and manages to subdue Sykes before escaping.

Kimble reaches the conference where Nichols is the keynote speaker, with the authorities on his tail. Nichols speaks of RDU-90, stating it to be completely devoid of harmful side effects. Kimble confronts him, exposing Nichols' conspiracy.

Kimble follows Nichols out of the conference and the two fight, but the Chicago police fire upon him as they reach the roof. Gerard follows and order the police to hold their fire. Kimble and Nichols fall through a skylight onto an elevator and the Marshals go to the fifth floor, where the elevator was stopped.

Gerard calls for Kimble to give up, revealing that he knows of Nichols' conspiracy and Kimble's innocence. Kimble subdues Nichols as Gerard reaches them.

The press learns of the truth as Kimble is escorted out of the hotel by Gerard and Sykes is taken into custody.

## Cast

* Harrison Ford as Dr. Richard Kimble
* Tommy Lee Jones as Samuel Gerard
* Sela Ward as Helen Kimble
* Julianne Moore as Dr. Anne Eastman
* Joe Pantoliano as Cosmo Renfro
* Andreas Katsulas as Sykes
* Jeroen Krabbe as Dr. Charles Nichols
* Daniel Roebuck as Biggs
* L. Scott Caldwell as Poole
* Tom Wood as Newman
* Ron Dean as Detective Kelly
* Joseph Kosala as Detective Rosetti
* Miguel Nino as Chicago Cop #1
* John Drummond as Newscaster
* Tony Fosco as Chicago Cop #2
* Joseph F. Fisher as Otto Sloan
* James Liautuad as Paul
* David Darlow as Dr. Lentz
* Tom Galouzis M.D. as Surgeon
* James F. McKinsey M.D. as Surgeon
* Mark D. Espinoza as Resident
* John E. Ellis as Anesthesiologist
* Gene Barge as 11th District Cop
* Thomas C. Simmons as 11th District Cop
* Joseph Guzaldo as Prosecutor
* Dick Cusack as Walter Sutherie
* Nick Kusenko as Assitant Defense Attorney
* Joan Kohn as Asst. Prosecuting Attorney
* Joe D. Lauck as Forensic Tehnician
* Joseph V. Guastaferro as Coroner
* Andy Romano as Judge Bennett
* Richard Riehle as Old Guard
* Thom Vernon as Carlson
* Ken Moreno as Partida
* Eddie "Bo" Smith, Jr. as Copeland
* Frank Ray Perilli as Jail Officer
* Otis Wilson as Jail Officer
* Pancho Demmings as Young Guard
* Jim Wilkey as Bus Driver
* Danny Goldberg as Head Illinois State Trooper
* Nick Searcy as Sheriff Rawlins
* Kevin Crowley as State Trooper
* Michael James as Head Welder
* Michael Skewes as Highway Patrolman
* Ila Cathleen Stallings as Duty Nurse
* Linda Casaletto as Rural Hospital Nurse
* Cody Glenn as Paramedic
* Cynthia Baker as Woman in Car
* Johnny Lee Davenport as Marshal Henry
* Mike Bacarella as Marshal Stevens
* Bill Cusack as Tracing Technician
* David Hodges as Marshal David
* Lillie Richardson as Copeland's Girlfriend
* Peter J. Caria IV as Billy
* Tighe Barry as Windshield Washer
* Monika Chabrowski as Polish Landlady
* Lonnie Sima as Landlady's Son
* Oksana Fedunyszyn as Myoelectric Receptionist
* Orlando Garcia as Desmondo
* Afram Bill Williams as Salesman
* Bruce L. Gewertz M.D. as Dr. Bruce
* Jane Lynch as Doctor Kathy Wahlund
* Joseph Rotkvich as Officer Joseph
* Steven Lilovich as Officer Steve
* Noelle Bou-Sliman as Myoelectric Technician
* Roxanne Roberts as Trauma Doctor
* Alex Hernandez as Trauma Doctor
* Theron Touche Lykes as Orderly
* Joel Robinson as Boy Patient
* Greg Holliman as Skating Orderly
* Cheryl Lynn Bruce as O.R. Doctor
* Marie Ware as Nurse Gladys
* Bernard McGee as Man
* Ann Whitney as Myoelectric Director
* Lily Monkus as Desk Clerk
* Willie Lucas as Desk Clerk
* Turk Muller as Clearing Officer
* Ann Maria Alvarez as La Cubana
* Eugene F. Crededio as Visitation Guard
* Maurice Person as Clive Driscoll
* Terry Hard as Officer Hormel
* Pam Zekman as Newscaster
* David Pasquesi as Newscaster
* Brent Shaphren as Doctor at Bar
* Stephen A. Landsman as Doctor at Bar
* B.J. Jones as Doctor at Bar
* Drucilla A. Carlson as Gerard's Secretary
* Margaret Moore as Nichols' Assistant
* Manny Lopez as Seminar Doctor
* John M. Watson, Sr. as Bones Roosevelt
* Kirsten Nelson as Betty
* Juan A. Ramirez as Man on "El"
* Neil Flynn as Transit Cop
* Allen Hamilton as Host
* Eric Fudala as Hotel Security Guard
* Lester Holt as Newscaster
* Jey Levine as Newscaster