Dr. Richard Kimble, unjustly accused of murdering his wife, must find the real killer while being the target of a nationwide manhunt led by a seasoned U.S. Marshal. -Synopsis

The studio was not happy with the beard. They figured they paid for the face they wanted to see, so they were concerned about that. -Harrison Ford on his look (in the 1st act of the movie)

I re-watched this movie (released 30 yrs ago this week) recently- it still holds up! It was the 3rd highest-grossing movie in the US in 1993; it was (surprisingly) nominated for MANY awards. There is NOT a lot of dialogue and the story is quite simple, BUT the pacing, build-up of tension, and exciting (and memorable) action scenes keep viewers interested. The focus is mainly on two good guys- Dr. Richard Kimble (Harrison Ford) and the US Marshals lead by Deputy Samuel Gerard (Tommy Lee Jones)- so we want to root for both sides. Ford (who was looking for a challenge) gives an understated performance; however, you see the determination in the hard-set of his jaw and various emotions in his eyes. Remember that in reality, MOST people are trying to hold in their emotions (NOT expressing them openly). Jones has the flashier role (earning him an Oscar as Best Supporting Actor); his character got a spin-off movie- U.S. Marshals. Gerard (a veteran lawman) shows confidence bordering on arrogance, BUT he can also be funny. As we are taken on a cat-and-mouse chase, these two adversaries gain respect for each other.

Dr. Richard Kimble: [Holding Gerard at gunpoint] I didn’t kill my wife!
Deputy Marshal Samuel Gerard: I don’t care!

Andrew Davis (director) convinced the producers to let him shoot (on location) in Chicago; the weather was V cold during the 73-day shoot (which posed challenges). I learned that some of the dialogue was improvised by Ford and Jones. The St. Patrick’s Day parade scene was also improvised; it took several mins. for Ford to be recognized among the crowd. Ford damaged some ligaments in his leg during the scenes in the woods; he refused surgery until the end of filming (so that his character would keep the limp)- ouch! At age 50, Ford is in great shape (as we see in the shirtless scenes where he bandages his wound, then changes into civilian clothes). The supporting players do a good job in this movie: Sela Ward, Joe Pantoliano, Julianne Moore, Jane Lynch, Andreas Katsulas, Jeroen Krabbe, and others. Moore (the young ER doc) had a bigger role; these scenes were filmed/deleted from the final cut. (FYI: If you want to hear more re: Ford’s movies, check out The Fordcast podcast.)