3 Key Reasons ‘The Fugitive’ Remains A Runaway Hit
The Scoop features personal essays on movie-centric topics.
By Jeffrey Pohorski
As a youngster, I watched the long-running ‘60s TV series The Fugitive starring David Jansen on our black-and-white TV. It followed the story of Dr. Richard Kimble who is wrongly convicted of murdering his wife but determined to find the real killer after he escapes custody on his way to death row following a trainwreck.
Woven into each episode were the dual pursuits of Lt. Philip Gerard hunting down Kimble and Kimble searching for the real killer, “the one-armed man.” Every episode was a nail-biter as Dr. Kimble would narrowly escape capture. But even more intriguing was how, despite being two steps behind the killer and one ahead of the law, Kimble always found time to help people who were in trouble or needed help. And that made me like him even more.
So when The Fugitive hit the big screen in 1993, I was curious how they would retell the story. What I saw was a film that somehow overcame production troubles to become a well-made and deeply satisfying thriller, and that remains beloved over 30 years later. Here are the three key reasons why.
1. Location, Location, Location
Both the director Andrew Davis and lead actor Harrison Ford chose Chicago as the visual backdrop partly because they are both originally from there, but primarily because of its diverse mix of architecture and verticality of the skyscrapers. It was also convenient to have so many hospitals and medical facilities around, since the underlying B-story was about a Big Pharma drug conspiracy.
Davis artfully used Chicago’s beautiful skyline with aerial shots that make chasing Kimble feel like trying to find a needle in a haystack. The aerials provide needed perspective and movement, dropping you right in the middle of the hunt. Even the dramatic climax is punctuated by sweeping pans of the fight scene atop the Chicago Hilton Hotel.
It’s not easy to sustain a manhunt for two hours, but the editors made it happen. They kept chase scenes interesting by making it clear geographically where the characters are and where they could go. Writers cleverly built constant tension by positioning Kimble near the police or CCTV cameras as you watch him squirm. And when the pursuers got razor close, he dyed his hair, cut his beard, or changed identities to live another day.
2. Improv on Parade
One fortuitous moment came when the filmmakers needed Kimble to once again escape the clutches of Gerard, but with dramatic flair. The Chicago River is dyed green every year for St. Patrick’s Day and thousands of people gather downtown to watch. Davis discovered that Chicago’s St. Patrick’s Day parade was about to take place, and he wanted in.
With the agreement of parade officials, actors and crew were able to insert themselves into the Plumber Union’s segment of the parade. And despite having no rehearsals and only one take, a plan was hatched. Davis hid some cameras in the crowds and had a Steadicam operator follow Harrison Ford, who grabs a random green hat and blends in with unsuspecting participants. Jones eventually loses sight of him as the parade marches on. Not till the very end of the scene did people realize who was marching under their very noses.
3. Day-Of Dialogue
Production began in a whirlwind, with only a bare-bones script available to actors. Harrison Ford was not even given a script during his interrogation to make the scene more genuine. And Tommy Lee Jones as U.S. Marshal Samuel Gerard encouraged his fellow Marshals, including his sidekick played by Joe Pantoliano, to just have fun with their scenes. This resulted in them creating their own dialogue and allowing their natural rapport to flesh out their characters.
In the end, 70% of the dialogue was improvised. And because of the production’s tight deadline, studio meddling, and unfinished script, it became an action film that put characters first. This was especially evident during the most famous exchange in the movie, which Ford and Jones (who would later win Best Supporting Actor for his role) agreed to reduce down from pages of dialogue to just eight words:
KIMBLE: “I didn’t kill my wife!”
GERARD: “I don’t care!”
The improvised dialogue also made for humorous and pithy scenes. In a throwback to the TV series, Kimble diagnoses a child’s illness while hiding in a hospital:
DR. EASTMAN: Hey, do you have a particular interest in our patient’s X-Rays?
KIMBLE: What do you mean?
DR. EASTMAN: I saw you looking at that boy’s chest film.
KIMBLE: It’s a hobby of mine.
DR. EASTMAN: It’s a hobby, really? What are your other hobbies—brain surgery?
While the audience discovers early on, during the trainwreck, that Kimble is the good guy, Jones meanwhile made Girard determined but somehow loveable. Like during a scene with the Marshals:
GERARD: What are you doing?
NEWMAN: I’m thinking.
GERARD: Well, think me up a cup of coffee and a chocolate doughnut with some of those little sprinkles on top, will you, as long as you’re thinking.
And after Kimble jumps off the dam and Gerard wants to keep pursuing him:
BIGGS: Sam, are you out of your mind? He’s dead.
GERARD: That ought to make him easier to catch.
But my favorite line in the movie is when Kimble discovers the one-armed man’s prosthetic limb and telephones Gerard:
KIMBLE: You said, “I don't care.”
GERARD: Yeah... that’s right Richard... I don’t care. I’m not trying to solve a puzzle here.
KIMBLE: Well, I am trying to solve a puzzle. And I just found a big piece! [slams down the phone]
As I watched the end of the movie and remembered all those TV episodes of Kimble getting close to Sykes, the one-armed man, it was satisfying to see Kimble finally taking revenge on the man who murdered his wife. But even as Kimble pummels him in the “L” train scene, he leaves Sykes unconscious but still alive. At the very end Girard realizes Kimble is innocent and closes with these lines:
KIMBLE: They killed my wife.
GERARD: I know it, Richard. But it’s over [pauses and sighs]. You know, I’m glad. I need the rest.
KIMBLE: I thought you said you didn’t care.
GERARD: I don’t. [They begin laughing] Don’t tell anyone, will you?
Ultimately, the dynamic between Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones is what makes The Fugitive more than a cat-and-mouse thriller. It’s what keeps bringing me back to the chase all these years later, and shows us how character-driven action can be both Oscar-worthy (with its seven nominations and one win) and popular escapist entertainment.
Jeffrey Pohorski is the owner of Skunkfilms, Inc. He is a producer, director of photography, and editor of documentaries and features. You can find him at jeff@skunkfilms.com.