THE FUGITIVE (1993): A 30th Anniversary Retrospective

Davis, who had been building a sturdy action curriculum vitae, was about to hit a mighty hat trick. This was based on a simple formula. Have a solid leading man to pin the story to and for the audience to follow. Then…allow Tommy Lee Jones to have some fun! While The Package (1989) and Under Siege (1992) were solid, The Fugitive would be the game changer.

Davis recalled the first script for the film being “terrible.” Explaining how the script, which had been through nine writers at the time, ended with Jones’ Gerard being the villain of the piece. David told EMPIRE Magazine:

“The script was terrible. Gerard had hired the one-armed man to kill Kimble, after Kimble screwed up an operation on Gerard’s wife. It made no sense. But Harrison had committed to the movie, and his viewpoint was: ‘Hey — we’ll fix the script.’ 70 percent of the dialogue was improvised. Every morning I’d talk the scenes through with the actors, we’d improvise, rehearse, then shoot. The marketing guys came up with [“warehouse, farmhouse, henhouse, outhouse or doghouse”] for Tommy to say in the trailer. It was a great line, so we took it”

The team of dedicated producers including Arnold Kopelson and Peter MacGregor-Scott had great faith in Davis. They allowed him to “shoot from the hip” as and when he desired. One of the most famous sequences from the film was a great indicator of Davis’ independent spirit. As a Chicago native, he had always wanted to shoot a film during the city’s famous St. Patrick’s Day Parade. So, when he got the opportunity to do so while making The Fugitive (without a permit nor permission), he simply sent Ford and Jones into the parade, with cameramen, and filmed as much as he could before Ford started being recognized.

As well as having the faith of the producers, his two leading men also had trust in Davis. Ford had watched Under Siege before signing onto the film. He appreciated it as “a good action adventure.” Further, playing Kimble would allow him to stretch his acting muscles.

Previously, Davis had allowed Jones to effectively steal the show in Under Siege. In the film, he plays the unhinged William Strannix alongside equally unhinged Gary Busey’s Commander Krill. The two perform a great, villainous double-act to offset star Steven Siegel’s ‘stoicism.’ Jones clearly enjoyed working with Davis as a director, and friend, as the two enjoy some great banter on The Fugitive’s DVD commentary.

It’s fair to suggest that Ford and Jones would prefer to be labeled as ‘film actors’ as opposed to ‘movie stars.’ Both have a (unfair?) reputation for being ‘grumpy’ with a dislike for the press and media. Therefore this highly collaborative, straightforward, respectful, and practical approach to film-making meant Davis was truly able to get the best out of his leading men. While the scenes they share are brief (their exchange in the dam tunnel (which cost $2 million in total, worth it), the chase through the federal prison, and the final showdown), they are classic cinema.

The Star

Harrison Ford was coming off a sixteen-year run dating back to Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope in 1977. The Star Wars trilogy (1977-1983). The Indiana Jones trilogy (1981-89). Blade Runner (1982). Witness (1985). Working Girl (1988). Presumed Innocent (1990), and Patriot Games (1992). He was arguably the biggest star in the world, but his performance here is not an ego-driven one. Far from it. Particularly in the first two acts before the Devlin-Macgregor subplot is introduced, Ford’s dialogue is limited.

It could be argued that other more ‘showy’ actors. For example, Alec Baldwin, who was first approached for the role following his turn in The Hunt For Red October (1990), would have demanded the character’s inner monologue be externalized. Less is most definitely more in Ford’s case. Ford’s work here is sublime in its subtlety, and criminally underrated. 

Rewatch the actor’s reactions to the District Attorney playing his wife’s recorded call for his help. Or Kimble being sentenced to the death penalty. The concern that he has for the inmate faking a seizure on the bus. A possible prayer before his dam dive and a police car’s siren sounding as it passes him on a street. This is to name but a few. Even after the opening scenes, Captain Solo and Dr. Jones have long been forgotten.

Ford is not an ‘80s Action Star’ nor is Kimble a superhero. He’s a grieving widower, alone in the world trying to clear his name and find justice for his beloved wife. Davis skillfully mines the audience’s love for Ford and his completely sympathetic hero. However, he still takes care to remind us what a good man he is and we receive cues to this. For example, when he helps (i.e. saves the lives of) complete strangers (the prison guard and little Joe).

All of his decision-making whilst on the run and crime-solving are organic and believable, even raising a smile once in a while. For example, when Kimble decides to shave off his beard. It’s not entirely lost on the audience that he chooses to blend in by looking like a major, handsome, movie star. But, as Davis describes a note from the ex-Warner Bros. Chairman, Bob Daly:

‘I’m paying for Harrison Ford’s face, I want to see Harrison Ford’s face!’”

Finally, a personal favorite Ford moment in the film. After Kimble does catch his wife’s killer, exposes Charles’ betrayal, and has gained Gerard as his ally, Ford sells the ultimate relief with just a look and a little rub of his nose. The audience drops their tense shoulders, and crawls back from the edge of their seat, enjoying a sigh of relief and perhaps allowing themselves a tear. It’s an all-time performance that holds up just as well as the film does. The director describes Ford’s performance as the best of his career.

The Oscar Winner

We all know Harrison Ford is ‘the good guy.’ Therefore, it’s the audience’s natural instinct to see Jones’ Gerard as ‘the bad guy.’ He’s the antagonist to be rooted against. However, in The Fugitive, all players involved make this impossible. During re-writes of the script; Davis made the conscious decision to surround Gerard with a team. Gerard saw himself as a leader, so, as such, he acted accordingly…A strong, protective leader. As an example, he states:

“What can I tell you, Sir, Mr. Copeland was a bad man, he was going to kill one of my kids…well, Sir, blame me…I’m the one that shot him”

From Jones’ entrance, he and Gerard take over the investigation and the film. The audience is spoiled by following the most parallel storylines of the hunted and the hunter. We are rooting for Ford, but enjoy watching Jones. The part fits him like a glove. No-nonsense. High intelligence. Dry wit. Does not suffer fools. Does his job. These descriptions easily fit both Jones and Gerard. Jones’ presence not only greatly enhances the film all-around, but also enhances Ford’s performance as the audience now knows he’s up against a truly worthy adversary. The odds have increased against him considerably.

Gerard arrives in the film fully formed, with no backstory offered or details of his private life. We know all we need to from his actions. He cares deeply about his team and knows what his job is. The audience urges him to follow the trail of breadcrumbs that Kimble is leaving him. And the story steps up a gear when Gerard starts to put pieces together, but we are reminded and shocked when their paths cross at the Chicago Federal Prison.

Kimble is there as he continues to narrow down one-armed suspects, and Gerard is there, after cross-checking one-armed men with criminal records in a truly great piece of storytelling. After a thrilling staircase and hallway pursuit, Kimble is trapped by locked automatic doors. Gerard unleashes lethal force. He shoots to kill. All that saves Kimble is a sheet of bulletproof glass.

Gerard has informed Kimble, and us, the audience, with the film’s most famous quote, that “I don’t care.” Yet we are lulled into a false sense of security that Gerard is now on Kimble’s side as he is investigating one-armed men. But this scene, intense and thrilling as it is, is a wake-up call to everyone: Gerard is still on the job.

Having built up a strong relationship with Davis in their previous films, and with Davis’ collaborative style, the audience benefits from Jones’ freedom to reveal his wit and sense of humor, with some classic exchanges with his team. For example:

And let’s not forget that Tommy Lee Jones won the Academy Award For Best Actor in a Supporting Role. Not hinky at all.

In Conclusion

Of course, there are minor gripes if you wish to look for them. For example, some aspects do date the film – lack of CSI or CCTV, was Kimble worth the manpower to catch? Why did Chuck (the ultimate villain of the piece, played by last-minute replacement Jeroen Krabbe, after original actor Richard Jordan fell ill with a brain tumor) help Richard? Why give Julianne Moore such high billing after the majority of her scenes were cut? How did Kimble pay for new clothes and motel rooms? But we, the audience don’t care, we are enjoying the ride.

The Fugitive is an entertaining, confidently directed, fast-paced, two-hander of a film, all complemented by two stellar, endearing, and loveable performances. Deeper and more character-based than the average thriller, it has cemented its place in pop culture. One last thing:

“All right, listen up, ladies and gentlemen, our fugitive has been on the run for ninety minutes. Average foot speed over uneven ground, barring injuries, is 4 miles per hour. That gives us a radius of six miles. What I want from each and every one of you is a hard-target search of every gas station, residence, warehouse, farmhouse, henhouse, outhouse, and doghouse in that area. Checkpoints go up at fifteen miles. Your fugitive’s name is Dr. Richard Kimble. Go get him”