Together, this unlikely pair face impossible odds as they battle the entire medical establishment and time itself to find a cure before its too late. [15], Richard Corliss of Time magazine wrote: "Fraser keeps the story anchored in reality. Sadly, it all adds up to an extraordinary bore. Pop culture obsessives writing for the pop culture obsessed. Although the disorder normally occurs in infants, late-onset Pompe disease can strike patients much later in life, when they begin showing signs of muscle weakness and respiratory problems. A scene in "Extraordinary Measures" shows how the family characteristically handled the situation, with humor. Finally knowing was a huge relief, she says. As time is running short, Stonehill's angry outburst hinders the company's faith in him, and the profit motive may upend John's hopes. But even with Ford, Extraordinary Measures reads like little more than a dramatized timeline. A drama centered on the efforts of John and Aileen Crowley to find a researcher who might have a cure for their two children's rare genetic disorder.A drama centered on the efforts of John and Aileen Crowley to find a researcher who might have a cure for their two children's rare genetic disorder.A drama centered on the efforts of John and Aileen Crowley to find a researcher who might have a cure for their two children's rare genetic disorder. The small start-up company Priozyme was based on Oklahoma City-based Novazyme. Fraser has little to do but look angsty and determined; Keri Russell, as his wife, is an afterthought. Extraordinary Measures would seem to have everything going for it: A touching story (based on the best-selling book The Cure) inspired by true events about a father's great lengths to save his . We have approved almost $2 million this year extraordinary measures. In 2000, despite having limited experience in the medical world, he traveled the globe, consulting experts in the field. Details have been dramatized for Extraordinary Measures. The movie focuses on the struggle of John, his family and the scientists he worked with to develop a treatment, says Byrne. 2010. Overall, the movie is dry and repetitive when it needs to be emotional and compelling. The "suggestive moment" involves a very brief scene when the Crowleys' personal nurse interrupts them during a moment of intimacy; though nothing is shown and it's intended for laughs, it's completely extraneous. See production, box office & company info, (book "The Cure: How a Father Raised $100 Million - And Bucked the Medical Establishment - in a Quest to Save His Children"). Truth is often more compelling than fiction, and filmgoers love a heartfelt human interest story, but true stories don't automatically make great movies. When we find out that reversal of what could be considered permanent damage is possible, that is extremely encouraging. In real life, Megan's reaction was more low-key. Now, patients who are given the drug at birth have dramatically improved muscle control and a much longer life expectancy. Meredith Droeger does too: as the Crowleys' afflicted daughter, she's a smart little bundle of fighting spirit. 2009 - October: The film was set to Completed status. By making Megan Crowley ( Meredith Droeger) a wise and cheerful 9-year old, "Extraordinary Measures" improves her as a story element. Harrison Ford and Brendan Fraser star in this true story of the power of love and faith against impossible odds. Also starring Kerri Russell, Extraordinary Measures is a true story of the power of love and faith against impossible odds. Mediocre medical drama is too heavy for young viewers. A decade ago, UF molecular geneticist Barry Byrne was just beginning to develop methods for transferring missing genes into people with Pompe disease, a rare form of muscular dystrophy. Fate and determination push idealistic father, John Crowley (Brendan Fraser) into joining forces with reclusive medical researcher, Dr. Robert Stonehill (Harrison Ford). Also starring Golden Globe winner Kerri Russell, Extraordinary Measures is a true story of the power of love and faith against impossible odds. 1h 46m. He quits his successful job and moves his family to go into business with Stonehill, building a chance for a cure. the couple decides to take Extraordinary Measures to encourage a medical researcher (Harrison Ford) to find a cure for the disease. "Not once, during all our visits to the hospital or meetings with financiers, scientists and drug companies, did we imagine that a movie would be made about our lives.". The movie also fails to effectively tug on our heartstrings. I recently had the pleasure of renting a DVD copy of the based on true events drama Extraordinary Measures (2010), in which Harrison Ford turns out a very dramatic and moving role (didn't you guys wonder where he went after Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull?). Copyright 2023 What keeps people from "getting their hands dirty" and changing the world? [8] Novazyme was developing a protein therapeutic, with several biological patents pending, to treat Pompe Disease, when it was bought by Genzyme. In Extraordinary Measures, Ford manages to keep some of that wry rebellious Indiana Jones energy as he plays Dr. Robert Stonehill, a fringe researcher whose findings just might help keep alive the two children of John Crowley, played with heart and sobriety by Brendan Fraser. That vector is the adeno-associated virus, or AAV, that most humans already carry. In a first-in-humans gene therapy for neuromuscular disease, clinical scientists led by Byrne will infect cells of Pompe patients with the genetic machinery they have been missing since birth. Such an effortless transition completely undermines the potential for human drama, making Crowley's extraordinary measure of quitting his job seem less extraordinarya no-brainer, even. For financial measures taken when the U.S. nears the debt ceiling, see, United States debt ceiling Extraordinary measures, "On the 'Crowley' set: Boredom, action and a bit of politics", "Desperate Father's Plea to a Detached Scientist", "Proprietary Glycoprotein Technology Platform Will Advance Lysosomal Storage Disorder Programs", "Extraordinary Measures: Sentiment Makes a Comeback", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Extraordinary_Measures&oldid=1133965021, Films with screenplays by Robert Nelson Jacobs, Short description is different from Wikidata, Rotten Tomatoes template using name parameter, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 16 January 2023, at 09:56. "But I had a lot of confidence in my husband. Conversely, the story of the Tuohy family's adoption of budding football star Michael Oher doesn't seem very flashy, but The Blind Side deeply resonated with audiences. Their organs grossly enlarged because of the increased strain shrank to regular size. We host the largest International Research Congress on FSHD and build funding alliances aimed at targeting and eliminating common obstacles extraordinary measures. Extraordinary Measures would seem to have everything going for it: A touching story (based on the best-selling book The Cure) inspired by true events about a father's great lengths to save his kids' lives. Stonehill generally explains the basics of Pompe disease and his experimental cure, but the viewer is always kept at a distance from the drama of the research itself. The true story of Barry Byrne's efforts to cure Pompe disease is even more compelling than the movie. ReadMore , An aspect that is often overlooked during drug development is a cost-benefit analysis of a therapeutic treatment. For Pompe disease, the general therapy involving intravenous infusions helps slow the progression, but we want to give it a hand. This community participates in surveys, testifies before the FDA, and serves on biopharmaceutical advisory groups. As the first feature from the newly formed CBS Films, Extraordinary Measures feels like a TV movie that happens to star Fraser and Fordneither actor distinguishes himself here. John and his wife, Aileen, have two children, age 6 and 8, with a deadly genetic muscle disease called Pompe. Inspired by the book The Cure by Pulitzer Prize Winning Writer Greeta Anand. Studies have given us encouraging evidence that gene therapy for some very devastating diseases is a realistic possibility, Byrne says. (839) 6.4 1 h 46 min 2010 X-Ray PG. Inspired by the book The Cure by Pulitzer Prize Winning Writer Greeta Anand. We are a community of committed individuals compelled to take extraordinary measures to fund the best science and initiate projects that will eliminate barriers to getting effective treatments to our families. Despite a timely topic and a pair of heavyweight leads, Extraordinary Measures never feels like much more than a made-for-TV tearjerker. Determination pushes an idealistic father into joining forces with a reclusive medical researcher to find a cure before it's too late. With the prognosis looking bad for the Crowley kids, Dr. Stonehill tells John to enjoy them while he still can. What does it tell you about John's outlook about his kids' illness? Good medical drama with an excellent performance by Harrison Ford - but could've have been much better Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983), Trailer Failure: Extraordinary Measures, Crazy on the Outside, and Bitch Slap. To its credit, the film represents ways a family matter-of-factly integrates a chronic, disabling illness into the course of their lives. [5], In the film, the children are 9 and 7 years old. Anything to show instead of tell would have helped. But before you know it, Crowley finds corporate sponsorship for Stonehill's drug and the family is living in a picturesque mansion. A year after corrective genes were delivered to tiny portions of the volunteers retinas, the researchers said the subjects displayed notable improvement, with as much as 1,000-fold increases for day vision and 63,000-fold for night vision. Is "Extraordinary Measures" based on a book? This task proves very daunting for Stonehill, who already works around the clock. The larger company, called Zymagen in the film, was based on Genzyme in Cambridge, Massachusetts. I think it resonates with people to see how much a parent will go through and do anything for his kids.. When Megan survives, John defiantly tells the doctor, "Guess we dodged that blessing." For her part, Griffin believes the enzyme replacement treatment will slow down and hopefully stop her progressive muscle weakness. I thought I was just not exercising enough and this was something that happens to people as they get older, she says. Grief. Research Grants: This year we received 41 researcher-initiated proposals, nearly double the number in a typical year. Monique Griffin was traveling the world working for a resort company, and just beginning to notice the muscle weakness that wouldnt be diagnosed as Pompe until January 2010. The film was shot in St. Paul, Oregon; Portland, Oregon; Tualatin, Oregon; Wilsonville, Oregon; Manzanita, Oregon; Beaverton, Oregon, and Vancouver, Washington. Apple TV & Privacy "I was at home in New Jersey, holding day-to-day life together," says Aileen, 41. His antics (including temper tantrums, social obliviousness, and egocentric mayhem) give the film most of its flavor, but thats by design: His character was wholly invented for the movie, as a foil and drama-inciter. "People always say: 'How can you do it?' 'Extraordinary Measures' Released Jan. 22 CBS Films The premise Venture capitalist John Crowley (played by Brendan Fraser) has two children with the neuromuscular disorder Pompe disease. Brendan Fraser as John Crowley, Harrison Ford as Dr. Stonehill. A 2010 movie Based on a True Story and the book "The Cure" about John Crowley whose dedication to saving his two children from a genetic disease named Pompe results in him becoming a driving force in the development of an enzyme therapy. Extraordinary Measures is rated PG for thematic material, language, and a mild suggestive moment. Brendan Fraser, Keri Russell, Harrison Ford. Incomprehension. She was in her mid-20s and working as a communications specialist for Wynn Resorts. A decade ago, UF molecular geneticist Barry Byrne was just beginning to develop methods for transferring missing genes into people with Pompe disease, a rare form of muscular dystrophy. ?s book, "Chasing Miracles" (Newmarket Press), is available Feb. 2. By what name was Extraordinary Measures (2010) officially released in India in English? Release . Wishlist. "Extraordinary Measures" opens in theaters Friday. It's that you feel, at the end, that you have learned something about the way the world works. From our humble beginnings, we have taken extraordinary measures to expand the breadth and depth of FSHD research globally, funding researchers whose efforts resulted in many discoveries including identifying and validating DUX4 as the genetic cause of the disease. But I knew the importance of perseverance and determination. This network is activating the powerful forces of an educated, empowered, and engaged community that will stop at nothing to facilitate treatments to our families extraordinary measures. You're going to live to be an old lady!". Launching a new drug is an uncomfortable balancing act between business, science, and compassion. CookiePolicy Free shipping for many products! Fate and determination push idealistic father, John Crowley (Brendan Fraser, The Mummy) into joining forces with reclusive medical researcher, Dr. Robert Stonehill (Academy Award nominee Harrison Ford, Best Actor in a leading role, Witness, 1985). The exception to that last comes in the form of Extraordinary Measures executive producer Harrison Ford, co-starring as a crotchety, eccentric University Of Nebraska researcher whose theories make Crowleys task possible, but whose recalcitrance and flakiness put up constant barriers. Despair. So is the movie, which keeps its head while digging into your heart. After earning his medical and doctoral degrees from the University of Illinois, Byrne completed his residency at the Johns Hopkins Hospital and then came to UF in 1997, where today he is a professor in the departments of pediatrics and molecular genetics and microbiology. John takes on the task full-time to save his children's lives, launching a biotechnology research company working with venture capitalists and then rival teams of researchers. Conversions credited to women evangelists sharing the good news one-on-one in conversations. Unfortunately, this advice comes too late for the new subsidiary CBS Films, which is launching its theatrical endeavors with the disease-of-the-week drama Extraordinary Measures. If anyone could do it, he could. It began in 1998 in the stark confines of a doctor's office. Why make a film if the story is only worth telling with a made-up, cartoonish super-curmudgeon thrown in for excitement? See production, box office & company info, (book "The Cure: How a Father Raised $100 Million - And Bucked the Medical Establishment - in a Quest to Save His Children"). In the new film Extraordinary Measures, Harrison Ford does what he does best. Though somewhat informative, the John Crowley story just isn't as suspenseful, heartwarming, or entertaining on film as it could be. Similarly, Aileen tells John that rather than accept fate and wait for the worst to happen, they should fight for their kids' lives. He lobbied venture capitalists for investments. By what name was Extraordinary Measures (2010) officially released in India in English? Megan was able to smile for the first time in years. John Crowley?a>? The moment was recognized by John Butler, president of Personalized Genetic Health at Genzyme, as a milestone for the Pompe community. Adapted by Robert Nelson Jacobs from the nonfiction book The Cure: How a Father Raised $100 Millionand Bucked the Medical Establishmentin a Quest to Save His Children by the Pulitzer Prize journalist Geeta Anand, the film is also an examination of how medical research is conducted and financed. '' shows how the family is living in a typical year surveys, testifies before the FDA, a. 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