Extraordinary Measures

Based on Geeta Anand's book "The Cure: How a Father Raised $100 Million and Bucked the Medical Establishment - In a Quest to Save His Children," this is solid filmmaking! No vehicular mayhem, no sweaty bodies, no blowie uppie stuff, just a good, decent family to root for and a really curmudgeonly Harrison Ford (the "Indiana Jones" franchise) to keep everyone on his toes!

The aforementioned good, decent folks are played by Seattle's own Brendan Fraser ("Inkheart") and Keri Russell ("Waitress"), who depict a middle class Portland, Oregon couple with two of their three children cursed by Pompe, a rare but fatal genetic disorder which will cut their young lives very, very short.

Following a frantic search on the Internet, the father tries to reach a scientist affiliated with the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, who has been trying a unique approach with a new enzyme. The father's calls aren't returned, so he goes to Lincoln and meets him (Harrison Ford) face to face.

Their association is never an easy one and Ford's character never becomes less thorny. Fraser's character is so wrapped up in his children's tragedy it is hard for him to remain professional, even though the two of them must cobble together some sort of successful working relationship.

Watching the struggle...in Lincoln, in Portland and ultimately in Seattle... with its inevitable setbacks and medical crises, is involving and certainly gives us an investment in the outcome. They kindly provide additional information about our characters during the final credits. I always appreciate that!