In 1993 Andrew Davis directed the big screen version of the 1960’s television series The Fugitive. The plot from the television show remains pretty much the same but the big screen version had some noticeable changes with the biggest change being the cast and the lead players. Nothing against the actors that worked in the original television series The Fugitive but Tommy Lee Jones and Harrison Ford makes for a very impressive cast. Movie goers and critics alike were all impressed with The Fugitive movie as well as it was an enormous box office hit as well as a huge critical hit. On top of being nominated for two Golden Globe awards, one of which wound up being a win for Tommy Lee Jones, The Fugitive surprised everyone with 7 Academy Award nominations in categories such as Best Film Editing, Best Music, and even the biggest surprise of them all when The Fugitive was nominated for the Best Picture Oscar for 1994. In the end The Fugitive wound up with one Oscar win which was for Tommy Lee Jones who won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor which brings up only one question. Considering how The Fugitive wound up working out, if Tommy Lee Jones was only considered as a supporting actor, then what does he have to do to be considered a leading man? It seems like Tommy Lee Jones and Harrison Ford split the male lead acting duties almost right down the middle but Tommy Lee Jones probably really doesn’t care either way as long as he is an Oscar winning actor.

The Fugitive is about Dr. Richard Kimble, played by Harrison Ford, who is wrongly accused of killing his wife. He is tried and convicted but on his way to prison his prison transport crashes and Kimble escapes. He sets his sights on trying to find the one arm man he saw kill his wife to clear his name and to get his wife the justice he feels she deserves. As soon as Kimble escapes he becomes the problem of the US Marshal’s office and the US Marshal assigned to capture Kimble is Samuel Gerard played by Tommy Lee Jones. Gerard does not care if Kimble is innocent or guilty in the beginning, he is only set on doing his job and capturing the fugitive. As time goes by, and Gerard starts to see the evidence that Kimble is uncovering, he begins to become convinced that Kimble is innocent. In the end Gerard is faced with deciding whether or not to do his job and bring Kimble in or help Kimble clear his name. The final decision by Gerard was quite a surprise and the ending to The Fugitive is equally surprising.

While filming The Fugitive Harrison Ford damaged his leg during the scenes where he is running through the woods. He refused surgery and felt that it would be more realistic if he kept the injury and let the limp show on his character. Harrison Ford is known for such dedication to roles as this is the same guy the stapled his hat to his head in the Indiana Jones movies. Such realism really came through to the audience and not only was The Fugitive a huge success but it also paved the way for sequels in which Tommy Lee Jones was equally as brilliant as he was in The Fugitive.