...and Harrison Ford as Dr. Chen

I was actually going to do a thread on this subject but will be happy to contribute to this one.
I thought that this movie was basicly a TV movie of the week subject. Since TV covers this type of movie material on a regular basis, it was hard to see this as anything that would play in a major run theater.
That being said; when I found the information (that you have posted here), I was MAJORLY "let down" by the whole thing. For the most part, the subject material is less than factual AND (as you pointed out) it invents a fictional character to be played by an American actor, when the real person is an Asian DOCTOR. I found Fords character to be unlikable and basicly childish in his behavior. His interaction with most people in the movie was AWFUL, like a spoiled brat. Now if there was an ACTUAL person who indeed inspired such a role, I would accept that this was just the way things were. However to INVENT such a character, for the sake of a movie, THEN appear to pass this off as something based on fact; THAT is pretty much unforgivable. It makes this LESS than a TV movie that covers real life situations such as this one.
What this movie only "hints" at is something that REALLY should be the subject of a good doccumentary. The state of crappy health care in the US; and I DONT see it getting any better. The drug companies are only interested in treatments that will generate megamillion dollar profits. The insurance industry is only interested is SAVING those megamillions in drug costs and NOT treating these diseases. If these treatments are available in other countries, at little or no cost, WHY cant the US create a health care, drug care, and insurance care system that WORKS!!!!!!!!!!
It is NOT realistic that a person in need, can raise millions of dollars to fund research in the hope of treating their child.
Lets talk about REALISTIC things that can and should be done, not make up some movie that uses a "pound" of fact and three pounds of fiction, to achieve very little entertainment value and very little doccumentary value either.

A few comments....

-There is no "cure" for Pompe

-The treatment was developed by many people, Dr. Chen a front runner for sure

-Ford's character, Dr Stonehill, is based on a many scientists, but mostly a researcher named Dr. Canfield. Canfield & Crowley teamed up to make a pharmaceutical company, which was sold to Genzyme, and then 4 treatments were tested and Chen's came out on top (not Crowley's). So, there's no intentional slight towards Asian actors, it's just that the main inspiration for Ford's role wasn't Asian.

ford is starting to look asian.




I was thinking of the immortal words of Socrates, who said, "... I drank what?"

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What Harrison Ford's not chinese!? News to me. Apparently Harrison Ford doing yellow face is considered not Politically Correct these days - if only they made this film back in 1983.

http://www.asianweek.com/2007/11/28/the-25-most-infamous-yellow-face-f ilm-performances-part-1/

I guess Jackie Chan didn't like the lack of physical comedy apparently - not "Patch Adam's enough" was his quote.

I mean seriously there are also better actors than you listed there! for example:

BD Wong
Ken Leung
Daniel Dae Kim
Jack Yang
Will Yun Lee
Tim Kang

and of course John Cho

please no-one use the lame excuse those are japanese-americans or korean-americans not chinese-americans.

btw Pompe disease still has no cure only a treatment and half this film is utter *beep* anyway especially the ending. They could have made it a lot better and closer to reality but Ford chose not to.

Build a damn bridge and get the fk over it.