Extraordinary Measures, filmed in Portland, open 1/22/10

Extraordinary Measures (Opening in several locations)
Director: Tom Vaughan
With: Brendan Fraser, Harrison Ford, Meredith Droeger, Keri Russell, Diego Velazquez

Full disclosure: my cousin’s daughter has a bit part in this Portland-shot film.
The story of John Crowley (Fraser) whose daughter (Droeger) and son (Velazquez) have a disease with no cure, Pompe disease.  A high-powered executive type, Crowley sets his energies to find a cure or treatment to save his children’s lives.
He hears of Dr. Stonehill (Ford), a medical researcher who has had promising results in lab conditions, but who has never done clinical trials.  The movie follows Crowley as he plays biotech firms and a reluctant Stonehill off against each other until he is able to achieve his goal.
The film shamelessly trots out adorable children (all actors, I think) with the disease, and uses the occasional crisis and death to ramp up the tension.  Add to this that Stonehill is real kvetch, a cranky loner with no feeling for the patients.  It’s all an intellectual puzzle for him.  He fights Crowley off, or screws things up with his juvenile actions.  A most unpleasant character, played with sourpuss intensity by Ford.
And, we know how this is going to end up, right?  Not a bad movie, and one that shows spectacular views of Portland and environs, with OHSU and the Nike Campus filling in for locations.  Fraser is no longer the boy wonder, but he does his job with the sentimental script.  Russell, as the mom, is wasted and given nothing much to do.  Small parts are played well by reliable actors like Courtney B. Vance.
Very uplifting, with few surprises, and predictable results.
B