"Desperate Measures" (1998)

Film Info...Reviews & Comments...Links...Buy

"Desperate Measures" was Joe's first film release, so it was the first time many people took notice of him. In this film, he plays Matt Conner, the son of a San Francisco cop (Andy Garcia) who needs a bone marrow transplant to stay alive. The only match they can find is through a psychopathic prisoner on death row. (Michael Keaton) As the prisoner starts to wreck havoc, the cop increasingly resorts to "desperate measures"-- risking his career, his reputation and even his life--to save his son. In this film, Joe showed early on he could handle a demanding role with ease, naturalness and sympathy from the audience.

Film Info

Release Date: January 30, 1998
Total Box-Office Gross (US Dollars): $13,668,000
Running time: 100m
Released by: Tri-Star/Mandalay Entertainment
Directed by: Barbet Schroeder
Cast:

• Joseph Cross...Matthew Conner
• Andy Garcia...Frank Conner
• Michael Keaton...Peter McCabe
• Marcia Gay Harden...Samantha Hawkins
• Erik King...Nate Oliver
• Efrain Figueroa...Vargus

Trivia/Notes:

• Joe won the role following a nationwide search for a young actor who "had the capability of echoing the same kind of heroism as the father in the film."
• Scenes were filmed at various locations in San Francisco and in Pittsburgh, the hometown of Michael Keaton, including the Mellon Bank N.A. headquarters in Pittsburgh.

Reviews & Comments

"...Other than Keaton's portrayal, the best performance is turned in by a young boy, Joseph Cross, who's making his feature debut. Cross brings a refreshing level of pragmatism to Matt. The mortally ill child understands what's going to happen, and accepts it. The result is an engaging character instead of an irritating whiner or someone who tugs shamelessly at our heartstrings with cloying displays of cuteness. The best scenes in Desperate Measures are those featuring Keaton and Cross after Peter kidnaps Matt..."
- James Berardinelli, ReelViews