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Majority Complete |
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Signposts Only |
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Major Characters |
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Partial |
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Author: |
Screenplay by Jeb Stuart and David Twohy | |
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The source for this analysis is the 1992 film, based on characters created by Roy Huggins. | |
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Genre: |
Crime Drama/Thriller | |
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Setting: |
Chicago | |
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Period: |
1992 | |
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Analysis by: |
Screenplay Systems |
Comments:
"The Fugitive" is a good illustration of a steadfast Main Character and a change Obstacle Character. Many stories that feature a steadfast Main Character, this one included, choose to have the Obstacle Character change "off screen" to downplay its importance and postpone the reveal. Another interesting aspect of this story is its lack of explicit outcome. Though the potentials for Dr. Kimble's exoneration are in place and should be put into effect, the fact that he has not been "declared innocent of the crime and freed" leaves the story open with the possibility for a sequel.
Brief Synopsis:
A doctor is unjustly convicted of his wife's murder; after escaping from prison he searches for the actual killer.
Overall Character Mini-Synopsis:
THE OVERALL CHARACTERS:
Name: Dr. Richard
Kimble
ID: Main Character
Gender: Male
Description:
Dr. Kimble is a very successful physician. He is middle-aged, healthy, resourceful, attractive, passionate, and totally in love with his wife.
Role: Fugitive
Character Type: Complex
Characteristics:
Motivation: Consider; Pursuit; Help
Methodology: Reaction; Possibility
Evaluation: Theory
Name: Sam Gerard
ID: Impact Character
Gender: Male
Description:
Self-assured, calm, professional, physically fit, man in his late forties. Nothing gets by him--except Dr. Kimble.
Role: Fugitive Retriever
Character Type: Complex
Characteristics:
Motivation: Reconsider
Methodology: Certainty; Proaction
Name: Cath
Gender: Female
Description:
Middle-aged, attractive, blonde, good to have on your side
Role: Pathologist Friend
Name: Cosmo
Gender: Male
Description:
Tenacious second-in-command in Gerard's team
Role: FBI Agent
Name: Dets. Rosetti
& Kelly
Gender: Male
Description:
Stereotyped Italian and Irish career cops who haven't had a new thought between them in thirty years--not dirty, just slimy
Role: Chicago Police
Characteristics:
Motivation: Disbelief
Name: Dr. Alec
Lenz
Gender: Male
Description:
As acting pathologist, Lenz was responsible for verifying the lab results on RDU90
Role: Pathologist
Name: Dr. Charles
Nichols
Gender: Male
Description:
Fifties, suave, slight accent, rich, the kind of friend most people would die to have
Role: Friend
Character Type: Complex
Characteristics:
Motivation: Avoidance
Methodology: Protection
Evaluation: Accurate
Name: Eddie Copland
Gender: Male
Description:
A bad dude--big, black, bald, and definitely NOT beautiful, Eddie is on death row with Dr. Kimble
Role: Fugitive
Name: Frederick
Sykes
Gender: Male
Description:
A former cop who lost his arm "in the line of duty," now acts as a hit man and is in charge of executive security for the large pharmaceutical company--a real scum bag
Role: One-Armed Man
Name: Helen Kimble
Gender: Female
Description:
Beautiful, intelligent, witty, romantic, professional, younger than her husband, resourceful--she's dead before the opening credits are over
Role: Wife/Victim
Characteristics:
Purpose: Chaos
Name: Noah Newman
Gender: Male
Description:
Intellectual, young, novice agent with a pony tail on Gerard's team
Role: FBI Agent
Characteristics:
Methodology: Potentiality
Name: Renfro
Gender: Female
Description:
Quick, efficient, alert communications expert on Gerard's team
Role: FBI Agent
Name: Sheriff Rollins
Gender: Male
Description:
Forties, slight of build, local yokel, grand standing, pissant law enforcer
Role: Local Sheriff
Nature as it relates to Actual Work:
Dr. Kimble is on the right track to finding his wife's murderer. He just needs to keep on working at it and he will succeed.
Essence as it relates to Negative Feel:
From the outset, "The Fugitive" feels like everything is closing in on Dr. Kimble--he is running to stay one step ahead of the law.
Tendency as it relates to Unwilling:
Dr. Kimble is uncomfortable with being a fugitive--it goes against his sense of right and wrong. He did not plot his escape and reluctantly stays out of law's reach because it appears to be the only way to discover his wife's murderer. Once the murderer is revealed/captured, he willingly ends his career as a fugitive.
Reach as it relates to Both:
Men empathize with Doctor Kimball because he has set his goal, made plans, and takes all the necessary steps and efforts to achieve it. He also reacts well to unexpected events--revising and improvising. Women empathize with Doctor Kimball because he holds onto his selfless humanity, never letting dangers or adversities harden his heart. He also struggles to cope with his sense of loss so he can find renewed emotional strength to carry on.
Main Character Resolve as it relates to Steadfast:
Dr. Kimble maintains he is innocent, and does everything he can to prove it including consistently putting his life in jeopardy.
Impact Character Resolve as it relates to Change:
Main Character Growth as it relates to Stop:
Dr. Kimble must wait for this terrible situation--the ignorance of his innocence and efforts to remove him permanently from society--to end.
Main Character Approach as it relates to Do-er:
Dr. Kimble responds by acting first, thinking later, which often puts him into dangerous situations.
Main Character Problem-Solving Style as it relates to Logical:
Dr. Kimble is trying to find out who was responsible for his wife's murder, and the reasons behind the heinous act, by locating the information that leads back to the killer.
Story Driver as it relates to Decision:
Dr. Kimble's decision to report the failing results of RDU90 (Provasic) leads to his wife's murder; the jury's guilty verdict leads to Dr. Kimble's death sentence; the guard's decision to open the grating leads to the wreck; Dr. Kimble's decision to return to Chicago leads to multiple chases and near misses; Dr. Nichols' decision not to turn in Dr. Kimble leads to his being hounded by Gerard, etc.
Story Limit as it relates to Optionlock:
There are only so many one-armed murderers in Chicago, only so many places to hide, and once Richard Kimble is caught again, it is unlikely that he will be able to escape a second time.
Story Outcome as it relates to Success:
The actual murderer is discovered and the forces behind the murder revealed and brought to justice.
Story Judgment as it relates to Good:
Dr. Kimble's steadfastness allows him to prove his innocence.
Overall Story Name: "Pursuing the Fugitive"
Throughline Synopsis:
Backstory:
Throughline as it relates to Situation:
A murder in Chicago has taken place. An innocent man has been accused, tried, and convicted for the crime.
Concern as it relates to The Future:
Dr. Kimble is concerned with his future (or lack of it) if he cannot clear his name. Dr. Nichols is concerned with his future as a board member of the large pharmaceutical company. The police are concerned with the future safety of the public if the fugitive(s) remain at large. The large pharmaceutical company's future will be greatly impacted by the success of its new product, RDU90.
Issue as it relates to Preconception :
Dr. Kimble is assumed to be (and subsequently found) guilty on circumstantial evidence; the large pharmaceutical company accepts the doctored test results because of Dr. Nichols' reputation and because it is in its best interest to do so, even though the suspiciously timed death of the pathologist working on the case might call the data into question; Once convicted, Dr. Kimble is considered to be a dangerous felon even though his actions indicate otherwise; Dr. Kimble is able to make headway on his search for the one-armed man because who would think that he'd return to Chicago--or return to his old hospital--or enter the Federal Building?; The true villain is not discovered for a long time because Dr. Kimble cannot imagine that his great friend Dr. Nichols is responsible.
Counterpoint as it relates to Openness :
Thematic Conflict as it relates to Preconception vs. Openness:
Problem as it relates to Help:
Every time somebody tries to help it causes problems. Dr. Kimble lends his car (and keys) to his pal Dr. Nichols which sets him up for the murder rap; the help that Dr. Nichols gives Dr. Kimble by approving his access to the samples at the hospital sets Dr. Kimble up to be assassinated by the one-armed man; Helen Kimble's call for help is misinterpreted as an identification of her husband as the killer; Dr. Kimble stays to try and help his wife survive instead of capturing the killer and while trying to resuscitate her, is scratched leaving his skin under her nails; the guard's attempt to help the "sick" inmate results in the bus crash; Dr. Kimble's efforts to help the guard (including getting him out of the wreck and later assisting at the hospital) gets him identified; the call for help that Dr. Kimble makes to his attorney gets his whereabouts identified; Dr. Kimble's diagnosis of the injured child almost gets him caught by the police; the Chicago police's helicopter cops' attempts to shoot Kimble almost kill Gerard; etc.
Solution as it relates to Hinder:
When Dr. Kimble makes public the RDU90 result tampering at the dinner honoring Dr. Nichols, it forces Dr. Nichols to attack him (and subsequently the FBI) directly.
Symptom as it relates to Control:
Illustrations of how attention is focused on "control" in the objective story are: controlling the media; controlling the crime scene; controlling the "circus" at the train wreck; controlling the spillway and river search; controlling the hectic hospital; controlling the RDU90 test results; controlling the color of the Chicago river; controlling the parade; controlling the Chicago Police after a policeman is downed on the elevated train; controlling access to and from the convention site; etc.
Response as it relates to Uncontrolled:
Illustrations of how the efforts in the objective story are directed toward "uncontrolled" are: being a fugitive "on the run;" jumping off the dam; attempting to escape the bus by mimicking a seizure; Dr. Kimble creates a diversion by claiming that Gerard is shouting and wildly waving a gun around; Dr. Kimble escapes capture by dashing into the St. Patrick's Day parade; Eddie Copland's panicked attempt to resist arrest by grabbing the FBI agent Noah and holding him at gun point while screaming wildly and threatening him; the brutal murder of Helen and Dr. Kimble's fight with the one-armed man; the train wreck; the accident that hurt all of the children that were brought to the hospital; the "uncontrolled," unidentified car that killed Dr. Lenz; the uncontrollable bleeding caused by the drug RDU90.
Catalyst as it relates to Openness:
The guard in the bus gives Dr. Kimble the keys to the handcuffs/leggings because he believes that Dr. Kimble will help the injured guard; Gerard's openness to the possibility that the prisoners are not dead gets them on the heels of the fugitives almost immediately; the FBI's openness to the possibility that ex-cop Frederick Sykes is dirty forces Sykes and Dr. Nichols to try and kill Dr. Kimble again; Dr. Kimble's pathologist friend Cath doesn't presume that he is guilty, nor what the RDU90 results mean without further observation; Gerard's willingness to re-evaluate the evidence against Dr. Kimble allows him to come to the conclusion that Dr. Kimble is innocent.
Inhibitor as it relates to Self Interest:
An illustration of how self-serving actions slow down the progress of achieving the story goal is depicted in Sheriff Rollins' grandstanding in front of the media, allowing precious time to go by while the fugitives escape.
Benchmark as it relates to How Things are Changing:
The standard by which progress is measured in the objective story is illustrated by how close Dr. Kimble is to discovering the identity of the killer; how close the FBI is to catching the fugitives; how close is it to the release of the drug RDU90.
Goal as it relates to The Future:
Everyone is concerned for Dr. Kimble's future: Will he be caught by the Federal Marshalls? Will he prove his innocence? Will he expose the real murderer(s)?
Consequence as it relates to Innermost Desires:
The fugitives will fall into despair at their recapture and death sentences; the humiliation or worse of having RDU90 be found to have horrible side effects; Dr. Nichols plans for the future would be dashed and he would have to become a fugitive or worse; Gerard and his FBI team would suffer self-doubt or possibly be doubted by their superiors and co-workers.
Cost as it relates to Changing One's Nature:
Dr. Nichols becomes a cold hearted, calculating murderer; Gerard becomes a caring person--which is not considered a plus for someone in his position; Dr. Kimble becomes a desperate "fugitive;" the Chicago Police become bumbling "boneheads;" Helen Nichols transforms from a beautiful, vibrant woman to a bloody corpse.
Dividend as it relates to Obtaining:
Dr. Kimble is delivered food as he shaves in the hospital; he gets a ride to Chicago unexpectedly; Dr. Nichols gets to be guest speaker at the medical convention; Dr. Kimble gets evidence of the RDU90 test results tampering; Dr. Kimble gets some funding from Dr. Nichols.
Requirements as it relates to How Things are Changing:
Dr. Kimble must be apprehended by the FBI to settle the Kimble case once and for all; Dr. Kimble must discover the progress of the RDU90 test results and drug release to find out who is truly responsible for his wife's murder; the media must become more critical of the Chicago Police in order to change its attitude about the CPD's handling of the Kimble case.
Prerequisites as it relates to Impulsive Responses:
Dr. Nichols must be able to maintain composure in normally threatening circumstances with the police so that they will not be able to connect him to the Kimble murder; Dr. Kimble needs to control his desire to "run" every time he sees a policeman (of which there are MANY in this story).
Preconditions as it relates to Playing a Role:
Dr. Kimble must pretend to be a "doctor," a "janitor," a "friend of an inmate," and most often just a "normal citizen."
Forewarnings as it relates to Doing:
The FBI are generally one step behind Dr. Kimble--they corner him at the dam, find his hideout, stakeout Sykes' place, almost catch him at the Federal Building, and surround him at the convention site.
Main vs. Impact Story Name: "I Did Not Kill My Wife!" "I Don't Care!"
Throughline Synopsis:
Backstory:
Throughline as it relates to Fixed Attitude:
Dr. Kimble professes his innocence while Gerard absolutely believes that Kimble's guilt or innocence is irrelevant.
Concern as it relates to Innermost Desires:
Dr. Kimble's actions in caring for other people, even at his own risk, create a great conflict with Gerard's refusal to even consider caring.
Issue as it relates to Denial :
At every opportunity, Dr. Kimble denies his guilt and his denials, in conjunction with is caring actions, force Gerard to consider information he has already determined as unimportant.
Counterpoint as it relates to Closure :
Thematic Conflict as it relates to Denial vs. Closure:
Problem as it relates to Logic:
According to Gerard's understanding of guilty criminals, it is not logical for Dr. Kimble to help wounded police, steal ambulances, jump off dams, return to Chicago, allow his whereabouts to be determined; etc. However, it is Gerard's strong logical powers that keep him only two steps behind Kimble.
Solution as it relates to Feeling:
It is only when Gerard learns to "care" will he be able to understand how Kimble thinks and find him. It will also force him to consider the question of Dr. Kimble's guilt or innocence.
Symptom as it relates to Control:
Both Gerard's approach as pursuer and Dr. Kimble's approach as fugitive is to proceed in as controlled a fashion as possible, and the apparent problem between them comes from who appears to be in control at any given time.
Response as it relates to Uncontrolled:
Gerard believes that the less focused Dr. Kimble's efforts become, the easier it will be for the FBI to catch the doctor (no such luck). Dr. Kimble sees his seemingly unpredictable efforts as what keeps him one step in front of the law.
Catalyst as it relates to Closure:
When it is known that Dr. Kimble is indeed alive, Gerard is able to get his people moving; when it is discovered that Dr. Kimble did not die from his jump off of the dam, Gerard is again able to start up the cat and mouse game; when Gerard discovers why Dr. Kimble risked going to the hospital (to find the one-armed man), Gerard is able to guess where his next moves will be; when the case of Helen Kimble's murder is resolved for him, he is able to change and pursue Kimble with the intent of helping him, not harming him.
Inhibitor as it relates to Commitment:
Dr. Kimble's commitment to find his wife's murderer, forces him to avoid capture and therefore minimizes any interactions with Gerard. Only on a very few occasions is Gerard able to catch up with Kimble--thereby delaying the resolution of their personal/professional conflicts.
Benchmark as it relates to Impulsive Responses:
At the beginning of the story, Dr. Kimble's "flight" response is completely automatic. However, over the course of the story Dr. Kimble's automatic "flight" response to Gerard lessens and lessens to the point where he is able to ignore it and bash Dr. Nichols unconscious as Dr. Nichols attempts to shoot Gerard.
Role: Fugitive
Description:
Dr. Kimble is a very successful physician. He is middle-aged, healthy, resourceful, attractive, passionate, and totally in love with his wife.
Throughline Synopsis:
Backstory:
Throughline as it relates to Activity:
Dr. Kimble is tracking down the murderer(s) of his wife.
Concern as it relates to Obtaining:
Dr. Kimble wants to obtain the identity of the person responsible for his wife's murder.
Issue as it relates to Self Interest :
Though Dr. Kimble is by nature a caring and giving person, under the current circumstances he is willing to do just about anything to find out who murdered his wife--stealing the overalls, the patient's clothes and food, the ambulance, keeping his whereabouts hidden, stealing the hospital ID, impersonating a janitor to gain access to the hospital records, breaking into Sykes' building, etc., and of course doing everything he can to prove his own innocence.
Counterpoint as it relates to Morality :
Thematic Conflict as it relates to Self Interest vs. Morality:
Problem as it relates to Pursuit:
So long as Dr. Kimble continues to pursue his wife's killer, he will find himself in threatening situations--mainly because his wife's killer is in Chicago and a very public figure.
Solution as it relates to Avoidance:
Dr. Kimble needs to avoid getting caught, killed, or stopped before he discovers his wife's murderer(s).
Symptom as it relates to Control:
Dr. Kimble tries to stop the one-armed man from escaping; he tries to methodically resuscitate his wife even though he is visibly shaken; he maintains calm during the repeated questioning by the detectives; calm during the trial; controlled while he is being taken to the prison to be executed; controlled as he rescues the guard; controlled as he enters the hospitals; controlled as he injects and sutures himself; controlled as he searches for an exit in the tunnel; controlled as the police raid the upper floors of his "hideout;" controlled as he exits the Federal Building; controlled as he hides in the parade; controlled as he is about to be shot by Sykes; controlled as he confronts Dr. Nichols with the truth about RDU90; etc.
Response as it relates to Uncontrolled:
Dr. Kimble's efforts are principally directed toward freedom (complete lack of restraints). They can also be seen reflected in his manner of gaining that freedom: after the train wreck, Dr. Kimble runs wildly through the forest; once in the ambulance, he drives recklessly away as fast as possible; trapped in the dam, he jumps and allows the river to take him wherever; after managing to control himself in front of the police in the Federal Building, he madly dashes through the bullet proof exit gates; he ends up getting into a frenzied life or death struggle with Dr. Nichols on the top of the hotel.
Unique Ability as it relates to Approach:
Dr. Kimble is the only doctor involved (directly or indirectly) with the testing of RDU90 to not buy into the company's perks. He keeps his professionalism as a physician unencumbered by political obligations. As a result, he has both the know how, sources, resources, and freedom to make the corporate connection when nobody else seems to have a clue.
Critical Flaw as it relates to Delay:
Dr. Kimble's decision not to follow after the one-armed man sets his efforts back significantly; his hanging around the emergency room (where the injured kid is) gets him roped into helping the emergency staff and almost caught; his hanging around the hospital gets him spotted by Sykes and almost killed.
Benchmark as it relates to Doing:
Dr. Kimble is tracking down the person responsible for his wife's murder--every time he is sidetracked he is not making progress, or worse yet, he is backsliding.
Role: Fugitive Retriever
Description:
Self-assured, calm, professional, physically fit, man in his late forties. Nothing gets by him--except Dr. Kimble.
Throughline Synopsis:
Backstory:
Throughline as it relates to Manipulation:
Gerard never makes assumptions, only believes (but not necessarily understands) what he personally sees, touches, smells, tastes, or hears--though he often doesn't believe what he's told -- he drives his people hard until he gets what he wants. His cunning and tenacity forces Dr. Kimble to make desperate moves.
Concern as it relates to Changing One's Nature:
Gerard is concerned that he may become "soft." He is the "Big Dog"--no one should argue with the Big Dog. But if he begins to care about his "prey," it may change who he is.
Issue as it relates to Commitment :
Gerard is of the old school where "he always gets his man." He arrives at the site of the train wreck in the middle of the night; personally chases Dr. Kimble down into sewers--even after Dr. Kimble becomes armed; leads his team into the house to catch Eddie Copland; is never hinted at having any type of private life--especially during a case; he personally follows Kimble and Dr. Nichols onto the roof and into the laundry facilities of the hotel.
Counterpoint as it relates to Responsibility :
Thematic Conflict as it relates to Commitment vs. Responsibility:
Problem as it relates to Help:
Gerard is a career FBI man who has sworn to help society by recapturing escaped bad guys.
Solution as it relates to Hinder:
Gerard need only to make it difficult for the Chicago Police to kill Dr. Kimble (he orders the helicopter away and secures his portion of the hotel) for his belief in the fugitive's innocence to be proven; Kimble saves Gerard from Dr. Nichols.
Symptom as it relates to Logic:
Gerard's approach to his job--capturing fugitives from justice--is to assemble a highly intelligent team and to reason where the fugitives have gone. This enables him to keep right on their trail and recapture them in short order.
Response as it relates to Feeling:
As Gerard gets a "feel" for how Dr. Kimble thinks, he becomes more and more interested in pursuing these "peripheral" avenues (like what Sykes is up to, what Dr. Nichols is up to, and re-examining Helen Kimble's murder file) which leads him to discover Dr. Kimble's innocence.
Unique Ability as it relates to Rationalization:
Even though his job is to capture fugitives from "justice," he can ignore the possible innocence of his quarry. In response to Kimble's declaration of innocence, Gerard replies at gun point, "I don't care."
Critical Flaw as it relates to Hope:
Gerard hopes that trapping Dr. Kimble in the tunnel will lead to a quick recovery, but it ends up allowing Kimble to escape; Gerard hopes that Kimble's contact with his friends will help them nab him, but his friends end up making it more difficult by giving inconsistent information; Gerard hopes that being able to predict where Kimble might go next will allow them to catch him unawares, but Kimble still gets into Sykes' place and the Federal Building under their noses.
Benchmark as it relates to Playing a Role:
Gerard is slowly getting worn down and frustrated with being the fugitive retriever for this particular convict. After he has Dr. Kimble in his custody, Gerard admits that he is glad the chase is over because he needs to get some rest.
The Overall Throughline Act Order:
Overall Story Signpost 1 as it relates to The Past:
Everybody is concerned with what happened at the scene of the crime. Who was there, what happened, who did what to whom, etc.
Overall Story Journey 1 from The Past to How Things are Changing:
Overall Story Signpost 2 as it relates to How Things are Changing:
Everyone is concerned with the progress of the fugitives. How fast are they going? How far are they getting? How close are they to being caught?
Overall Story Journey 2 from How Things are Changing to The Future:
Overall Story Signpost 3 as it relates to The Future:
The drug company and Dr. Nichols are concerned about the future of the new drug as exemplified by the convention; Dr. Nichols is concerned about securing his future and has the hitman Sykes try to take out Dr. Kimble; the cops are concerned with ridding Chicago of the fugitive(s); etc.
Overall Story Journey 3 from The Future to The Present:
Overall Story Signpost 4 as it relates to The Present:
Heedless of the consequences, Dr. Nichols forgets about the future and decides to risk everything by attempting to kill Dr. Kimble and even several FBI agents including Gerard; the Chicago police forget about trying to bring Dr. Kimble to justice because they want justice NOW; Gerard and the FBI no longer worry about where Dr. Kimble is--they know that--and cordon off the hotel to keep him in one place for the time being; Dr. Kimble focuses on the moment to confront Dr. Nichols with his treachery and the drugs negative effects; etc.
The Main vs. Impact Throughline Act Order:
Main vs. Impact Story Signpost 1 as it relates to Innermost Desires:
Dr. Kimble's passion to save human lives causes him to twice save the guard's life--once on the bus and the second time at the hospital. This is in direct conflict with Gerard's feelings about fugitive behavior--fugitives only think about escaping from the law--period.
Main vs. Impact Story Journey 1 from Innermost Desires to Impulsive Responses:
Main vs. Impact Story Signpost 2 as it relates to Impulsive Responses:
While in the bowels of the dam, Dr. Kimble's behavior doesn't jive with what Gerard expects. When Dr. Kimble gets Gerard's gun, Gerard expects to be shot immediately. Instead, Dr. Kimble turns and runs (after some exchange of words). When Gerard corners Dr. Kimble at the exit of the sewer, Dr. Kimble unexpectedly jumps to an apparent death.
Main vs. Impact Story Journey 2 from Impulsive Responses to Contemplation:
Main vs. Impact Story Signpost 3 as it relates to Contemplation:
In Chicago, Dr. Kimble always manages to stay one step ahead of Gerard by out thinking and out planning him. Dr. Kimble even goes so far as to break into a location the FBI are staking out (Sykes' place), finding what he wants, then placing a call to Gerard from Sykes' place and allowing the call to be traced--just so he can get Gerard to see the evidence he wants him to see.
Main vs. Impact Story Journey 3 from Contemplation to Memories:
Main vs. Impact Story Signpost 4 as it relates to Memories:
The power of Dr. Kimble's memories concerning his murdered wife drive Gerard to re-examine some case issues that bring the court rulings into question.
The Main Character Throughline Act Order:
Main Character Signpost 1 as it relates to Understanding:
Dr. Kimble is concerned with understanding what happened in his home the night of his wife's murder. How did events get twisted so much that he is determined to be the murderer?
Main Character Journey 1 from Understanding to Doing:
Main Character Signpost 2 as it relates to Doing:
Dr. Kimble escapes from the law, makes his way to Chicago, and establishes a base of operations from which to work.
Main Character Journey 2 from Doing to Obtaining:
Main Character Signpost 3 as it relates to Obtaining:
Dr. Kimble gets the information on the prosthesis, the one-armed man (Sykes), photos that connect Sykes to the person(s) that may have hired him, and most importantly, he gets the tissue samples of the drug testing that will give him the last bit of information he needs to discover the person responsible for his wife's death.
Main Character Journey 3 from Obtaining to Gathering Information:
Main Character Signpost 4 as it relates to Gathering Information:
With the information Dr. Kimble has obtained he is able to learn about the drug testing program, its connection to other deaths, how Dr. Nichols is involved, and ultimately why his wife was murdered.
The Impact Character Throughline Act Order:
Impact Character Signpost 1 as it relates to Developing a Plan:
Once upon the train wreck scene, Gerard mentally reconstructs what events were necessary to create that scene. This allows him to determine the accuracy of various testimonies, etc. He then conceptualizes where his quarry might be, based on terrain, timing, etc.
Impact Character Journey 1 from Developing a Plan to Playing a Role:
Impact Character Signpost 2 as it relates to Playing a Role:
In order to effectively capture the fugitives, Gerard imagines himself to be the fugitives. This allows him to guess their next moves and keep hot on their trails.
Impact Character Journey 2 from Playing a Role to Changing One's Nature:
Impact Character Signpost 3 as it relates to Changing One's Nature:
Gerard's "play acting" alters substantially as he gradually "becomes" like Dr. Kimble. This is evidenced by his giving credence to Kimble's belief in the one-armed man, his distrust of Sykes and interest in finding out more about this dirty cop, and ultimately his "caring" enough (for which Dr. Kimble is characterized) to check into the case history on his own.
Impact Character Journey 3 from Changing One's Nature to Conceiving an Idea:
Impact Character Signpost 4 as it relates to Conceiving an Idea:
Gerard is able to put the various clues together and comes up with the novel idea (for him at least) that Dr. Kimble may indeed be innocent.
All Concerns:
Dr. Kimble is a surgeon accused and convicted of murdering his wife. Through a series of events, he escapes from the prison transport and makes his way toward his home town, Chicago. Dr. Kimble's drive to find out who is responsible for his wife's murder forces him into conflict with U.S. Marshall Sam Gerard, the FBI's fugitive retrieval person in charge of capturing him. By identifying the true murderer of his wife, Dr. Kimble is able to clear his name, prevent the release of a dangerous drug by a large pharmaceutical company, force the capture of the real bad guys, and impact Gerard in a way that all but forces Gerard to learn the meaning of compassion.
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Copyright
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