John Q. Archibald (Denzel Washington) is a factory worker who works hard and cares about his family, but still doesn't have much to live for. In order to support the family, his wife Denise also has to go to work to earn money, and the couple's busyness makes their relationship fade, and their marriage nearly breaks up. The only bright spot in their lives is their 9-year-old son, Michael. But misfortune always comes unexpectedly to the bitter people. One day, Michael suddenly fainted on the baseball field, John Q took him to the hospital and learned that his son suffered from severe congenital heart disease and needed a heart transplant to save his life. Heart transplants are very expensive, and John Q's health insurance doesn't cover the $250,000 cost. When the head of the hospital (Anne Heche) learns of the situation, she decides to take Michael off the transplant waiting list unless John Q can pay 30% of the cost of the surgery up front. This move enrages John Q. After unsuccessfully turning to Michael's primary care doctor, Turner (James Woods), he angrily breaks into the hospital's emergency room with a gun and takes several medical staff and patients hostage, demanding that the hospital operate on his son immediately. Things aren't as simple as John Q thinks, however, as he's confronted not only by a group of innocent and needy hostages, but also by an experienced negotiator (Robert Duvall) and a sheriff (Ray Liotta) who wants a quick fix. The standoff between John Q and the police also alarms the media, with the city's public casting a great deal of attention on this development. Their feelings seem to favor the lawbreaker, John Q, who is a victim of today's unconscionable health care and insurance system. But the public's sympathy doesn't help John Q. What exactly is his future?