“Although The Fugitive is a personal story
of one mans obsession with finding justice and another mans obsession with
upholding the law.” (Pfeiffer 209) As there is that constant fight for finding
justice and proving his innocence Dr. Kimble also is a man that even in the run
never stopped helping people from the beginning when he as the choice to run
and leave behind the guard that was taking him to his demise he carries the
guard and pushes him out of the deathly train. But this was just a small thing
he did where it did not affect him being caught again by the law enforcement.
When investigating and posing as a janitor he enters Cook County Hospital to
find the prosthetics department to find the one that did murder his wife. When
he has the list of the persons that have a prosthetic limb he is going to the
exit when in the entrance there are numerous cops impeding his escape. While he
is thinking of another way out he realizes the whole commotion and chaos that
is happening of some event in a school. Being so many patients the doctors
aren’t focused, especially when it came to this kid that was really in a moment
of life and death. Kimble is mumbling to check the x-ray but the doctor doesn’t
check it thus stating he had something that he really didn’t have. When he is
asked to take the kid to a part of the hospital Kimble sees the x-ray and
decides to take him to surgery instantly because he knew what was really going
on, after he changes the doctors orders in the sheet and manages to take the
kid on time to surgery the kids is saved on time. Kimble is on his way out when stopped by one
of the doctors that was watching him and saw what he did, when he was
confronted and his tag was grabbed he made a run for it and managed to escape
on time before the police arrived. When Gerard, US Marshal talked to the doctor
to figure out why he was in the hospital the doctor said that he saved the kids
boy. This was the point where Gerard started to notice something about this
case was different and here is when we see reinforcement in the innocence of
Kimble throughout the calamity of his pursuit.
From the beginning of the film we don’t know for sure that Kimble is innocent. His flashbacks could be some figment of his imagination he created to deal with the guilt of killing his wife. Thats essentially what everyone who has anything to do we his case thinks about his one armed man story. It’s important that you pointed out this scene from the hospital. Before this point we as the audience have witnessed Kimble’s selfless acts during which Kimble risks everything to help others. And as a result are beginning to see in fact he may be innocent. This scene is very important because it is the first time that Gerard sees a selfless act and begins to actually care that Kimble may be innocent. However I wouldn't agree that Kimble saving the prison guard is a “small act.” Yes the few seconds he spent saving the guard “did not affect him being caught again by the law enforcement” at least not by much time. Nevertheless he did risks his own life to save someone he didn't know and whose own partner had abandoned him. For the other acts of selflessness Kimble risks imprisonment but this is the one of the few times where Kimble actually risks his life not just his freedom for someone he doesn't know.
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