Overview

Vascular surgeon Dr. Richard Kimble returns to his Chicago home to find his wife, Helen, has been tragically murdered by a one-armed attacker who manages to escape. The discovery of a significant life insurance policy and a misconstrued 911 call leads to Kimble's arrest. Wrongly accused of her murder, he is convicted and sentenced to death.

While being transported to prison, a jailbreak attempt by fellow inmates results in chaos. In the ensuing turmoil, the driver and an inmate are killed, causing the bus to crash into a ravine and collide with an oncoming train. Kimble heroically saves a corrections officer from the impending disaster and seizes the opportunity to flee. Shortly after, Deputy US Marshal Samuel Gerard and his team arrive at the crash site to initiate a manhunt. Kimble sneaks into a hospital to tend to his injuries and procure new clothing. After changing his appearance, he steals an ambulance and manages to evade the marshals in a tunnel, taking refuge in a storm drain. Gerard follows him, losing his firearm in the process. Kimble finds the gun and asserts his innocence, but Gerard dismisses his claims. With a spare gun, Gerard corners Kimble at a high spillway, yet Kimble leaps to safety.

Determined to prove his innocence, Kimble returns to Chicago in search of the true killer. He rents an apartment and acquires funds from his friend and colleague, Dr. Charles Nichols. Disguised as a night-shift janitor, Kimble gains access to the prosthetic department at Cook County Hospital to compile a list of patients requiring a prosthetic arm. During his time there, he is asked to transport a young patient, and upon reviewing the child's X-ray and medical records, he identifies a serious misdiagnosis. He alters the treatment orders, ultimately saving the child, but this action raises suspicion. A doctor alerts security, forcing Kimble to escape the hospital.

Gerard, piecing together Kimble's motives, spots him at City Hall after questioning a suspect. Their pursuit leads Kimble into the crowd of a St. Patrick's Day parade. Later, he breaks into the residence of a potential suspect, Frederick Sykes, and uncovers a photograph that solidifies Sykes' culpability in the murder. Sykes, a former police officer, now works for a pharmaceutical company, Devlin-MacGregor, which is about to release a drug called Provasic. Kimble had previously investigated this drug, discovering it posed serious health risks that would impede its FDA approval. While at Sykes' home, Kimble makes a strategically traced call to Gerard, leaving evidence behind before he makes his escape.