Draft:Lawrence Gordon (Saw character)

• Comment: most of the reception is on the acting, which i don't think helps the notability of the fictional character, and is further mostly piecemeal assembled from the movie reviews. also needs to be heavily copyedited, many grammar errors. PARAKANYAA (talk) 06:05, 25 August 2024 (UTC)

• Comment: This draft is a draft on a subtopic of an existing article, List of Saw characters. Discussion as to whether a separate article for the subtopic is warranted should be on the talk page of the parent article, Talk:List of Saw characters.
  Please discuss the suitability of creating a separate subtopic article on the talk page of the parent article. Please resubmit this draft if there is rough consensus at the parent talk page to create the child article, or with an explanation that the child draft satisfies either general notability on its own or a special notability guide. Robert McClenon (talk) 03:01, 26 July 2024 (UTC)

---

For the producer, see Lawrence Gordon (producer).

Lawrence Gordon
Saw character
First appearance	Saw (2004)
Last appearance	Saw 3D (2010)
Created by	James Wan Leigh Whannell
Portrayed by	Cary Elwes
Voiced by	Stan Kirsch (Saw: Rebirth)
In-universe information
Full name	Lawrence Gordon
Nickname	Larry
Spouse	Alison Gordon (wife)
Children	Diana Gordon (daughter)
Origin	Saw (2004)
Occupation	Oncologist
Association(s)	John Kramer (mentor; deceased) Amanda Young (fellow apprentice; deceased) Mark Hoffman (fellow apprentice; deceased) Zep Hindle (colleague; deceased)
Status	Alive

Dr. Lawrence Gordon is a fictional character created by James Wan and Leigh Whannell in the Saw franchise. He is one of the main protagonists of the franchise, and first appears in the original Saw film released in 2004 as the main character alongside Adam Stanheight. Portrayed by Cary Elwes, Dr. Gordon is introduced in Saw as a oncologist who one of these patients was John Kramer, diagnosed with colon cancer and one has been abducted by him and placed in a trap with Adam, where he is given a certain time limit to kill Adam to save both himself and his family from death. He later returns in Saw 3D, where it is revealed that he has become one of Jigsaw's secret apprentices.

Before one of the apprentice to Jigsaw Killer, he is placed in a gruesome game, chained by his ankle in a dilapidated bathroom, with the objective of escaping by either killing his cellmate, Adam, to save his family. Unlike many other victims, Dr. Gordon survives his ordeal and he maintains a certain moral compass, adhering to Jigsaw's original philosophy of providing victims with a chance to survive if they prove their will to live. After a legal battle with production company Evolution Entertainment over insufficient payment Elwes was promised of the profits made from Saw in 2005, Elwes would eventually return to the series in the finale Saw 3D (2010), where it would be shown that Dr. Gordon had in fact survived the events of the first Saw film and had been recruited as a Jigsaw apprentice, assisting him in setting up traps throughout the capacity of Saw II, Saw III, Saw IV and Saw V.

Fictional character biography

Saw

Dr. Gordon first appeared in the 2004 film Saw as oncologist who one of these patients was the civil engineer John Kramer (Tobin Bell), who diagnosed with colon cancer and a frontal lobe tumor, he also interact Zep Hindle (Michael Emerson) that who he introduced John's name. During his medical examination he interrupted by detectives David Tapp (Danny Glover) and Steven Sing (Ken Leung) and called to his office and they asked him about his whereabouts on the previous night. When Dr. Gordon was confusing he asked Tapp why he wanted to know about this, the latter showed him a penlight with Gordon's fingerprints on it, which had been discovered at the crime scene of one of the Jigsaw Killer's deadly games. Detective Sing asked him to stay a little longer and listen to the interrogation of a drug addict named Amanda Young (Shawnee Smith) the only known survivor of one of Jigsaw's games at that time. After the interrogation, Tapp drove Gordon's home and implied that he still was not entirely convinced by Gordon's innocence. Tapp's distrust grew into a downright obsession when his partner Detective Sing died in one of Jigsaw's traps shortly afterward, resulting in Tapp's discharge from the police force and he was also hired the photographer named Adam Stanheight (Leigh Whannell). Using the alias "Bob," Adam was paid $200 a night to observe Dr. Gordon, as Tapp had suspected the oncologist of being the Jigsaw Killer. Tapp’s suspicion stemmed from his belief that Dr. Gordon might be connected to the series of deadly traps set by Jigsaw.

In the night, Dr. Gordon's husband, Alison Gordon (Monica Potter) who argued with her because due to his cold and uncaring attitude with her and his daughter named Diana Gordon (Makenzie Vega), which he would also display at work with his patients. Frustrated by his distant behavior, Alison expressed her dissatisfaction with their marriage. When he told her they would talk when he came back and tried to kiss her, Alison turned away and told him to go.

"Dr. Gordon, this is your wake-up call. Every day of your working life you have given people the news that they're gonna die soon. Now, you will be the cause of death. Your aim in this game is to kill Adam. You have until six on the clock to do it. There's a man in the room with you. When there's that much poison in your blood, the only thing left to do...is shoot yourself. There are ways to win this hidden all around you. Just remember, X marks the spot for the treasure. If you do not kill Adam by six, then Alison and Diana will die, Dr. Gordon... and I'll leave you in this room to rot. Let the game begin. Follow your heart."

— Gordon's first tape left to him by the Jigsaw Killer in Saw

The film begins with Dr. Gordon regained consciousness shortly after, he quickly realized he was not alone due to the frightened screams of another prisoner. Upon finding and activating a light switch, he saw that Adam was similarly restrained. Adam became increasingly panicked upon discovering the bloodied dead body, but he managed to calm him down. After introducing himself, he asked Adam if he recognized the dead man or recalled how they ended up in the bathroom, to which Adam responded negatively. Despite his fear and suspicion, Adam eventually shared his name. He speculated that their captor could have already killed them if they wanted to, suggesting that they were intended to fulfill some purpose. As he examined the room further, Dr. Gordon noticed a new-looking clock on the wall, contrasting with the dilapidated surroundings, and deduced that their captor wanted them to be aware of the time.

Dr. Gordon attempted to open the sliding door within his reach when Adam unexpectedly discovered a white envelope with his name on it in his pants pocket. Inside, there was a mini-cassette with the words "Play me" written on it. He found a similar envelope in his own pocket, which contained another cassette, a key, and a single bullet. He immediately tried to use the key on his shackle, but it was ineffective, so he threw it to Adam, who also could not free himself. Soon after, Adam spotted the tape recorder in dead body's hand. Unable to reach it, he first tried using his shirt and then tied the bathtub plug to one of his sleeves. After several attempts, he finally got the recorder when the stopper got caught up in a loop attached to it.

Dr. Gordon asked him for the recorder to listen to his instructions. Out of fear that he could destroy the tape player by throwing it across the room, Adam refused and demanded the tape from Lawrence, After a brief hesitation, Lawrence threw the tape to Adam. The tape, recorded in the same distorted voice, confronted Lawrence profession and the fact that he gave people the news of their impending death every day of his working life. Now, he was faced with the task of killing another person himself. The voice instructed him to kill Adam by 6 o'clock. Otherwise, his wife and daughter would be killed while he remained trapped in the bathroom. Additionally, he discovered that the room contained various clues and useful tools that could assist him in completing his task. One such clue was a cryptic message indicating that "X marks the spot for the treasure." Additionally, the voice told him about the seemingly dead John Kramer, pointing out that the only thing left to do, when there was that much poison in one's blood, was to shoot oneself.

When the recording ended, Lawrence once again demanded the recorder from Adam. This time, Adam threw it to him without hesitation. By rewinding and fast-forwarding the tape several times, Lawrence uncovered a final clue. At the end of the recording, he heard the voice whispering, "Follow your heart." Seconds later, he noticed a heart drawn on the tank of a water closet next to Adam. Despite his disgust, Adam searched the dirty toilet, albeit unsuccessful. However, when he looked inside the tank, he discovered a black plastic bag containing two hacksaws. Adam immediately tried to saw through his chain and tossed the other saw to the doctor. Unnoticed by his fellow prisoner, he threw the bag into the empty bathtub. As the men tried to cut through their chains, Adam's saw broke after a few seconds. He angrily hurled it towards a mirror on the wall, causing a single shard to break out. When Dr. Gordon also failed to free himself, he deduced that the saws were intended not to cut through their chains but to sever their feet. Realizing they were victims of the Jigsaw Killer, he revealed to Adam that Jigsaw had previously attempted to frame him for a murder by leaving Gordon's penlight at the crime scene five months earlier.

Despite his initial shock, Adam grew increasingly distrustful of Dr. Gordon and even suspected him of being involved in their abduction. In a fit of rage, Adam threatened him with a broken mirror shard, demanding to know the situation. When he realized the shard was from a one-way mirror, he threw tiles at it, uncovering a camera behind it, but it was protected by a shatterproof pane. Dr. Gordon tried to calm him down so they could concentrate on Jigsaw's clues instead of becoming exasperated with the camera. When Adam questioned him about his family’s safety, Dr. Gordon recounted his last conversation with his daughter before his abduction.

During an argument with Adam, Lawrence turned off the light at Adam's request. In the darkness, they discovered a glowing "X" on the wall, which led him to break open that section of the wall. Inside, he found a box containing a mobile phone, a lighter, two cigarettes, and a note. The note indicated that the cigarettes were harmless and that he didn't need a gun to kill Adam. It also mentioned that smoking only became dangerous if it led to bloodshed. When Adam asked for a cigarette, he refused and instead attempted to call the police. To his disappointment, the mobile could not be used to make calls but only to receive them. However, this caused him to remember the night of his abduction.

After telling him about this, Dr. Gordon asked him how he knew that they had to turn off the light. Adam eventually showed him a photo of his kidnapped family, prompting Dr. Gordon to devise a new plan. He secretly dipped one cigarette in John Kramer's blood, intending to use it as part of a deception. Lawrence turned off the light and revealed his plan to Adam, which involved faking Adam's death. Upon turning the light back on, he threw a harmless cigarette and a lighter to Adam. Adam pretended to be poisoned, but their plan unraveled when Adam was shocked by his shackle and panicked. Angered by this, Dr. Gordon blamed him for the failure of their plan. The shock, however, caused Adam to remember his abduction as well.

After Dr. Gordon learned that he was abducted from his apartment by someone in a pig mask, the phone rang. Upon answering, he heard his terrified daughter pleading for him to rescue her and her mother. Later, he also spoke with Alison, who cautioned him not to trust Adam, revealing that Adam had known him before the game began. When he confronted Adam with this information, Adam confessed that he had been secretly watching and photographing Dr. Gordon in the days leading up to the game, showing him the photos he had found in the bag with the hacksaws. This revelation resulted in yet another argument, during which Adam told him that he had followed him to the Hotel, where he met up with his mistress and medical student, Carla, the night before. Dr. Gordon angrily asked him who hired him, convinced that Adam's client was also their abductor. However, when Adam described the man as a "tall black guy with a scar around his neck," Lawrence realized that it was Detective David Tapp who still blamed him for Detective Sing's death five months earlier.

When the silence settled again, Adam suddenly realized that one of the photos from the bag wasn’t his. It depicted a man standing by the window of Dr. Gordon's bedroom. He had previously claimed that nobody besides Diana and Alison had been in their apartment the night before. When Adam showed him the photo, Lawrence was shocked to recognize the man as Zep Hindle. Moments later, Adam noticed that their game time had expired. Shortly after, the phone rang again, and to Lawrence's surprise, it was Alison calling him after escaping from Zep. However, almost immediately, Dr. Gordon heard gunshots and his daughter’s terrified screams. Overwhelmed with grief, he began to cry but then lost consciousness due to an electric shock from his shackle.

Adam quickly tried to wake him, fearing he was dead until Dr. Gordon regained consciousness. Overwhelmed, Dr. Gordon's mental state worsened when he realized the phone was out of reach after being accidentally thrown during an electrocution. In a final bid to save his family, he used his shirt to stop the bleeding from his leg and, despite Adam’s pleas, amputated his foot with a hacksaw. After freeing himself, he took the revolver from the dead body, used a bullet from his envelope, and shot Adam. Horrified by his actions, he screamed at the camera, pleading for his family's safety.

Moments later, Zep Hindle entered the bathroom. Dr. Gordom, desperate and out of bullets, tried to threaten Zep with his empty gun. Unmoved, Zep prepared to kill him for failing to kill Adam in time. However, Adam, who had survived a gunshot wound, attacked Zep. After a struggle, Adam disarmed Zep and fatally injured him with a toilet tank lid. Dr. Gordon then convinced Adam to stop, as Adam was bleeding from a shoulder wound. Dr. Gordon told him he would bleed to death if he stayed with him and promised to get help. Despite Adam's desperate attempts to hold him back, the severely wounded doctor crawled out of the room.

Full Disclosure Report

Dr. Gordon's disappearance is covered in the mockumentary short film Full Disclosure Report, which is an in-universe documentary that focuses on Jigsaw's games that takes place after Saw and before Saw II. Alison Gordon refused to be interviewed, but friends and neighbors did accept interviews, in which they revealed details about Alison's captivity and her telephone conversations with Dr. Gordon during that time. They also dismissed the rumours that Dr. Gordon was Jigsaw, stating that he wasn't the type of person to put his own family's lives in danger. One of Dr. Gordon's colleagues was also interviewed, talking about Dr. Gordon's devotion to his job and that he likely spent more time at the hospital than he did at home with his family.

Saw II

Dr. Gordon does not appear in Saw II, but his role in the series is revealed through other flashback footage shown. By the time of Saw II, Gordon is already an active participant in Jigsaw's plans. His first subject was Michael Marks (Noam Jenkins) an informant working for the corrupt detective Eric Matthews (Donnie Wahlberg). He performed surgery, during which he placed a key behind Michael's right eye. This key would later become Michael's sole chance to escape one of Jigsaw's traps, known as the death mask. He had 60 seconds to remove his eye to retrieve the key; otherwise, the mask, lined with nails, would close around his head and kill him.

Saw III

Beginning with Saw II up until Saw VI, the films never reveal Dr. Gordon's fate after crawling out of the bathroom. In a flashback scene, Dr. Gordon's name can be seen outside his office door. Near the end of the film, where Amanda Young and Daniel Matthews (Erik Knudsen) discover the bathroom, Dr. Gordon's decaying severed foot can be seen along with that of Adam and Zep's corpse, revealing that he did not return to Adam as promised. Archived audio from Saw of Dr. Gordon is also heard as well.

Saw IV

In Saw IV, Detective Fisk (Mike Realba) notes that "another doctor" had disappeared from the same hospital that Lynn Denlon was abducted from. Fisk is likely referring to Dr. Gordon, who went missing before Lynn did. The same flashback from Saw II where Dr. Gordon's name is shown outside his office door appears in this film as well.

Saw V

In Saw V, Dr. Gordon's name is shown amongst others during the scene where Special Agent Peter Strahm (Scott Patterson) browses through FBI documents of potential Jigsaw victims. It is also revealed in a flashback that Detective Mark Hoffman (Costas Mandylor) was responsible for planting Dr. Gordon's penlight at the location of one of Jigsaw's games, taking the suspicion away from him and John.

Saw VI

In a flashback in Saw VI that happens before the first Saw film, John has a conversation with insurance executive William Easton (Peter Outerbridge), Dr. Gordon is mentioned by name.

Saw 3D

Dr. Gordon reappears in Saw 3D, After crawling out of the bathroom, he stumbled upon a hot steaming pipe in a set of underground hallways, which Dr. Gordon used to cauterize his wound, but passed out due to the shock and immense pain. Shortly after sealing Adam in the bathroom, John found Dr. Gordon unconsciousness in the hallways, dragging him away and congratulating him on his survival. It is later revealed that John gave him a prosthetic foot and nursed him back to health.

He is next seen attending the Jigsaw survivor group meeting, where he meets Bobby Dagen (Sean Patrick Flanery) for the first time, who become famous and gained recognition for publishing a book which explained his life-changing experience of surviving one of Jigsaw's tests. However, what everyone in the group didn't know (except for Dr. Gordon) was that the book was a lie, and Dr. Gordon sarcastically mocks his ability to get something positive out of his horrifying experiences. Bobby, however, tries to act confident and thanks him. Soon after this meeting, Bobby is actually abducted by Hoffman and is forced to complete a real Jigsaw test that contained the other members of the Jigsaw survivor group Bobby is forced to save.

"Hello, Dr. Gordon. You are perhaps my greatest asset. Without you, my work over the last few years would not have been possible. That having been said, I have a request. Watch over Jill and should anything happen to her, I want you to act immediately on my behalf. In return for that, I will keep no more secrets from you. I've showed you a lot of places, but there is one that will be perhaps the most meaningful to you."

— Dr. Gordon's video message left to him by John in Saw 3D

After Hoffman kills John's wife Jill Tuck (Betsy Russell) and attempts to flee the city after her death makes news reports, Dr. Gordon and two other men in pig masks attack Hoffman outside his lair and ambush him. It is at this point where it is revealed in various flashbacks that sometime after John had nursed the doctor back to health, he recruited Dr. Gordon as an apprentice and while Jill was aware of this, Hoffman and Amanda were not. As such, Jill had sent a package for Dr. Gordon which contained a video tape recorded by John sometime before his death. The message told Dr. Gordon to watch over Jill after he dies and in the event of her death, he should act immediately on his behalf and in return for that he would reveal all of his secrets and show him the place that was the "most meaningful" to him. These flashbacks also show the previous traps Dr. Gordon assisted in making possible: he surgically put a key behind Michael Marks' eye in Saw II, had selected Lynn Denlon as John's surgeon in Saw III, had sewed Art Blank's mouth and Trevor's eyes for their test in Saw IV and wrote an anonymous note to Hoffman in Saw V claiming he knew who he was. Dr. Gordon then takes Hoffman to the same bathroom he was tested years prior and chained him to the same pipe as Adam's rotting skeletal corpse. After Hoffman awakens, he tries to use the hacksaw Dr. Gordon used to saw off his own foot in Saw but Dr. Gordon sarcastically remarks "I don't think so" and throws it out of the bathroom, eliminating Hoffman's only chance of escape. Hoffman can only yell in protest and despair as Dr. Gordon turns off the lights and seals the bathroom door, leaving Hoffman to die.

In other media

Saw: Rebirth

Dr. Lawrence Gordon's initial appearance in chronological order is in Saw: Rebirth, where he is depicted as the physician who diagnosed John Kramer with terminal cancer. A hospital orderly named Zep Hindle suggested to John that Lawrence was unfaithful to his wife. Saw later confirmed this by revealing that Lawrence was having an affair with his medical student, Carla. Coupled with his indifferent attitude at work and deteriorating relationship with his wife and daughter, these factors contributed to Lawrence becoming a target of John Kramer, who is now infamous as the Jigsaw Killer.

Saw: The Video Game

While Dr. Gordon does not appear in Saw: The Video Game released in 2009, he is mentioned. In the video game, Detective Tapp from the first Saw film is nursed back to health and is forced to play one of Jigsaw's games. Throughout this game, he finds three different black boxes, which contained the reports of a doctor. Tapp spoke about another doctor, who had begun therapy at an asylum after suffering an mental breakdown. This therapy led to a significant improvement of his mental state. Besides details about his mental condition, these reports also contained information about the patient's personal life, such as the impendent birth of his child, which he was looking forward to. According to the psychological profile, the patient was a polite, highly intelligent, narcissistic and mostly emotional person, which leads to the assumption that this could be Dr. Gordon.

Saw II: Flesh & Blood

The sequel, Saw II: Flesh & Blood, also numerously mentions Dr. Gordon via documents and audio files from Detective Tapp found by his son, Michael, which touch more on Tapp's obsession with Dr. Gordon. According to Tapp, Lawrence perfectly fitted the psychological profile of the Jigsaw Killer, especially because he had suffered an emotional breakdown at an early age and therefore had to be admitted to a clinic. Besides this, Tapp's documents also contained information about Dr. Gordon's work, revealing that he was also responsible for the diagnosis of other patients' terminal cancer, with Tapp assuming that this might have been the reason for the doctor's cold, clinical and emotionally unstable personality.

Characterization

According to Elwes, much of Dr. Gordon's development throughout the first film was not in the script but was improvised and discussed as the film went on, stating:

"As far as his breakdown is concerned, that was not in the script. That was something that James and I worked on- we said we have to take this guy from being the paternalistic character who was trying to calm Adam down at the beginning of the film and by the end, they have swapped roles. I said to James I thought that would be an interesting dynamic if we did that, so we worked on that until there was a nice balance there. I tend to not think in terms of likability for the character. I think the grey areas are much more fascinating to play because we're all grey. No one is black and white or good or bad or happy or sad or what have you. [We all have] particular idiosyncrasies that make them fascinating and that's how I tend to approach a character. I try not to judge them because if you get into the area of judging the character you're playing you're getting into a sticky area".

The original script for Saw described Dr. Gordon as a 46-year-old man who had the "handsome dignified face of an important white male". The first Saw film left Dr. Gordon's fate ambiguous as he is never seen again after crawling out of the bathroom. In an audio commentary special feature that consisted of Elwes, Leigh Whannell and James Wan on the Saw: Uncut Edition DVD, Whannell asked Elwes on his thoughts of Dr. Gordon's fate, with Elwes responded with: "Let's face it, guys: he's severed his whole leg off. The loss of blood alone, even with that pathetic tourniquet he made with his shirt. It's a wrap. He's not going to get two blocks". Despite this, in a October 2004 interview to promote Saw, he stated that while he was wary of sequels, if he was presented with a script just as exciting as the first film, he would be open to reprising the role in a sequel. However, in the same interview, he had claimed that he had not yet made any money of Saw and that if the film were to gross over $100 million at the box office, he would contact his lawyer.

Due to this lawsuit, it would be several years before Elwes returned to the franchise, though the character was still referenced to and mentioned in some of the sequels albeit without confirming whether he survived the events of the first film. Fan theories of Dr. Gordon's potential survival and possible status as a Jigsaw accomplice went back as early as Saw II (2005); this was due to the hooded person that is seen placing the key behind Michael Marks' eye in his trap is shown to be limping, leading to fans to believe this person was Dr. Gordon as the character had sawed off his own foot during the climax of the first Saw film. Director of Saw II Darren Lynn Bousman adressed this in the DVD audio commentary for the film, he stated that he portrayed the hooded figure to add "flavor" to the performance, but did not intend for it to be Dr. Gordon. In 2021, Leigh Whannell revealed that in the writing process for Saw III (2006), he had written an alternate version of the film which he was "really into" that had Dr. Gordon as the main protagonist; the opening scene from Saw 3D that showed John Kramer finding Dr. Gordon after crawling out of the bathroom was intended to be included in the opening of this script instead. The plot would still have included Amanda Young and John in prominent roles, but instead of having Dr. Lynn and Jeff Denlon, it would be Dr. Gordon going through another test to save Alison and Diana, who had been abducted by Jigsaw and Amanda once again, but it remains unknown whether or not Elwes was asked to return for the film or if he declined in the aftermath of the lawsuit. However, Monica Potter was approached to reprise her role as Alison Gordon, bur declined as she felt she had done "plenty enough" with the first film. In DVD audio commentaries for Saw IV (2007), Bousman has stated that he intended to leave the question of Dr. Gordon's fate unanswered and let the fans make up their own minds. It was also originally planned for Dr. Gordon to appear as a boss fight in Saw: The Video Game (2009), where he covered his face with a pig mask and fought Detective Tapp.

Elwes would return in the final film, Saw 3D (2010), which finally reveals what happened to Dr. Gordon, with John finding him after crawling out of the bathroom and nursing him back to health and eventually recruiting Dr. Gordon as a Jigsaw apprentice. Elwes described his character as having an element of Stockholm Syndrome. The audio commentary for Saw 3D reveals that after being released by John, Dr. Gordon reunited with Alison and Diana but after his unstable mental condition got worse, Alison left him and took Diana with her as she was unable to cope with his mental instability. The commentary also reveals that in the original script for Saw 3D, the two pigmen who helped Dr. Gordon capture Mark Hoffman (who were never revealed in the finished film) were supposed to be Brad and Ryan from the beginning of the film. Initially, their trap scene would have included a shot of Dr. Gordon and John standing in the crowd, watching their game. When asked about a possible return to the Saw franchise in 2021, Elwes said "never say never" about reprising the role. However, in a 2023 interview, Elwes gave a dubious response about returning, stating: "I have no comment one way or the other about that franchise, I really can't speak to it. I'm happy for the filmmakers that they continue to make money, and that it seems to be a financial bonus for them, I really can't speak to it, because I'm not really involved anymore".

Casting

After watching the Saw short film on DVD, British actor Cary Elwes, who was known for his starring roles in The Princess Bride (1987) and Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993), found it "riveting" and was "blown away by the fact that these guys had taken the time and effort to make this little short". He read the script in one sitting and Elwes was fascinated by the originality and uniqueness of the story that had well-rounded characters and "a message, albeit a distorted one". Upon liking the script, Elwes met up with James Wan and Leigh Whannell, who were newcomers to the film industry; Saw producer Oren Koules was Elwes' manager at the time. Elwes was ultimately cast as the Dr. Lawrence Gordon character. As Wan and Whannell were not big names at the time, Elwes said that the role required a "leap of faith" from his part, stating:

"That’s why I think the short was such a smart move. They had been trying to sell the script for a while on its own, but nobody was really biting, especially because of the issue that they were newcomers and this town (Hollywood) is not always welcoming to newcomers, unless they can prove themselves. But in this case, they weren’t asking for a lot of money and they weren’t asking for a long schedule. I think that the fact that they had shot some footage to show what we could expect from the film is what sealed the deal for everybody".

In order to help prepare for his role as Dr. Gordon, who is described as an oncologist, Elwes visited an actual doctor at Department of Neurosurgery at the University of California, who helped him researching about his character's profession. Filming of Saw began in September 2003 and it took six days to shoot the bathroom scenes with Dr. Gordon and Adam, and these scenes were shot in the order that they occured in in order to prevent accidental continuity jumps and to help Elwes and Whannell stay in character and understand what their characters were going through. Wan made sure that Elwes' shots as Dr. Gordon were very steady and controlled to match the character's calm and collected personality. In addition to this, the two actors were unable to rehearse any of their scenes together without disrupting the schedules of Danny Glover and Michael Emerson (respective portayers of David Tapp and Zep Hindle), who were only available for a certain number of days. According to Elwes, his dialogue averaged 12 to 16 pages a day, which he considered a great challenge. He also considered the scenes where he was chained to be challenging as well, stating the shackles caused serious lacerations to his ankle. However, despite the challenges, Elwes stated that he had a "great time" working with Wan and Whannell and would "definitely" collaborate with them again sometime in the future.

After a long absence from the franchise due to Elwes' lawsuit, by the time casting for Saw 3D came in December 2009, which was planned to be the final Saw film, Elwes finally returned and reprised his role as Dr. Gordon. The filmmakers of the Saw franchise planned for Dr. Gordon's character to be brought back earlier, but Elwes wanted to specifically wait until the finale. He described the character in this entry as having an element of Stockholm syndrome, and said that the filmmakers had all the input on the direction of his character, which Elwes thought was "great". He also claimed that in preparation for his return, he sat through a Saw "marathon" and watched all of the movies leading up to Saw 3D.

Reception

Dr. Gordon only physical Saw appearing in two of the films, with those being Saw and Saw 3D, Elwes character became one of the most popular characters of the entire Saw series alongside Adam Stanheight who as well as a fan favorite amongst fans of the franchise. The Corvid Review praised Elwes performances seems harshly miscast. He does manage to somewhat save his performance during a particularly brutal scene, but on the whole comes off as subpar. "I haven’t seen him in anything apart from Saw, so I don’t know how this singular appearance affects the rest of his body of work."

Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly criticized Elwes' performance by saying, "[Elwes] ought to be featured in a seminar on the perils of overacting. He dew a comp along withrison between the plot of Saw and the film Seven, pointing out that both movies feature a sadistic antagonist whose gruesome crimes are designed to reflect the sins of their victims. The twist here is that the psycho doesn't do the killing.""

Eric Goldman of IGN noted that despite the anticipation for Gordon's return in Saw 3D, "Elwes's character has very limited screen time in the film. Gordon is featured in a few early scenes, including a memorable opening that depicts the immediate aftermath of the first film, but then he disappears for most of the movie." Although his return towards the end is expected, he has little influence on the plot for the majority of the film, which was a significant letdown for many fans, with Goldman stating:

You may notice that I haven't mentioned Dr. Gordon yet – even though one of the most eagerly anticipated aspects of this film is the return of the main character from the original Saw, played by Cary Elwes. Well, that's where this film's problems begin. Elwes, you see, is barely in Saw 3D. He's in a couple of early scenes (including the crowd-pleasing opening that shows Gordon in the immediate aftermath of the first film), but then he completely disappears from the movie. It seems inevitable that he'll eventually return by the end, but he certainly has no impact on the story for the abundance of the running time.

As a fan of the series, Goldman was hard not to be frustrated by the limited screen time given to Jigsaw and Gordon, who are crucial to the series. Unfortunately, the time we do get with them feels insignificant. Similar to Saw III and Saw VI, the main plot once again features a man moving from room to room, encountering various individuals he might be able to save. Zachary Doiron Film Inquiry response to Elwes had a raised potential for his performances. He struggles to sell some of the heavier emotional scenes either in the flashbacks or in the bathroom. While, Whannell, on the other hand, is more constrained and, therefore, offers up a more believable performance. However, both actors should have given better performances than what they brought, and better acting would have certainly made Saw a better film. On Madison Rennie from WhatCulture of the ten best final guys in horror movies, Dr. Gordon was ranked number 2, calling the character the "ultimate final guy" of the Saw franchise. Another list of the top ten best moments from the Saw franchise, the scene where Dr. Gordon saws off his own foot in the original film was ranked at number 7, with its description stating:

Though nowhere near as gory as later instalments (sic), the central concept of the original film remains powerful: would you saw your own leg off to save yourself? Spurred on by hearing the screams of his wife and child, Dr. Lawrence Gordon decides the answer's "yes", forming a makeshift tourniquet and putting that medical training to good use. Whilst not that explicit, Adam's screams and Gordon’s wild eyes help really sell the moment. At least he’s a doctor.

Kevin Pantoja of Screen Rant named Dr. Gordon as one of the best characters in the Saw franchise, and an article on the CBR website listed Dr. Gordon as the second best protagonist in the franchise, with author Kevin DelSignore declaring that Dr. Gordon "wasn't a perfect person but he loved his wife and daughter so much that he hacked off his foot so he could get to them". Additionally, Olly Dyche included Dr. Gordon in his ranking of the best Saw villains, putting the character at number 6.

Elwes was nominated for a MTV Movie Award in the category for "Best Frightened Performance" for his portrayal as Dr. Gordon, in the 2005 edition of the awards show, the last scene in Saw was particularly memorable.

References

This page will be placed in the following categories if it is moved to the article namespace.

Categories:

• Male horror film characters
• Saw (franchise) characters
• Horror film characters
• Fictional surgeons
• Fictional kidnappers
• Fictional hostages and kidnapped people
• Film characters introduced in 2004
• Fictional sole survivors
• Male film villains
• Male horror film villains
• Fictional vigilantes
• Fictional henchmen
• Fictional physicians
• Fictional amputees
• Saw (franchise)