Ladder 49 (Widescreen Edition)
by Jay Russell
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Actor: Jacinda Barrett, Joaquin Phoenix, John Travolta, Morris Chestnut, Robert PatrickDirector: Jay Russell
Brand: DIS
Producer: Anson Downes
Producer: Armyan Bernstein
Producer: Casey Silver
Producer: Chris Salvaterra
Producer: Leigh Simons
Producer: Linda Favila
Writer: Lewis Colick
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 5.1; French (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1; French (Dubbed)
Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 115 minutes
Published: 2005-03-01
DVD Release Date: 2005-03-08
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Buena Vista Home Entertainment / Touchstone
Product features:
- Academy Award(R) nominated stars Joaquin Phoenix (Best Supporting Actor, GLADIATOR, 2000) and John Travolta (Best Actor, PULP FICTION, 1994) ignite the intense action in this heroic tale of ordinary men with uncommon courage! As part of a tightly knit brotherhood of skilled firefighters, Jack Morrison (Phoenix) grows from inexperienced rookie to seasoned veteran as he faces a dangerous job that ma
DVD Reviews of Ladder 49 (Widescreen Edition)
DVD Review: The Moose Hole - The Fire Starts Here!
Summary: 4 Stars
Where were you on September 11th, 2001? A little over three years ago, the world stood still as people from across the world witnessed one of the bloodiest and most horrific attacks on American soil by a foreign power. Images of the airplanes slamming into the World Trade Center towers, survivors trapped inside jumping to the ground below, flames rising from the wreckage of the Pentagon, and brave police and fire department workers searching the piles of debris for the remnants of their fallen comrades are ones that will forever be engraved in the minds of the courageous men and women of this beautiful country. And as the nation enters into the public debate of who is the better man to lead the United States in this tumultuous time in our history, one has to question whether the left side of the political spectrum has chosen to blot out the memories of this defining moment of our lives in order to conjure up a false September 10th mentality for political advantage or, to the more unlikely affect, to demonstrate the extremely short memories maintain. Whatever the case, we, as a nation, can not believe the foolish rantings of "disingenuous filmmakers" and their propaganda and simply ignore the memories of those that made the ultimate sacrifice - and further more to those that continue to lay their lives on the line for our protection.
The story for Ladder 49 centers on the events in the life of a firefighter who finds himself trapped in a horrific blaze struggling to escape and return to his family. Jack Morrison, just one of several dedicate firefighters of Ladder 49, one of Maryland's most prestigious and courageous firehouses, has spent the last ten years risking his life in order to save others. Though he has much to be grateful for - a loving wife, two beautiful children, and a dedicated group of co-workers and friends - Jack can't put off the feeling that he may be taking too much of a chance with his line of work. When he first started off at the firehouse, training as a rookie, he couldn't wait to get the call and spring into action putting out blazes and feel that adrenaline pumping. Then after meeting his future wife, Linda, and getting married, he begins to slowly rethink his line of work after a series of tragic circumstances. During what seems like another normal fire, Jack has to coup with the loss of his best friend, and the brother of one of another firefighter, eventually taking on his fallen comrades duties as a Truckee, a far more dangerous job then working the fire hoses. After the birth of his two children, another comrade of Jack's has his face horrifically damaged in a split-second accident. He finds himself so emotionally drained by the event that he can barely bring himself to visit his injured comrade, let alone bring his wife along and having her worry further about him. Jack then begins to question himself over whether he still feels the same way about his job as he did nearly ten years ago or not and if he should taken the position of captain's aide that has been offered to him. When he decides to continue working as a firefighter and saving the lives of those that truly need him, he finds himself trapped in a tremendous blaze that could very well bring his life to a sudden halt. The story for Ladder 49 is simply nothing short of astounding. There are just so few words to accurately describe the vivid emotions presented through this film's brilliantly crafted script. The image of Jack Morrison lying on the ground surrounded by flames and debris immediately following his rapid freefall descent down several floors of the burning building conjured up some of the most fervent memories of the aftermath of September 11th - an effect the filmmakers definitively wanted crossing the minds of the audience. In order to fully realize the movie's heart-warming and inspiration message, one must see the film for themselves.
Once again here is a clear demonstration that you don't need a tremendous amount of A-list talent, let alone a still not world renowned leading man, to create a truly emotionally loaded feature film to life. Joaquin Phoenix, who appeared earlier this year in the surprisingly disappointing The Village, without question immortalizes himself as a future leading man with his performance in this film. Though he had appeared in both Gladiator and Signs, two critically praised and publicly well-received blockbusters, Phoenix was known more as a co-star and failed to be seen in the form of a famous leading man up to this point. The entire performance of the film rests on Phoenix's shoulders, as the storyline focuses solely on the events in his characters life, and he never once faults in his emotionally dedicated role. John Travolta, whose career seems to have hit a bit of a slump as of late, returns in fantastic form with his role as Chief Kennedy, the captain of Ladder 49, who trains and watches over Phoenix's character over his ten year career. Though the film's primary focus is on Jack Morrison, the balanced mentor-protégée relationship demonstrated through the film's nearly two hour time span offers. And, in all respects, Travolta is the man who holds the firehouse together - he brings them together when they're fighting, comforts them when are at a loss, and lifts them up when they need it most - it may not be the most original character in the book but, hey, why mess with success? The only disappointing aspect of the film when concentrating on the area of casting was the lack of originality when it came to each individual background character but this can easily be overlooked once you realize that Phoenix's performance is the only one that is suppose to have resounding effects.
Overall, Ladder 49 successfully draws Americans back to the emotionally draining days of three years ago when we saw the most courageous and dedicated individuals amongst us risk their lives in the pursuit of fulfilling their civic duty knowing full well that many of them weren't coming back. Though the issue of September 11th, and more specifically the deaths of the three-hundred and forty-three firefighters that were lost on that horrific day, is not dealt with specifically in this film, Ladder 49 does achieve its goal of bringing public awareness to the rigorous careers of those that put their lives on the line everyday to ensure our safety and by that creates renewed aspiration for its audience. There are those that are going to criticize the film for its lack of originality, which, frankly, is astounding considering a majority of critics praised Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow barely two weeks ago despite nearly the exact same flaw. Besides, any film that consistently and thoroughly has audience members either on the verge of crying or flat-out balling their eyes out, not only at its climatic ending but sporadically throughout the feature, should be given credit for pulling off an achievement that is so rare at the box office these days. At long last, firefighters are given the proper treatment on the silver-screen they have so long deserved, The job may not be the easiest, it may even be quite draining not only for them but for their loved ones as well, but, in the end, it is usually those occupations that turn out to be the most fulfilling because they know that they are doing something good in the world.
Description of Ladder 49 (Widescreen Edition)
Academy Award(R) nominated stars Joaquin Phoenix (Best Supporting Actor, GLADIATOR, 2000) and John Travolta (Best Actor, PULP FICTION, 1994) ignite the intense action in this heroic tale of ordinary men with uncommon courage! As part of a tightly knit brotherhood of skilled firefighters, Jack Morrison (Phoenix) grows from inexperienced rookie to seasoned veteran as he faces a dangerous job that makes him a hero to strangers but often shortchanges his wife (Jacinda Barrett -- THE HUMAN STAIN) and kids. Then, when he becomes trapped in the worst blaze of his career, the things Jack holds most important -- family, duty, courage -- come sharply into focus.In paying simple tribute to firefighters, Ladder 49 gets to the heart of those who risk their lives for a living. Director Jay Russell brought similar sincerity to his memorable family favorite My Dog Skip, and despite the banalities of an ultra-conventional screenplay by Lewis Colick, Ladder 49 generates so much goodwill toward its Baltimore firemen that you may find yourself unexpectedly overcome with emotional appreciation for guys like Jack (Joaquin Phoenix), a firefighter whose career, courtship, marriage, and fatherhood are viewed in flashback as he struggles to survive in the present-day framing scenes, cut off from his fellow firemen in the fiery guts of a collapsing 20-floor building. There are no surprises in the familiar scenes of male bonding, dangerous rescues, injury and death, and the supportive concern of Jack's wife (Jacinda Barrett), but by focusing on the simple integrity of Jack's personal and professional commitment, the movie gives Phoenix a showcase for unselfish virtue, while John Travolta provides dignified support as Jack's mentor and devoted firehouse captain. Ladder 49 is routine in most respects, but it's a much-deserved valentine to working-class heroes. --Jeff Shannon
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