Ladder 49 (Widescreen Edition)
by Jay Russell
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DVD Cover Information
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
Movie Reviews of Ladder 49 (Widescreen Edition)
Movie Review: The most heartfelt and compelling film since "Backdraft"!!
Summary: 5 Stars
Movies don't get any better than "Ladder 49", one of the most thrilling and powerful motion pictures ever made since 1991's "Backdraft"! The direction of Jay Russell ("Tuck Everlasting") is nothing short of dynamic or triumphant! The performances of superstars Joaquin Phoenix ("Signs", "The Village") and John Travolta ("The Punisher", "Face/Off") were tour de force and instantly unforgettable ones at that! Joining them are Jacinda Barrett ("The Human Stain"), Morris Chestnut ("Half Past Dead"), Robert Patrick ("Terminator 2: Judgment Day"), Balthazar Getty ("Deuces Wild"), and Billy Burke ("Along Came A Spider") in excellent supporting performances!
"Ladder 49" introduces us to the life of Jack Morrison (Phoenix), a firefighter for the Baltimore City Fire Department. Jack is assigned to Fire Station 33 as a pipe-man for Ladder 49 (Note: The pipe-man holds the water hose nozzle and sprays water onto the fire.) As a new probationary firefighter, Jack is assigned all the little jobs at the firehouse. Station 33 Captain Mike Kennedy (Travolta), and the other veteran firefighters (including Patrick, Chestnut, Getty, and Burke) love to play jokes on the new rookies, including Jack. Captain Kennedy takes Jack under his wing to make him the best firefighter in the city. Time passes, and Jack is now a seasoned veteran on the rescue team. Ladder 49 has been called on a four-alarm fire to a burning 20-story building. Kennedy, now promoted to Fire Chief, is in command of the fire. Jack and the rescue team brave the fire to rescue anyone trapped inside. They save several people, and Jack continues to search for others. Jack finds a man and lowers him to safety, just before the floor collapses around him. Jack falls through the building into the middle of the inferno, and is rendered unconscious. When he awakens, Jack is able to radio to his men that he is alive. Now Jack is the one who needs to be rescued. Chief Kennedy coordinates the effort to save Jack. Awaiting rescue, Jack begins to relive his life with his wife Linda (Barrett) and kids, and his career through flashbacks.
Where "Ladder 49" departs from the "Backdraft" mold is in the way it approaches its working-class characters. Director Russell shows, through Jack, that these are unquestionably brave men who believe in brotherhood and family, but hold them second to the thrill of fighting flames. Russell does a superb job capturing the blue-collar feel of "Ladder 49", with its portrayals of marital stress, male bonding, and neighborhood fire fighting in Baltimore. The audience is made to feel a part of the team, with Russell even going that extra mile and giving the crowds a POV shot of a fireman sliding down a brass pole! OK, so maybe that's a little much, but the rest of "Ladder" finds an emotional core to latch onto, deeply feeling the characters' plights, and investing a heartfelt interest in their fates.
Most of the reason why "Ladder" resonates so much is the cast, led by a tender, gripping performance from Joaquin Phoenix. Phoenix has a tough role; he must convey ten years of character growth in just under two hours, which has sent lesser actors screaming out of the business. Phoenix navigates these heady waters with confidence, starting off as Jack in his shy, newbie glow as a rookie fireman, and nurturing him towards adulthood, where he starts a family and searches for more responsibility at his firehouse. Phoenix plays the role with elegance, bringing Jack from mousy boy to confident man without the change feeling forced. It's a tremendous performance from Phoenix. Also welcome is John Travolta (coming from a villainous turn in last April's "The Punisher"), who, in a very un-Travolta move, seems content to stand in the background for most of the film, only occasionally stepping up to deliver a speech or two (or dance, with Jacinda Barrett), though they are ace speeches. A nice supporting turn that he should look into more often.
And "Ladder 49" doesn't disappoint when it comes time to get audience into the fire. Russell stages these moments well, delivering on the promise of thrills and curiosity that goes into fighting fires. However, these sequences do not define what makes "Ladder" such a special film. There's a deeper story here, which involves a healthy dose of tragedy that grabs you faster than any orange ball of flame ever could, and that's the best way to dramatize the hard work of a firefighter. It's not the hardware, but the heart, courage, and loyalty that "Ladder 49" captures so well.
In conclusion, one line in the movie states it all: "Everyone is running out of a burning building and only the firefighters are running into the fire." "Ladder 49" shows how brave our firefighters are and why we should honor them. "Ladder 49", without a doubt, is an instant DVD must-have when released!
Summary 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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