|
Leaving Las Vegas (1995) 7.6
Ratings:
7.6/10 from 68,260 users
Metascore: 82/100
Reviews: 262 user | 105 critic | 23 from Metacritic.com Ben Sanderson, an alcoholic Hollywood screenwriter who lost everything because of his drinking, arrives in Las Vegas to drink himself to death. There, he meets and forms an uneasy friendship and non-interference pact with prostitute Sera. Director:Mike Figgis |
| 0Share... |
News Flash »
'Sopranos' star James Gandolfini dead at 51
User Lists
Related lists from IMDb users
Share this Rating
Title: Leaving Las Vegas (1995)
Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.
Learn more
People who liked this also liked...
Drama
|
Romance
Director:
Jason Reitman
Stars:
George Clooney,
Vera Farmiga,
Anna Kendrick
Little Children
(2006)
Drama
Director:
Todd Field
Stars:
Kate Winslet,
Jennifer Connelly,
Patrick Wilson
The Reader
(2008)
Drama
|
Romance
Director:
Stephen Daldry
Stars:
Ralph Fiennes,
Jeanette Hain,
Kate Winslet
Lost in Translation
(2003)
Drama
Director:
Sofia Coppola
Stars:
Scarlett Johansson,
Bill Murray,
Giovanni Ribisi
Drama
|
Romance
Director:
Mike Nichols
Stars:
Julia Roberts,
Jude Law,
Natalie Portman
Revolutionary Road
(2008)
Drama
|
Romance
Director:
Sam Mendes
Stars:
Kate Winslet,
Leonardo DiCaprio,
Christopher Fitzgerald
Before Sunrise
(1995)
Drama
|
Romance
Director:
Richard Linklater
Stars:
Ethan Hawke,
Julie Delpy,
Andrea Eckert
Blue Valentine
(2010)
Drama
|
Romance
Director:
Derek Cianfrance
Stars:
Ryan Gosling,
Michelle Williams,
Faith Wladyka
Before Sunset
(2004)
Drama
|
Romance
Director:
Richard Linklater
Stars:
Ethan Hawke,
Julie Delpy,
Vernon Dobtcheff
Monster's Ball
(2001)
Drama
|
Romance
Director:
Marc Forster
Stars:
Billy Bob Thornton,
Halle Berry,
Taylor Simpson
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
(2008)
Drama
|
Romance
Director:
Woody Allen
Stars:
Rebecca Hall,
Scarlett Johansson,
Christopher Evan Welch
Forrest Gump
(1994)
Drama
|
Romance
Director:
Robert Zemeckis
Stars:
Tom Hanks,
Sally Field,
Robin Wright
Edit
Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Nicolas Cage | ... | ||
| Elisabeth Shue | ... | ||
| Julian Sands | ... | ||
| Richard Lewis | ... | ||
| Steven Weber | ... | ||
| Kim Adams | ... | ||
| Emily Procter | ... | ||
 |
Stuart Regen | ... | |
| Valeria Golino | ... | ||
| Graham Beckel | ... | ||
|
|
Albert Henderson | ... |
Man at Strip Bar
(as Al Henderson)
|
|
|
Shashi Bhatia | ... | |
| Carey Lowell | ... | ||
|
|
Anne Lange | ... | |
| Thomas Kopache | ... | ||
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Plot Synopsis
Storyline
Because his wife left him and took his son with her, screenwriter Ben Anderson has started drinking, a lot. He's getting more and more isolated and he troubles women in bars because he wants to have sex with them. When he gets fired, he decides to leave everything behind and move to Las Vegas and drink himself to death. In Las Vegas he meets Sera, a prostitute with some problems as well who he moves in with. Written by Marco van Hoof <k_luifje7@hotmail.com>
Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
Rated R for strong sexuality and language, violence and pervasive alcohol abuse | See all certifications »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
Edit
See more »
See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USARelease Date:
27 October 1995 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Adieu Las Vegas See more »Filming Locations:
Bally's Casino Resort - 3645 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA See more »Box Office
Budget:
$3,600,000 (estimated)Gross:
$31,968,347 (USA)Company Credits
Show detailed
company contact information
on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Color:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.66 : 1
Edit
See more »
Written by Matt Dennis and Earl K. Brent
Performed by Sting
Courtesy of A&M Records, Inc.
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
Ben doesn't eat a single thing during the entire film. This reinforces his dependence on alcohol as chronic alcoholics usually forget to eat or can't force food down. During the restaurant scene he puts spaghetti on his fork but doesn't eat it. And when Sera fixes him rice, he eats an ice cube instead. See more »Goofs
Yuri is supposed to be swearing in Latvian on the phone. In fact, he speaks gibberish. See more »Quotes
Ben Sanderson: I'll tell you, right now... I'm in love with you. But, be that as it may, i am not here to force my twisted soul into your life.See more »
Crazy Credits
The opening credits do not appear until fifteen minutes into the film. See more »Soundtracks
"Angel Eyes"Written by Matt Dennis and Earl K. Brent
Performed by Sting
Courtesy of A&M Records, Inc.
See more »
If Mike Figgis never made another film, and Nick Cage and Elizabeth Shue retired after making Leaving Las Vegas, they would have done so with impunity. Both actors are superb, and bring the excellent screenplay to life with the help of some masterful dramatic cinematography.
Cage plays a suicidal alcoholic who has come to Las Vegas to drink himself to death, and Shue plays the unexpected problem - a prostitute who falls in love with him. The only reason this film did not receive a ten from me is the voice-over technique which was tastefully minimal, but, in my opinion, the only mistake the director made. It does help to provide closure, but I felt that closure was an unnecessary compromise here.
This is not an entertaining film, and in truth, I am surprised by its popularity among typical audiences. It is a serious film, and a work of art, but fun is not to be found here. DO NOT see this film if you dislike feeling emotionally drained and ethically challenged, and DO NOT see it if you are very prone to boredom, or easily offended by sexual violence, substance abuse and the horror of daily life on the street.
This is an intensely sad film about love shared by people who are caught in the gravity of their lives and can not escape. It is also a story of redemption and respect, found in improbable places. It is NOT a fun-filled frolicking romantic comedy, but rather, the opposite, and it achieves a beauty, dignity and power almost unique among films treating such starkly real and disturbing subjects.