Bringing Out the Dead (1999)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Martin Scorsese

Writers (WGA):

Joe Connelly (novel)
Paul Schrader (screenplay)

Release Date:

22 October 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Plot:

An Easter story. Frank is a Manhattan medic, working graveyard in a two-man ambulance team. He's burned out...

Plot Keywords:

Hell | Ghost | Paramedic | Rescue | Ambulance

Awards:

2 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Nicolas Cage	...	Frank Pierce
Patricia Arquette	...	Mary Burke
John Goodman	...	Larry
Ving Rhames	...	Marcus
Tom Sizemore	...	Tom Wolls
Marc Anthony	...	Noel
Mary Beth Hurt	...	Nurse Constance
Cliff Curtis	...	Cy Coates
Nestor Serrano	...	Dr. Hazmat
Aida Turturro	...	Nurse Crupp
Sonja Sohn	...	Kanita
Cynthia Roman	...	Rose
Afemo Omilami	...	Griss
Cullen O. Johnson	...	Mr. Burke (as Cullen Oliver Johnson)
Arthur J. Nascarella	...	Captain Barney (as Arthur Nascarella)

MPAA:

Rated R for gritty violent content, drug use and language.

Runtime:

121 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Portugal:M/16 | Malaysia:18SG (uncut version) | Malaysia:U (cut version) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Canada:R (Ontario) | Philippines:R-18 | Brazil:18 | New Zealand:R16 | Argentina:16 | Australia:R | Chile:18 | Finland:K-15 | France:-12 | Germany:16 (bw) | Hong Kong:IIB | Singapore:M18 (re-rating) | South Korea:18 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:18 | USA:R (certificate #36706)

Filming Locations:

11th Avenue & 54th Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Alianza Films International

Trivia:

Screenwriter Paul Schrader originally wanted Edward Norton to play the lead character (Frank Pierce), instead of Nicolas Cage.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: At the end of the movie we see and FDNY Ambulance in the background. The story takes place in the early-1990s. In the early-'90sNYC EMS was still under The Health and Hospitals Corporation of NYC. The Fire Department did not take over EMS until 1995, when Mayor Rudolph Guilliani saw that EMS could supplement the income of FDNY.

Quotes:

Tom Wall: You okay?
Frank Pierce: Never felt better in my life, how are you?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Anus Magillicutty (2003)

Soundtrack:

Combination of the Two

Excellent movie

As an emergency physician and film buff, this film is one of my favorites. Martin Scorcese utilized excellent film technique with his inventive camera shots integrated with a dark comedic plot (check out the triage nurse) to create a bright modern cinema masterpiece with rich characters, comedic irony, and a sense of perseverance against overwhelming angst and the dark underbelly of modern urban life. This film is a classic on a par with Harold and Maude, and the King of Hearts. Three thumbs up- (I'm dysmorphic)... In any case, this movie deserves to be watched by anyone involved in healthcare and anyone involved in EMS activities.