Ladder 49 (2004)

Under the watchful eye of his mentor Captain Mike Kennedy, probationary firefighter Jack Morrison matures into a seasoned veteran at a Baltimore fire station. Jack has reached a crossroads,... See full summary »

Director:

Jay Russell

Writer:

Lewis Colick

Stars:

Joaquin Phoenix, John Travolta, Jacinda Barrett

1 win & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Joaquin Phoenix	...	Jack Morrison
John Travolta	...	Captain Mike Kennedy
Jacinda Barrett	...	Linda Morrison
Robert Patrick	...	Lenny Richter
Morris Chestnut	...	Tommy Drake
Billy Burke	...	Dennis Gauquin
Balthazar Getty	...	Ray Gauquin
Tim Guinee	...	Tony Corrigan
Kevin Chapman	...	Frank Mckinny
Jay Hernandez	...	Keith Perez
Kevin Daniels	...	Don Miller
Steve Maye	...	Pete Lamb
Robert Lewis	...	Ed Reilly (as Robert Logan Lewis)
Brooke Hamlin	...	Katie Morrison
Spencer Berglund	...	Nicky Morrison

Storyline

Under the watchful eye of his mentor Captain Mike Kennedy, probationary firefighter Jack Morrison matures into a seasoned veteran at a Baltimore fire station. Jack has reached a crossroads, however, as the sacrifices he's made have put him in harm's way innumerable times and significantly impacted his relationship with his wife and kids. Responding to the worst blaze in his career, he becomes trapped inside a 20-story building. And as he reflects on his life, now Assistant Chief Kennedy frantically coordinates the effort to save him.

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Plot Keywords:

trapped | firefighter | fire | friendship | crib | 

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Taglines:

A bond forged by fire is never broken.

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for intense fire and rescue situations, and for language

Details

Official Sites:

TFM [fr]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 October 2004 (USA)

Also Known As:

Brigada 49

Filming Locations:

Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$55,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$119,211 (South Africa) (11 February 2005)

Gross:

$74,540,762 (USA) (18 February 2005)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Touchstone Pictures, Beacon Pictures, Casey Silver Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

115 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Stephen Lang was initially a top candidate for the supporting role of Captain, he was in the midst of playing a fire captain in 'Jim Simpson''s "The Guys" in the Flea Theatre. However he lost out once John Travolta expressed interest in the project.

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Goofs

After Jack saves the girl from the fire, another firefighter points out a bleeding wound on his head. When Jack walks into the church later that night, the wound has vanished completely.

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Quotes

Lenny Richter: Why does it always have to be the 12th floor? Why cant they be on the 4th?

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Connections

Edited into Underdog (2007)

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Soundtracks

"If I Should Fall from Grace with God"
Written by Shane MacGowan
Performed by The Pogues
Courtesy of Warner Music U.K. Ltd.
By Arrangement with Warner Strategic Marketing

User Reviews

A Nutshell Review: Ladder 49

First, let me explain the movie title.

The firehouse featured in the movie has 2 vehicles. One of them is the more conventional fire truck you see around, the one with the water hoses. That truck is codenamed Engine 33 in this movie. Ladder 49 is its companion truck, the one with the mega-ladder. This truck comprises of the brave men in the fire department's rescue team, those who risk their lives going into burning buildings without water (unlike Engine 33's), for the sole mission of saving other people's lives.

Which raises the question everyone asks of emergency responders (police, fire dept, etc) - what makes them do what they do? In this case, also raised in the movie, what makes them rush into a burning building when everyone else is running out?

We follow the life of Joaquin Phoenix's character, Jack Morrison, whom we see from rookie firefighter (waterboy) to hero, from singlehood to fatherhood. This film, through his character, humanizes emergency responders, their lives, their camaraderie, their courage. It also explores relationships within their families, which is key, as family members struggle to understand the risks their spouses/fathers undertake everyday in their job.

Don't expect another Backdraft, which was more of an "arson-whodunnit", with spectacular beastly fires engulfing the screen. This film dwells more on characterization and drama, with well placed action set pieces between slow moments which will set you thinking, and at the end of the film, appreciating the courage of these brave men and the threats they face daily in their job.