Jacob's Ladder (1990)

Mourning his dead child, a haunted Vietnam War veteran attempts to uncover his past while suffering from a severe case of dissociation. To do so, he must decipher reality and life from his own dreams, delusions, and perceptions of death.

Director:

Adrian Lyne

Writer:

Bruce Joel Rubin

Stars:

Tim Robbins, Elizabeth Peña, Danny Aiello

3 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tim Robbins	...	Jacob
Elizabeth Peña	...	Jezzie
Danny Aiello	...	Louis
Matt Craven	...	Michael
Pruitt Taylor Vince	...	Paul
Jason Alexander	...	Geary
Patricia Kalember	...	Sarah
Eriq La Salle	...	Frank
Ving Rhames	...	George
Brian Tarantina	...	Doug
Anthony Alessandro	...	Rod
Brent Hinkley	...	Jerry
S. Epatha Merkerson	...	Elsa
Suzanne Shepherd	...	Hospital Receptionist
Doug Barron	...	Group Leader

Storyline

Jacob Singer is trying to make sense of his fractured life and memories. Plagued by hallucinations, flashbacks, and conspiracies, he struggles down a path to enlightenment from these manic strains. With nothing but support from friends and loved ones will he be able to push through the haze of his PTSD.

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Plot Keywords:

death | delusion | soldier | memory | hell | 

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Taglines:

The most frightening thing about Jacob Singer's nightmare is that he isn't dreaming.

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Genres:

Drama | Horror | Mystery

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 November 1990 (USA)

Also Known As:

Dante's Inferno

Filming Locations:

New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$25,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$7,500,760, 4 November 1990, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$26,118,851

Company Credits

Production Co:

Carolco Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Certain imagery was inspired by the photographs of Joel-Peter Witkin. Most recognizably, the image of the hooded, legless man shaking his head is inspired by Witkin's 1976 photograph "Man With No Legs".

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Goofs

Even through Jacob doesn't finish shaving (he towels-off the remaining shaving cream off his face), he appears to be clean and evenly shaven.

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Quotes

Jacob Singer: What's it say?
Jezebel: [Reading the thermometer] Oh my God! I'm calling the Doctor!
Jacob Singer: What's it say?
Jezebel: It's gone to the top!
Jacob Singer: Great!
Jezebel: [On the phone] Hello Dr. Forest! I'm so sorry to bother you! This is Jezzie Pimpkin up in 14G! I just took Jake's temperature and it's up to 106, could that be right?Oh my God!
[gets off the phone and starts running a bath]
Jezebel: Get out of bed!
Jacob Singer: I can't! I'm FREEZING!

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Crazy Credits

The credits roll over a grainy black and white photo of Gabe and Jacob crossing the street together.

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Connections

Referenced in Silent Hill 3 (2003)

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Soundtracks

WHAT'S GOING ON
Written by Renaldo Benson (as R. Benson) / Al Cleveland (as A. Cleveland) / Marvin Gaye (as M. Gaye)
Published by Jobete Music Co., Inc. (ASCAP) / Stone Agate Music (BMI)
Performed by Marvin Gaye
Courtesy of Motown Records

User Reviews

I enjoyed it much more after a second viewing

I remember viewing this movie a couple years back and I did not get a lot out of it, I thought it was just too weird. In fact, I even wrote a review of the film on here. I'm glad I gave it another try because I really got a lot more out of it after the second viewing. Maybe it was because my expectations of the film were lower or I have matured in past few years. Anyway, this is a highly fascinating and entertaining thriller about a Vietnam veteran who always feels like there is somebody or something "out to get him". He feels this way because he keeps seeing strange images and many people in which he comes in contact with appear to have horns growing out of their heads and whatnot. Him and his war buddies believe that these strange occurrences are the result of something that happened during the war. The best element of this film is its atmosphere and paranormal feel which will really give you the creeps as well as have you guessing what the cause of the strange occurrences that are affecting Jacob really are. Well worth viewing, and if it doesn't grab you on the first viewing, don't hesitate to try it again, you may enjoy it more. 8/10.