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

New York postal worker Jacob Singer is trying to keep his frayed life from unraveling. His days are increasingly being invaded by flashbacks to his first marriage, his now-dead son, and his tour of duty in Vietnam. Although his new wife tries to help Jacob keep his grip on sanity, the line between reality and delusion is steadily growing more and more uncertain.

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Plot Keywords:

death | delusion | soldier | memory | strait jacket | 

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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

The James Brown funk song "My Thang", heard during the raucous party scene, appeared on a double album of Brown's from 1974 called "Hell".

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Goofs

The fortuneteller scene at the party switches between Jacob's left and right hands.

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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 The Ring (2002)

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Soundtracks

HEARING SOLAR WINDS / Part 3: Arc Descents
Written by David Hykes (as D. Hykes)
Performed by David Hykes and the Harmonic Choir
Courtesy of Ocara/Radio France

User Reviews

A visual masterpiece of horror and conspiracy.

This is easily one of Adrian Lyne's best films. Tim Robbins is excellent and the visual affects were just awesome. I saw this movie for the first time in the theatre and it blew me away. I've seen it many times after that, purely for the visuals that were done so well. The plot twists and turns as it spirals downward slowly revealing the truth and keeps you guessing all the way to the surprising ending. This is a dark, violent, beautiful movie that I recommend to all people who love horror, and just a smart story that will keep you in suspense until the very end.