Leaving Las Vegas (1995)

Ben Sanderson, a Hollywood screenwriter who lost everything because of his alcoholism, 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

Writers:

John O'Brien (based upon the novel by), Mike Figgis (screenplay by)

Stars:

Nicolas Cage, Elisabeth Shue, Julian Sands

Won 1 Oscar. Another 31 wins & 28 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Nicolas Cage	...	Ben Sanderson
Elisabeth Shue	...	Sera
Julian Sands	...	Yuri
Richard Lewis	...	Peter
Steven Weber	...	Marc Nussbaum
Kim Adams	...	Sheila
Emily Procter	...	Debbie
Stuart Regen	...	Man at Bar
Valeria Golino	...	Terri
Graham Beckel	...	L.A. Bartender
Albert Henderson	...	Man at Strip Bar (as Al Henderson)
Shashi Bhatia	...	Hispanic Prostitute
Carey Lowell	...	Bank Teller
Anne Lange	...	Business Colleague
Thomas Kopache	...	Mr. Simpson

Storyline

Because his wife left him and took his son with her, screenwriter Ben Sanderson 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.

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Plot Keywords:

prostitute | alcoholism | alcoholic | las vegas nevada | falling in love with a prostitute | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong sexuality and language, violence and pervasive alcohol abuse

Details

Official Sites:

MGM [United States]

Country:

France UK USA

Language:

English Russian

Release Date:

9 February 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

Adiós a Las Vegas

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$3,600,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$31,968,347

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lumiere Pictures, A Lila Cazès Production, Initial Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

111 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo (Digital)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Features Elisabeth Shue's only Oscar nominated performance.

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Goofs

When in the pool, Ben has a tattoo on his back.

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Quotes

Sera: What's up?
Ben Sanderson: I was looking for you tonight. I don't know if you've a boyfriend, or a girlfriend, but I thought maybe we could get some dinner.

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Crazy Credits

The opening credits do not appear until fifteen minutes into the film.

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Alternate Versions

LaserDisc version is unrated and contains more sexually explicit footage. First pressings of the VHS versions also contained this footage but later pressings did not. The Unrated Edition has also been released on DVD and runs 112 min.

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Connections

Referenced in Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies (1997)

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Soundtracks

You Turn Me On
Written by Jacques Morali (as Jacques Merali) and Alain Bernardin
Courtesy of The Crazy Horse Saloon, Paris

User Reviews

Amazing, and gritty performances

It's not a movie I could bear to watch very often, because it's sad to see people destroy themselves. But Nicolas Cage and Elisabeth Shue are riveting to watch here. As a person who has a past involvement in alcohol and substance abuse, I found Cage's performance especially compelling, and after watching him in this one, I am sure glad that lifestyle is behind me!

The chemistry between these two is really great, two people that need each other in different ways, trying to cope with how screwed up their lives have become. Very real performances, if you're faint-of-heart be ready for some strong words, and not just obscenities. Wow! They really lay it on the line. Great performances by two of my favorites.