Release CalendarDVD & Blu-ray ReleasesTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsIn TheatersComing SoonMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersEmmysLGBTQ+ Pride MonthSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

Leaving Las Vegas

  • 19951995
  • RR
  • 1h 51m
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
124K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,450
89
Nicolas Cage and Elisabeth Shue in 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.
Play trailer2:48
1 Video
99+ Photos
  • Drama
  • Romance
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-... Read allBen 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.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.
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
124K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,450
89
  • Director
    • Mike Figgis
  • Writers
    • John O'Brien(based upon the novel by)
    • Mike Figgis(screenplay by)
  • Stars
    • Nicolas Cage
    • Elisabeth Shue
    • Julian Sands
Top credits
  • Director
    • Mike Figgis
  • Writers
    • John O'Brien(based upon the novel by)
    • Mike Figgis(screenplay by)
  • Stars
    • Nicolas Cage
    • Elisabeth Shue
    • Julian Sands
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 379User reviews
    • 109Critic reviews
    • 82Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Won 1 Oscar
      • 32 wins & 29 nominations total

    Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 2:48
    Trailer

    Photos133

    Nicolas Cage in Leaving Las Vegas (1995)
    Nicolas Cage and Elisabeth Shue in Leaving Las Vegas (1995)
    Elisabeth Shue and Mike Figgis in Leaving Las Vegas (1995)
    Elisabeth Shue and Mike Figgis in Leaving Las Vegas (1995)
    Elisabeth Shue and Julian Sands in Leaving Las Vegas (1995)
    Nicolas Cage and Elisabeth Shue in Leaving Las Vegas (1995)
    Elisabeth Shue in Leaving Las Vegas (1995)
    Nicolas Cage and Elisabeth Shue in Leaving Las Vegas (1995)
    Nicolas Cage and Elisabeth Shue in Leaving Las Vegas (1995)
    Nicolas Cage and Elisabeth Shue in Leaving Las Vegas (1995)
    Nicolas Cage and Elisabeth Shue in Leaving Las Vegas (1995)
    Mike Figgis in Leaving Las Vegas (1995)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Nicolas Cage
    Nicolas Cage
    • Ben Sandersonas Ben Sanderson
    Elisabeth Shue
    Elisabeth Shue
    • Seraas Sera
    Julian Sands
    Julian Sands
    • Yurias Yuri
    Richard Lewis
    Richard Lewis
    • Peteras Peter
    Steven Weber
    Steven Weber
    • Marc Nussbaumas Marc Nussbaum
    Kim Adams
    • Sheilaas Sheila
    Emily Procter
    Emily Procter
    • Debbieas Debbie
    Stuart Regen
    • Man at Baras Man at Bar
    Valeria Golino
    Valeria Golino
    • Terrias Terri
    Graham Beckel
    Graham Beckel
    • L.A. Bartenderas L.A. Bartender
    Albert Henderson
    • Man at Strip Baras Man at Strip Bar
    • (as Al Henderson)
    Shashi Bhatia
    • Hispanic Prostituteas Hispanic Prostitute
    Carey Lowell
    Carey Lowell
    • Bank Telleras Bank Teller
    Anne Lange
    • Business Colleagueas Business Colleague
    Thomas Kopache
    Thomas Kopache
    • Mr. Simpsonas Mr. Simpson
    Vincent Ward
    Vincent Ward
    • Businessman #1as Businessman #1
    Lucinda Jenney
    Lucinda Jenney
    • Weird Womanas Weird Woman
    French Stewart
    French Stewart
    • Businessman #2as Businessman #2
    • Director
      • Mike Figgis
    • Writers
      • John O'Brien(based upon the novel by)
      • Mike Figgis(screenplay by)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

    More like this

    Face/Off
    7.3
    Face/Off
    Adaptation.
    7.7
    Adaptation.
    Raising Arizona
    7.3
    Raising Arizona
    Bringing Out the Dead
    6.8
    Bringing Out the Dead
    The Rock
    7.4
    The Rock
    8MM
    6.5
    8MM
    Snake Eyes
    6.1
    Snake Eyes
    Con Air
    6.9
    Con Air
    Matchstick Men
    7.3
    Matchstick Men
    Lord of War
    7.6
    Lord of War
    The Weather Man
    6.6
    The Weather Man
    City of Angels
    6.7
    City of Angels

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Author John O'Brien, on whose novel this movie is based, committed suicide two weeks after the movie went into production. Director Mike Figgis contemplated abandoning the project, but decided the film would make a good memorial for O'Brien.
    • Goofs
      When supposedly playing blackjack, Ben and Sera are sitting at a Caribbean Stud Poker table.
    • Quotes

      Ben Sanderson: I don't know if I started drinking 'cause my wife left me or my wife left me 'cause I started drinking, but fuck it anyway.

    • Crazy credits
      The opening credits do not appear until fifteen minutes into the film.
    • 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.
    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: Vampire in Brooklyn/Mighty Aphrodite/Copycat/Leaving Las Vegas/Never Talk to Strangers (1995)
    • Soundtracks
      Angel Eyes
      Written by Matt Dennis and Earl K. Brent

      Performed by Sting

      Courtesy of A&M Records, Inc.

    User reviews379

    Review
    Top review
    Powerful Film About Loneliness And Acceptance
    Remarkable. Touching. Riveting. Leaving Las Vegas is all of these and then some. I have not seen a film of this magnitude about loneliness and acceptance in such a while that I was in tears for much of the run time.

    Nicholas Cage is Ben, a man who has lost his wife and child, throws his job away, and takes all of his remaining money to buy as much liquor as possible and "drink himself to death" in the city of Las Vegas. He has given up all hope, with no wish to live, but for one reason or another, wants a companion to share in his misery, but not try to save him. He finds this companion in a hooker, Sera, played by Elizabeth Shue. They immediately form a strong relationship based on one night of talking about their lives. Sera in particular quickly grows attached to Ben, for no other reason than she has been alone her whole life and wants nothing more than to feel that want and need by someone.

    Cage won his first Oscar for his role as Ben, and how deserved it was. He was astounding, perfection, down to every single tick, the volume of his voice, the pain and tragedy buried in his eyes. I could not believe the extent of his role, the dedication and time he invested in bringing this character to life. Same goes for Elizabeth Shue, who with a simple glance at a person, she reveals her entire self, and no one even dares to notice except for Ben. This neediness is apparent, she wants to hold onto this relationship so badly, yet what makes their relationship work is total and complete acceptance of their respective decisions. He will not tell her to stop being a hooker, and she in return can never ask him to stop drinking. And it is in that factor that makes this film worth watching. To be totally accepted by those around them, to open themselves up to such an extreme.

    Leaving Las Vegas is a sobering film about connections, loneliness, acceptance, and a small little island of hope that is Ben and Sera. They are two good people, depicted in a world full of sorrows and misdeeds, who latch onto each other and never let go. They were nothing but ghosts, till that chance encounter, and became each others worlds. Cage and Shue bring these good people to life in such an extraordinary way, making Leaving Las Vegas a film to be treasured and remembered for years to come. I highly recommend this film.
    helpful•232
    37
    • flipgirl38
    • May 15, 2005

    FAQ3

    • What are the differences between the R-Rated and Unrated Version?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • February 9, 1996 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Official Facebook
    • Languages
      • English
      • Russian
    • Also known as
      • Rời Khỏi Las Vegas
    • Filming locations
      • Cock & Bull Pub - 2947 Lincoln Blvd., Santa Monica, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • Lumiere Pictures
      • Initial Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $3,600,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $32,029,928
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $70,864
      • Oct 29, 1995
    • Gross worldwide
      • $32,029,928
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 51 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.66 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Nicolas Cage and Elisabeth Shue in Leaving Las Vegas (1995)
    Top Gap
    What is the Hindi language plot outline for Leaving Las Vegas (1995)?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    View list
    List
    Editors' Picks: What to Watch Now on Netflix
    See the full list
    View list
    List
    The Best Movies Coming This Summer
    See the full list

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Interest-Based Ads
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2022 by IMDb.com, Inc.