Bringing Out the Dead (1999)

Haunted by the patients he failed to save, an extremely burned-out Manhattan ambulance paramedic fights to maintain his sanity over three fraught and turbulent nights.

Director:

Martin Scorsese

Writers:

Joe Connelly (novel), Paul Schrader (screenplay)

Stars:

Nicolas Cage, Patricia Arquette, John Goodman

2 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Nicolas Cage	...	Frank Pierce
Patricia Arquette	...	Mary Burke
John Goodman	...	Larry
Ving Rhames	...	Marcus
Tom Sizemore	...	Tom Wolls
Marc Anthony	...	Noel
Mary Beth Hurt	...	Nurse Constance
Cliff Curtis	...	Cy Coates
Nestor Serrano	...	Dr. Hazmat
Aida Turturro	...	Nurse Crupp
Sonja Sohn	...	Kanita
Cynthia Roman	...	Rose
Afemo Omilami	...	Griss
Cullen O. Johnson	...	Mr. Burke (as Cullen Oliver Johnson)
Arthur J. Nascarella	...	Captain Barney (as Arthur Nascarella)

Storyline

An Easter story. Frank is a Manhattan medic, working graveyard in a two-man ambulance team. He's burned out, exhausted, seeing ghosts, especially a young woman he failed to save six months' before, and no longer able to save people: he brings in the dead. We follow him for three nights, each with a different partner: Larry, who thinks about dinner, Marcus, who looks to Jesus, and Tom, who wallops people when work is slow. Frank befriends the daughter of a heart victim he brings in; she's Mary, an ex-junkie, angry at her father but now hoping he'll live. Frank tries to get fired, tries to quit, and keeps coming back, to work and to Mary, in need of his own rebirth.

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Plot Keywords:

post punk | movie flop | ghost | paramedic | ambulance | 

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Taglines:

Saving a Life is the Ultimate Rush

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for gritty violent content, drug use and language

Did You Know?

Trivia

Joe Connelly, the N.Y.C. paramedic who wrote the book and served as technical advisor, has a cameo. In the E.R. waiting room scene where the security guard Griss controls the chaos, aided by his shades, Joe is a catatonic patient walked past the scene by a nurse. He is wearing a brown suede coat and faces forward before being led away.

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Goofs

When Marcus and Frank are responding to I.B. Bangin's over-dose, they are first shown responding in a van-type ambulance, then the next shot shows them in a box-type, then back to the van-type on arrival.

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Quotes

Dispatcher: You'll be going to the man who needs no introduction. Chronic caller of the year three straight and shooting for number four. The duke of drunk, the king of stink, our most frequent flier, Mr. Oh.

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Connections

Referenced in The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy (2000)

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Soundtracks

Hasta Ayer
Written by Manny Delgado
Performed by Marc Anthony
Courtesy of RMM Records

User Reviews

Stylish, but lacking a certain something

Sometimes you can watch a film and see that all the pieces are there and yet there's still something not quite right about it. 'Bringing Out the Dead' stars Nicholas Cage (while he was still highly-bankable at the Box Office) as a New York ambulance driver who's on the brink of burning out completely. He's seemingly lost the ability to sleep (properly) and turned to various substances to get himself through his - increasingly dangerous - nightshifts.

Now, back in 1999 when this film was released, Cage was pretty much at the top of his game and you could guarantee that he'd put in a good performance, especially under an equally great director. Here we have none other than Martin Scorsese at the helm who is more than capable at keeping hold of Cage's reigns and making sure he doesn't do that 'over the topness' he sometimes slips into. The premise is great and there's plenty of scope for the story and characters to evolve. The films sports an equally impressive supporting cast including Patricia Arquette, Ving Rhames and John Goodman. So, baring all that in mind, it's hard to see that anything could go wrong with it.

I certainly don't hate 'Bringing Out the Dead.' I just feel that with that much talent at its disposal it should be a lot better than it is. The actors and direction are amazing, but where it falls down is a general lack of focus as to where the story is going and what genre the film wants to be. It flips from everything from romantic comedy to gritty drama almost every other scene and even flirts with the possibility of a supernatural element (loosely). There's not an awful lot of motivation for the supporting cast and they just seem to do things to provide Cage with something bad/dramatic to react to. The films plays out like a string of sketches/mini episodes that are loosely strung together by the flimsy of narratives.

If you're a fan of Cage and/or Scorsese, this is a 'must watch.' However, some may get a little tired with waiting for something to happen.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 October 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bringing Out the Dead

Filming Locations:

Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$55,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$6,193,052, 24 October 1999

Gross USA:

$16,797,191

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$16,797,191

Company Credits

Production Co:

De Fina-Cappa, Paramount Pictures, Touchstone Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

121 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1