Cast:
Joaquin Phoenix, John Travolta, Jacinda Barrett, Morris Chestnut, Kevin Daniels, Robert Patrick, Kevin Chapman, Balthazar Getty, Jay Hernandez, Billy Burke, Tim Guinee
Director:
Jay Russell
Length:
115 minutes
I’m starting a run of Travolta movies because I was going through my Netflix database by actor. So now I’m going to be seeing this movie and then “Be Cool”. I will say that Netflix has changed how I watch movies a bit. I don’t know if it’s good or bad. But it’s definitely different.
In case you have never seen one of my movie reviews, this is where I give a play-by-play as I’m watching the movie. So, if you still want to be surprised by the ending of a 2004 movie, be ware… you will hear about the entire movie.
Here’s the link to the INDb of Ladder 49 (2004)
And here’s the synopsis from Netflix:
Netflix: Ladder 49
Trapped in a horrendous factory fire that may kill him, a fireman (Joaquin Phoenix) looks back at his life, career and marriage while he waits for the remote possibility that his company — Ladder 49 — may rescue him, if they can just reach him in time. John Travolta plays Phoenix’s fire chief and mentor, and Jacinda Barrett plays Phoenix’s wife. Directed by Jay Russell.
Also, here’s the Open Directory listings:
Open Directory – Arts: Movies: Titles: L: Ladder 49
And there are the results from the Yahoo Directory:
Movie Titles > Ladder 49 in the Yahoo! Directory
The movie opens really strong with a lot of explosions. Joaquin Phoenix playing Jack Morrison is saving a man by the name of Phil. Jack forces Phil to repel off the side of a burning building. And eventually one of the explosions sends Jack falling down an elevator shaft.
The movie then goes back in time: Jack Morrison reports to Engine 33 as a rookie to Captain Mike Kennedy (John Travolta). We find the Captain sleeping at his desk. He wakes, gives Jack a hard time and then poors himself a Scotch.
Jack is told to go to confession. It’s actually Lenny Richter (Robert Patrick) behind a curtain with the rest of the station. They try to have Jack confess to impure thoughts.
The movie goes on to build the ties of a fun loving fire house.
I have become such a big fan of Travolta. I loved Pulp Fiction and I felt he did such a good job. He came such a long way from Welcome Back Cotter. Incidentally, I recently saw Mr. Cotter on the World Poker Tour. He’s quite an accomplished poker player.
We see Jack successfully fight his first fire.
Now we’re back to present time. Captain Mike Kennedy (Travolta) comes on the scene where Jack is still at the bottom of the elevator of a 20 story building. He was on floor 12. Jack is now part of Ladder 49. Travolta is much more with it. He’s in charge and looking strong.
Jack is weak. But he is able to answer his radio. He’s talking with the Captain.
We go back in time again. Jack and Captain Dennis Gauquin (played by Billy Burke)meet two women. One of whom is Jacks future wife. Jacinda Barrett plays Linda Morrison
She works in a jewelry store where people make their own jewelry.
Jack is the pipe man. He holds the nozel of the hose.
Linda meets all of the guys from the firehouse. She shoots an Irish Car Bomb which is:
1/2 pint Guinness
1 oz Jamison
1/2 oz Bailey’s Irish cream
Pour Guiness into a pint glass. Float Baileys on top of Jamison in shot glass. Drop shot glass, carefully, into Guiness. Drink quickly before it curdles.
She goes on to get pretty drunk but has a lot of fun. It’s all pretty standard character building for the life of Jack. It’s nice. But clearly they are playing with our feelings a little here. They they are trying pretty hard for us to care about Jack Morrison.
We’re back in real time now.
They are probably being a little too heavy handed on the sappy character building. I’m pretty sure I’m the audience for this movie. I don’t need a lot of sap. I need explosions, fire and intense drama.
Multiple teams are moving in to try to save Jack. Squad 47 is bringing heavy equipment. And Captain Mike is moving in.
This building is in really bad shape. It’s burning really hard.
Now we’re at the wedding of Jack and Linda. I will say, she is extremely beautiful. And she’s cast really well. She has one of those looks like you might actually believe you could find a girl like that in a blue collar town. Don’t kid yourself. It ain’t happening.
Here’s a fun review from Moviesforguys.com:
Ladder 49 movie review. He’s got a couple good points:
“I hate flashback movies.” and “Ladder 49 is one of the best 2 star movies I’ve seen, but it’s still only 2 stars.” Pretty funny. I’m at about 3 stars so far in the movie.
Keith Perez (Jay Hernandez) is now the new rookie in the next flashback. He is set up with the confession bit. He pretends to be gay. The team is shocked. But it turns out that he is playing a prank on them with the help of Travolta.
Linda tells Jack she is pregnant on St. Patrick’s Day. He and the whole firehouse are really excited.
The guys are on a two story roof. You can see it coming. The roof colapses. A firefighter is down. The fire is much bigger than anticipated. They lose a fellow firefighter: Billy Burke played the ill-fated Dennis Gauquin.
Captain Mike let’s the men take off as much time as they need.
There’s a scuff at the firehouse. Dinnis is accused of not being careful enough by Lenny. Lenny is the antagonist in this movie. Captain Mike gives a heartfelt speech and tells them to lower the flag.
There’s a full funeral scene. It’s supposed to be touching. But I think the movie is just trying too hard. It’s a delicate line. I feel for the director… not enough emotion and people aren’t connected. Too much emotion and they are insulted. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work. But it’s not a terrible storyline. It’s not unwatchable.
Jack was an engine man (he’s on the pipe) but now he wants to be a truck man. Jack takes Dennis’ place on the team as search and rescue.
Captain Mike shows Jack some pictures and stuff. Both his father and grandfather were firefighters. His grandfather got the Medal of Valor after he died.
We go to a scene where Jack is now on his new job. He is repelling down the side of a building. Tommy Drake played by Morris Chestnut is repelling him down the side of the building. There is a man on a ledge as the building is burning. The man leaps for Jack before Jack is ready. “Calm down or you’ll kill us. I swear to God I’ll drop you.” That’s a pretty cool line. Jack swings them out repeatedly until he breaks a window and is able to get them both in. They are both safe. Jack is clearly good at this new job.
Jack comes home after a few drinks with the boys. Linda saw him on the news and she is not happy. She is pregnant. “This isn’t just about us,” Linda says. She’s scared. She has a recurring dream about the red car turning up at the house when he doesn’t return home. (That could be foreshadowing.) He says he saved that man. She feels bad.
We now move ahead to when Linda gives birth and then gets their baby baptized. They have a daughter.
Back to today. Water is dripping on Jack’s head. He’s passed out. He slowly opens his eyes. There are explosions and loud creeking. Things are falling. He tells the chief that thngs are getting pretty unstable.
He tells the chief there’s a sliding access door but Jack can’t get to it because of too much debris. There is a control room behind a wall. They want Jack to break through the wall and it will buy them some time. Jack begins the process of breaking through the wall… brick by brick.
We pan to a birthday party. It’s the party of Katie Morrison played by Brooke Hamlin. Spencer Berglund plays Nicky Morrison their other child.
If you want this movie as part of your collection, would you consider clicking through here:
I make a small percentage and then I’ll be inspired to keep writing these crazy reviews. 🙂
There’s a big fire that wakes up a lot of teams. It’s a terrible fire and they decide to leave. Just as they decide to leave, Tommy gets blasted with a broken pipe in the steam heat system. He’s badly injured.
Jack goes home and has both hands covered in bandages. He has a heart to heart conversation where his son Nicky asks if steam can melt your face. Jack says new skin will grow back. Nicky asks if it heart. Jack says it does. Nicky doesn’t want him to get hurt. But Jack says he does it to save people and all the other guys at the firehouse wouldn’t let anything happen to him.
Jack goes to see Tommy at the hospital. He almost backs out because he’s afraid to look at him. But Jack pushes through and goes in. Tommy is in bad shape. Tommy doesn’t want his kids to see him like this. He was their hero and kids don’t forget things like this. Jack tells him that his kids don’t love him because of his looks. Linda wants to go see him but Jack doesn’t want her to go because it will freak her out.
Jack is drinking a lot and Lenny Richter comes in dressed as Santa. He jumps at Lenny.
Mike offers to take Jack with him as an aid. He would stop fighting fires. His kids are scared and Linda is upset, that’s why he’s thinking of taking this job. She says she is proud of him even though she does get scared. Jack says he doesn’t know if he still loves the job like he did initially.
Now there’s a Christmas-eve fire. Jack goes to save “Jenny” in the top apartment. It’s dark, chaotic. He can’t find anyone. He finally hears coughing. He sees Jenny. He starts to pull her out. A massive explosion engulfs the apartment. He screams for help. He and Jenny are rescued… by Lenny. Jenny is not breathing and has no pulse. They do cpr. It looks bad. But then suddenly she recovers. Jack narrowly escapes his Christmas fire. He stops into an evening church service where he finds his family.
Jenny Buckley presents a medal for saving her at an awards ceremony to both Lenny and Jack.
Incidentally, here’s a link to the sound track for Ladder 49:
We are now back at the current fire. Jack continues to chip away at the wall.
The units are making way to the control room and Jack is breaking through his wall. He’s able to sqeeqe through.
The fire is getting really bad. Conditions are deteriorating rapidly. Ladder 49 is through the debris. Lenny and his team are pushing through. The team is at the door to the control room but the fire behind it is too much. It’s fully engulfed. It looks bad for Jack. They will have to find another way to get in. Jack says it’s too late. He tells Captain Mike to pull them out. He tells Mike to tell Linda that he loves her and he loved her from the second he saw her. Jack is fading. Captain Mike tells all units to evacuate the building immediately. Is this it? Is Jack going to die? I find that hard to believe. That’s un-American. It wouldn’t test well. But sure enough the untis are out of the building. We see the building engulfed.
The red car pulls up to Jack’s house. Linda knows what is about to happen. Two men get out. She starts to cry. He did die. That’s pretty shocking. I’ve been shocked by surprising deaths in Travolta movies, i.e., Phenomenon
I have to hand it to them. Killing your main character is gutsy.
The funeral procession is quite impressive. I’m sure 9/11 is not lost on the director here. That’s fine. It’s certainly not directly referenced. The movie is an upclose view of New York firefighters.
After the initial heavy-handed emotional stuff, I eventually got into the story. It was a nice story. There are no tears welling up or anything. But it’s nice.
I’ll give it 3 stars. It certainly didn’t suck. But it probably could have been better, somehow.
I’m sorry for Jack’s family. That must be a pain greater than anything I’ve ever felt. But without people like Jack, our society would simply not exist. The sacrifices of people like Jack and Jack’s family, allow the rest of us to do whatever it is that we do. If a person is willing and then does die for society, shouldn’t we all give a little more in whatever it is that we do? We don’t have to be as great as someone like Jack. But maybe if we just tried a little harder because we know people like Jack are allowing us to move on with our lives.
Here’s to society… and all the people that have died to protect it.