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Ladder 49

Play trailer 2:25 Poster for Ladder 49 PG-13 2004 1h 54m Drama Action Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
41% Tomatometer 160 Reviews 81% Popcornmeter 250,000+ Ratings
After saving the life of one of the civilians inside, firefighter Jack Morrison (Joaquin Phoenix) finds himself trapped in a burning warehouse with a broken leg. As his friend and mentor, Deputy Chief Mike Kennedy (John Travolta), tries to negotiate a rescue from without, Jack flashes back to various events in his life: the first, awkward days on the force, meeting the woman (Jacinda Barrett) who would become his wife and saving a small girl from a burning building.
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Ladder 49

Ladder 49

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Critics Consensus

Instead of humanizing the firemen, the movie idolizes them, and thus renders them into cardboard characters.

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Critics Reviews

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Nell Minow Common Sense Media 12/25/2010
4/5
Unabashed love letter to firefighters everywhere. Go to Full Review
Steven D. Greydanus Decent Films 03/24/2005
B-
Heartfelt, predictable, and finally surprisingly poignant. Go to Full Review
Sara Michelle Fetters MovieFreak.com 10/06/2004
3/4
This day-in-the-life melodrama is a surprisingly good piece of work, and while it covers no new ground it certainly holds the attention. Go to Full Review
Eddie Harrison The List 04/23/2019
2/5
Gail Gilchriest's witless script leaves Phoenix with little to do but flex his muscles, while Travolta rarely steps outside the realms of cliché in his role as a supposed mentor figure. Go to Full Review
Megan Basham National Review 02/06/2018
If looked at as a tribute to our way of life, as opposed to an action blockbuster, it could resonate with audiences in a way no other film touching on the subject has to date. Go to Full Review
Joshua Starnes ComingSoon.net 03/29/2011
6.5/10
Except for Jack no one else in the film is very well defined, and it often falls back onto types. The actors are good, and make the best of what they've got, but what they've got is very thin. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Ed . Aug 22 I didn't really like this film overall, but give it credit for demonstrating just how powerfully central the church was in the lives and communities in this time period. If you 'religiously' went to the church your fellow neighbors did, and if you socialized with your neighbors, you wouldn't have much time to meet or socialize with people from other faiths or walks of life. Your world was smaller but tighter, for better in many ways and for worse in others. See more thiago s @Thiagostone Jul 31 Filme mais ou menos, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são mais ou menos, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom, e o drama ajudou um pouco a melhorar o filme. See more Andrew S 07/02/2024 Coming from a family of firefighters this is one of the best firefighter movies of all time And I genuinely don’t understand the low rating As for me and my family it will always be one of the best and a true classics See more J C 06/26/2024 So I've been a FF both career and volunteer for going on 16 years now. I was going through my fire academy and we all went to one of the guys houses to watch this movie and I fell in love even more woth the profession. The action scenes aren't perfect because a lot doesn't transfer to the big screen very well but the brotherhood and the moments between the guys, the personalities and the families is dead on. Everytime I watch movie this I fall in love all over again. See more 03/03/2022 Great movie, it's no backdraft but its an awesome film. See more steve d 06/28/2020 Bland, forgettable and by the numbers. Those who love this kind of film will enjoy but it has nothing new to offer. See more Read all reviews
Ladder 49

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Movie Info

Synopsis After saving the life of one of the civilians inside, firefighter Jack Morrison (Joaquin Phoenix) finds himself trapped in a burning warehouse with a broken leg. As his friend and mentor, Deputy Chief Mike Kennedy (John Travolta), tries to negotiate a rescue from without, Jack flashes back to various events in his life: the first, awkward days on the force, meeting the woman (Jacinda Barrett) who would become his wife and saving a small girl from a burning building.
Director
Jay Russell
Producer
Casey Silver
Screenwriter
Lewis Colick
Distributor
Buena Vista Pictures
Production Co
Beacon Communications, Touchstone Pictures, Fantail Films Inc., Beacon Pictures, Casey Silver Productions
Rating
PG-13 (Language|Intense Fire/Rescue Situations)
Genre
Drama, Action
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 1, 2004, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 1, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA)
$74.5M
Runtime
1h 54m
Sound Mix
Surround, Dolby SRD, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.37:1)
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