Ladder 49
2004 · Movie · PG-13 · 115 min · ★ 6.5 · 44% critics
A Baltimore firefighter grows from rookie to seasoned veteran under a respected captain’s guidance, forming close bonds at the station while facing dangerous calls. As the job’s risks and sacrifices pile up, he’s forced to weigh duty and brotherhood against the strain it puts on his marriage and family life.
Also known as Échelle 49 · Ladder Forty Nine
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2 hours to watch.
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Details
- Years
- 2004
- Release date
- 2004-10-01
- Language
- English
- Rated
- PG-13
- Runtime
- 115 min
- Critic score
- 44/100
- TMDB rating
- 6.5/10 (872 votes)
About
You’ll likely enjoy this if you want an emotional, action-forward tribute to everyday heroism and the toll it takes on family life; Not for you if you dislike melodrama, clichés, or flashback-heavy storytelling like in Backdraft.
Pros: tense rescue sequences; heartfelt tribute tone; strong camaraderie | Cons: familiar clichés; uneven flashback structure; realism feels shaky
Themes
- rescue
- hero
- fire
- disaster
- firefighting
- ledge
- practical joke
- firefighter
Cast & crew
Joaquin Phoenix
as Jack Morrison
John Travolta
as Captain Mike Kennedy
Jacinda Barrett
as Linda Morrison
Robert Patrick
as Lenny Richter
Morris Chestnut
as Tommy Drake
Billy Burke
as Dennis Gauquin
Balthazar Getty
as Ray Gauquin
Tim Guinee
as Tony Corrigan
Kevin Chapman
as Frank Mckinny
Jay Hernandez
as Keith Perez
Directed by Jay Russell