Ladder 49 [Blu-ray]

Director: Jay Russell

Overview

An everyday hero recalls his life as he's forced to look death in the eye in this adventure drama. Jack Morrison (Joaquin Phoenix) is a young firefighter who is a member of Ladder Company 49, led by Capt. Kennedy (John Travolta), a tough but compassionate man who looks upon his fellow firefighters as a family. While battling a blaze, Morrison finds himself trapped inside a burning building, and as Kennedy and his men try to find a way to rescue him, Morrison looks back on his life and how he came to choose such a dangerous career. Ladder 49 also features Jacinda Barrett and Brooke Hamlin as, respectively, Morrison's wife and daughter.

Product Details

Release Date:	02/13/2007
UPC:	0786936718881
Original Release:	2004
Rating:	PG-13
Source:	Touchstone / Disney
Region Code:	A
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:55:00
Sales rank:	22,448

Special Features

Backstage: ; Audio commentary with director Jay Russell and editor Bud Smith; The Making of Ladder 49:; On location; Fire Academy - training the actors; Anatomy of a scene - The Warehouse Fire; Everyday Heroes; Deleted scenes; "Shine Your Light" music video by Robbie Robertson; Movie Showcase:; Instant access to select movie scenes that showcase the ultimate in high defintion picture and sound; Seamless menus

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Joaquin Phoenix	Jack Morrison
John Travolta	Capt. Mike Kennedy
Jacinda Barrett	Linda Morrison
Robert Patrick	Lenny Richter
Morris Chestnut	Tommy Drake
Billy Burke	Dennis Gauquin
Balthazar Getty	Ray Gauquin
Tim Guinee	Tony Corrigan
Kevin Chapman	Frank McKinney
Jay Hernandez	Keith Perez
Kevin Daniels	Don Miller
Brooke Hamlin	Katie Morrison
Robert Logan Lewis	Robert Reilly
Spencer Berglund	Nicky Morrison
Peggy Cafferty	Julia
William Ross	Composer

Technical Credits

Lewis Colick

Lewis Colick	Screenwriter
Casey Silver	Producer
Armyan Bernstein	Executive Producer
Marty Ewing	Executive Producer
Seth Arnett	Stunts
Nancy Foy	Casting
Larry Fioritto	Special Effects
Kirk Francis	Sound/Sound Designer

Scene Index

Disc #1 -- Ladder 49
1. Blaze on the 12th Floor
2. Engine 33
3. Your First Fire
4. Going In
5. The Brotherhood and the Girl
6. The Life of Ladder 49
7. Lowering the Flag
8. The Family
9. It Hurts
10. Working It Out
11. Honors and Defeat
12. Saying Goodbye

Menu

Disc #1 -- Ladder 49
Play
Features
Original DVD Feature Audio Commentary
Optional Audio Commentary With Director Jay Russell and Editor Bud Smith: On
Optional Audio Commentary With Director Jay Russell and Editor Bud Smith: Off
Movie Showcase
Play All
Scene 1
Scene 2
Scene 3
About Movie Showcase
Original DVD Features - The Making of Ladder 49
Play All
On Location
Fire Academy: Training the Actors
Anatomy of a Scene: The Warehouse Fire
Original DVD Features - Everyday Heroes
Original DVD Features - Deleted Scenes
Play All
Lunchroom Conversations
Jack and Linda's First Date
Captain Tony Arrives
Ray's Subplot
9-11
Original DVD Features - Music Video: "Shine Your Light" by Robbie Robertson
Scene Selection
Set Up
Audio
English 5.1 Uncompressed
English 5.1 Dolby Digital
French 5.1 Dolby Digital
Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital
Subtitles
English for the Hearing Impaired
French
Spanish
None

Editorial Reviews

This underrated film didn't last very long at the nation's multiplexes, but hopefully it will find a more appreciative audience as a DVD release. Ladder 49 is an exciting, suspenseful movie about heroic firemen and has everything you expect from such films: blazing infernos, daring feats, and last-minute rescues. But it's much more a character study than an action movie, and therein lies its appeal. Joaquin Phoenix plays Jack Morrison, a young fireman assigned to the dangerous search-and-rescue detail. His chief, Mike Kennedy (John Travolta), personally takes charge when Jack is trapped in a burning warehouse -- but there may not be enough time to reach the injured firefighter. In flashbacks we meet Jack's buddies (played by Morris Chestnut, Kevin Daniels, Robert Patrick, and Balthazar Getty, among others) and his wife (former Real World: London housemate Jacinda Barrett), and we learn how and why he volunteered for hazardous duty. We observe the day-to-day firehouse routine and marvel at the dedication and camaraderie these men exhibit. The characters are clearly and elegantly drawn, and we come to care about them. That counts for more than the visceral thrills provided by director Jay Russell (My Dog Skip) in the movie's unusually convincing fire scenes; the humanity of these men and their families lingers in memory long after the spectacular sequences have flamed out.