SCREEN IT! PARENTAL REVIEW: LADDER 49

"LADDER 49"
(2004) (Joaquin Phoenix, John Travolta) (PG-13)

Alcohol/ Drugs	Blood/Gore	Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude	Frightening/ Tense Scenes	Guns/ Weapons
Extreme	Moderate	Moderate	Moderate	Minor

Imitative Behavior	Jump Scenes	Music (Scary/Tense)	Music (Inappropriate)	Profanity
Moderate	None	Moderate	Mild	Heavy

Sex/ Nudity	Smoking	Tense Family Scenes	Topics To Talk About	Violence
Moderate	Moderate	Heavy	Moderate	Moderate

QUICK TAKE:: Drama: As his comrades try to rescue him from an increasingly dangerous inferno, we see the decade of events that led up to the trapped firefighter being caught in that situation.

PLOT:

Jack Morrison (JOAQUIN PHOENIX) is a veteran Baltimore fireman who lives for his work, despite its inherent dangers putting a strain on his marriage to Linda (JACINDA BARRETT) over the years. Now an enormous blaze has engulfed a huge building and Jack and the rest of his crew race inside on a search and rescue mission. Things go horribly wrong, however, and Jack ends up being trapped in the raging inferno, while his superior, Mike Kennedy (JOHN TRAVOLTA), looks on from the outside and tries to figure out how to rescue him.

As that occurs, we see flashbacks to when Jack was just a rookie where he meet Kennedy as well as senior firefighter Lenny Richter (ROBERT PATRICK) who loves pulling the same practical joke on all newcomers to the station. He also meets and works with the likes of Tommy Drake (MORRIS CHESTNUT), brothers Ray Gaquin (BALTHAZAR GETTY) and Dennis Gaquin (BILLY BURKE) and others in learning the ins and outs of the business. With the help of Dennis, he also meets and eventually weds Linda.

With his situation getting worse and his comrades scrambling to rescue him, Jack does what he can to survive.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?: If they're into firefighters or are fans of anyone in the cast, they just might.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13: For intense fire and rescue situations, and for language.

CAST AS ROLE MODELS:: JOAQUIN PHOENIX plays a firefighter who lives for his work, although he must eventually try to balance his family life vs. his profession. He drinks quite a bit and uses some profanity while showing bravery in the line of duty.
JOHN TRAVOLTA plays his superior who's occasionally intoxicated, but otherwise shows him the ropes. He uses some profanity.
JACINDA BARRETT plays Jack's wife whose worries about his safety create a marital strain between them. She also drinks to the point of intoxication.
MORRIS CHESTNUT plays another firefighter who suffers some bad steam-related burns and uses some strong profanity.
ROBERT PATRICK plays a senior firefighter whose brash style rubs some of the other firefighters the wrong way. He uses some profanity and drinks.
BILLY BURKE plays another firefighter who smokes.; JOHN TRAVOLTA plays his superior who's occasionally intoxicated, but otherwise shows him the ropes. He uses some profanity.
JACINDA BARRETT plays Jack's wife whose worries about his safety create a marital strain between them. She also drinks to the point of intoxication.
MORRIS CHESTNUT plays another firefighter who suffers some bad steam-related burns and uses some strong profanity.
ROBERT PATRICK plays a senior firefighter whose brash style rubs some of the other firefighters the wrong way. He uses some profanity and drinks.
BILLY BURKE plays another firefighter who smokes.; JACINDA BARRETT plays Jack's wife whose worries about his safety create a marital strain between them. She also drinks to the point of intoxication.
MORRIS CHESTNUT plays another firefighter who suffers some bad steam-related burns and uses some strong profanity.
ROBERT PATRICK plays a senior firefighter whose brash style rubs some of the other firefighters the wrong way. He uses some profanity and drinks.
BILLY BURKE plays another firefighter who smokes.; MORRIS CHESTNUT plays another firefighter who suffers some bad steam-related burns and uses some strong profanity.
ROBERT PATRICK plays a senior firefighter whose brash style rubs some of the other firefighters the wrong way. He uses some profanity and drinks.
BILLY BURKE plays another firefighter who smokes.; ROBERT PATRICK plays a senior firefighter whose brash style rubs some of the other firefighters the wrong way. He uses some profanity and drinks.
BILLY BURKE plays another firefighter who smokes.; BILLY BURKE plays another firefighter who smokes.

CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO

HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE

Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit?
Then read OUR TAKE of this film.

(Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below).

OUR WORD TO PARENTS:

The following is a brief summary of the content found in this drama that's been rated PG-13. Profanity consists of at least 1 "f" word, while other expletives and colorful phrases are uttered. Several instances of sexually related dialogue are present, while off-screen sex is implied (the couple is seen in bed the next morning where they then passionately kiss).

Various scenes show firefighters in perilous situations with two being killed during such moments (we don't see the actual deaths) and others are injured (including a firefighter whose face is scalded from a bad steam burn - we later see the results). Some of that may be unsettling or suspenseful to some viewers, particularly younger kids and/or those with low tolerance levels for such material. Some scuffles also briefly break out.

Tense family material includes some family deaths as well as a strained marriage resulting from a wife being worried about her husband being a firefighter. Many characters drink in various scenes, some to the point of intoxication, a few smoke, and some instances of imitative behavior are present.

Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content.

For those prone to visually induced motion sickness, some jumpy camerawork may just cause that.

ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE: Mike appears to be intoxicated when Jack first arrives at the station as a rookie. Mike pours liquor for both and we then see that while he's fully dressed up top, he's in just his boxers down below (further indicating drunkenness).
Jack, Dennis, Linda and her friend have beer and drinks with dinner in a restaurant where others drink.
Jack and others drink in a pub.
Jack, Dennis and others get Linda to do a drinking bit with them where they drop a shot of liquor into a beer mug and then chug it and the shot in one gulp. We later see more drinking from all of them. When Tommy jokingly implies that Linda (who appears tipsy) is a lightweight, she challenges him to see who can empty their glass first. He starts to drink, but she simply pours hers out and thus wins. The next morning, however, she has a hangover.
We see champagne on tables at a wedding reception.
We see Mike drunk and in his boxers again (when a new rookie shows up).
Various firefighters drink a lot in a pub.
Jack returns home (after a harrowing day at the job) and Linda notes that he's been drinking.
Miscellaneous adults have beer at a child's birthday party. Later, Jack and Linda have beer.
Jack, Mike and others drink and Lenny orders a seven and seven.
Linda pours liquor for Jack and herself.

BLOOD/GORE: We see a trickle of blood down the side of Jack's face (from his mouth following a fall).
To get back at Lenny for giving Jack a hard time, Tommy jokingly lights a newspaper and then slides it under a bathroom stall door, causing Lenny to have to stomp it out while his pants are down around his ankles and he's sitting on the toilet (we don't see any nudity or see/hear any bodily functions).
Steam suddenly shoots out in a boiler room and strikes a firefighter, knocking him to the floor and then blasting him with hot steam. We briefly see his face that's terribly scarred from being scalded, and then see a longer shot later in the hospital (where he comments on having a dead person's skin on his face, suggesting a skin graft, with stitch marks, etc. on his face).
Jack has a little blood on the side of his head after saving a man in a fire.

DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE: Trying to pick up some young women in the grocery store who have frozen food items in their cart, Dennis jokingly tells Linda and her friend that such products are for fat, lonely girls.
Lenny seems somewhat cold/callous about a fellow firefighter's death, saying that he wasn't paying attention. That then leads to Jack going at him and the two must be held apart.

FRIGHTENING SCENES: Jack and others enter a huge building that's on fire and where it's noted that some sort of dust inside might cause explosions. They try to find victims and get them out while making their way through the fire and avoiding explosions and falling debris that nearly hits Jack. Jack then finds another victim and lowers him down the side of the building to other waiting firefighters. He's successful, but more big explosions start to cause the floor to collapse, with Jack trying to hold onto his rope but then falling down through the floor -- several stories -- until he lands quite hard in the debris below (he's knocked out).
As Jack leads the fire hose through a house, he encounters a literal flood of rats pouring down the steps (that squeal when he steps near or on some of them to get upstairs to fight the fire).
While firefighters search for Jack, more explosions go off and more debris falls around them.
Several firefighters slowly walk across a roof (of a building that's on fire), testing it for structural integrity (poking it with tools, etc.). One firefighter then realizes he's hit a weak spot and falls through it into a raging fire, not to be seen again (we hear that he was killed).
Jack is lowered down the side of a building to rescue a man who's on a window ledge (those afraid of heights might not like the scene and its view down from the top). The man panics and jumps out onto Jack, sending both plummeting toward the street below (they stop before hitting). Jack then swings both of them out so that they can break through another window and get inside the building.
Steam suddenly shoots out in a boiler room and strikes a firefighter, knocking him to the floor and then blasting him with hot steam. We briefly see his face that's terribly scarred from being scalded, and then see a longer shot later in the hospital (where he comments on having a dead person's skin on his face, suggesting a skin graft, with stitch marks, etc. on his face). Jack's hands are also burned during this as he saves him (we only see bandages on his hands).
Firefighters make their way through a dark and smoky building, looking for a person who's still inside. Jack finds the person and then covers them as another explosion sends fire and debris across both. He and Lenny then take the victim outside and things look grim as EMTs perform CPR, but the victim finally shows signs of life.
A firefighter perishes in a fire when his comrades can't get to him due to the intense fire (we don't see the death).

GUNS/WEAPONS: A member of the color guard holds a rifle.

IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR: Phrases: "F*cking asshole," "I'm getting too old for this sh*t," "Bullsh*t," "Let's move it, grandpa," "This dog will tear your ass off," "What the hell's /this/going on here?" "Are you stupid?" "Move out of the way asshole," "Ready to break your cherry?" (regarding fighting one's first fire), "Get your asses in there," "We were just screwing around" (nonsexual), "You suck" (said jokingly), "Stop your bitching," "Jeez," "Let's get the hell out of here" and "Freaked out."
To get back at Lenny for giving Jack a hard time, Tommy jokingly lights a newspaper and then slides it under a bathroom stall door, causing Lenny to have to stomp it out while his pants are down around his ankles and he's sitting on the toilet (we don't see any nudity or see/hear any bodily functions).
Jack discovers that his crew has left a goose in his locker as a prank.
When Tommy jokingly implies that Linda (who appears tipsy) is a lightweight, she challenges him to see who can empty their glass first. He starts to drink, but she simply pours hers out and thus wins.
Guys pour a huge cooler of water on Jack when they tell him he can't have a baby without having a shower.

JUMP SCENES: None.

MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE): A moderate amount of suspenseful and dramatic music plays in the film.

MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE): The song "Fire" has lyrics that some might consider sexual in nature.

PROFANITY: At least 1 "f" word, 6 "s" words, 8 hells, 4 asses (2 used with "hole"), 1 crap, 1 damn, 4 uses of "Oh God," 3 of "G-damn," 2 of "Oh my God" and 1 use each of "Jesus Christ" and "Swear to God."

SEX/NUDITY: On his first day at the station, Jack is told that a priest comes twice a year to hear confessions, so Jack goes to see him (the man is behind a curtain). We hear the man's voice asking Jack about sex and whether he has impure thoughts. Jack replies that he does (adding "quite a bit"), with the voice telling him to cut back and then asking if Jack's a virgin. Jack nervously laughs and the voice asks if Jack thinks it's funny to fornicate with loose women. We then see that it's Lenny posing as a priest to give Jack a hard time on his first day. One of the other firefighters then jokingly tells Jack to let him know when he finds those loose women.
After Jack tries to explain Dennis' approaching her and her friend by saying some smoke went to his head, Linda suggestively replies, "It doesn't seem to be his head that's the problem."
Linda shows varying amounts of cleavage in various outfits in several scenes.
One of the guys jokingly tells Jack that a woman (Linda) is on the phone, claiming that Jack's the father of her child. Another joke is made asking Jack if he's starting a phone sex business there.
Tommy starts to strip in a bar (as part of losing a bet), but we only see his shirt come off.
A morning after a night of drinking, we see Jack and Linda in bed (suggesting sex and we see her bare shoulders). We then see a head and shoulders shot of them passionately kissing.
Linda shows a little cleavage in her wedding dress.
We see Mike drunk and in his boxers again (when a new rookie shows up).
Lenny and others try to pull the same priest confession bit (from above) that they used on Jack on another rookie (with more talk about fornication and loose women), but the new rookie claims that he can't get married because he's gay (the joke is on Lenny in that the guy isn't gay but is just yanking his chain).
We briefly see a firefighter in his underwear as he quickly gets dressed to respond to a call.
Linda shows a little cleavage.

SMOKING: We see Mike with a cigar in his hand.
Dennis and Linda's friend excuse themselves to go outside to smoke.
Dennis smokes at least 5 times.

TENSE FAMILY SCENES: A firefighter sees his brother be killed in action. We later see the funeral where he and other family members attend.
Linda is upset with Jack after seeing him on TV risking his life to save a person and there are more scenes related to her worrying about him.
Jack's son states that he doesn't want his dad to get hurt anymore.
There's another tense relationship scene between Jack and Linda.
We hear that Mike is divorced.
A woman reacts to news of her husband's death and we then see the funeral scene.

TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT: Firefighters and how they are now viewed post 9/11.
The life of a firefighter as well as that of their spouses and family.
What it means to do something heroic.

VIOLENCE: Jack and others enter a huge building that's on fire and where it's noted that some sort of dust inside might cause explosions. Some of them start to cause the floor to collapse, with Jack trying to hold onto his rope but then falling down through the floor -- several stories -- until he lands quite hard in the debris below (he's knocked out).
While firefighters search for Jack, more explosions go off and more debris falls around them.
Several firefighters slowly walk across a roof (of a building that's on fire), testing it for structural integrity (poking it with tools, etc.). One firefighter then realizes he's hit a weak spot and falls through it into a raging fire, not to be seen again (we hear that he was killed).
Lenny seems somewhat cold/callous about a fellow firefighter's death, saying that he wasn't paying attention. That then leads to Jack going at him and the two must be held apart.
A piece of debris falls and hits Jack on the leg, injuring him.
Steam suddenly shoots out in a boiler room and strikes a firefighter, knocking him to the floor and then blasting him with hot steam. We briefly see his face that's terribly scarred from being scalded, and then see a longer shot later in the hospital (where he comments on having a dead person's skin on his face, suggesting a skin graft, with stitch marks, etc. on his face). Jack's hands are also burned during this as he saves him (we only see bandages on his hands).
While both are intoxicated, Jack attacks Lenny and the two have to be separated.
A firefighter perishes in a fire when his comrades can't get to him due to the intense fire (we don't see the death).

Reviewed September 2, 2004 / Posted October 1, 2004

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