X
  • 2004
  • PG-13
  • Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
  • 1 h 55 m
  • 2004
  • PG-13
  • Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
  • 1 h 55 m
Ladder 49

Summary When a firefighter (Phoenix) is trapped in the worst blaze of his career, his life and the things he holds important -- family, dignity, courage -- come into focus. As his fellow firemen of Ladder 49 do all they can to rescue him, Jack's life hangs in the balance. (Touchstone Pictures/Beacon Pictures)

Directed By: Jay Russell

Written By: Lewis Colick

  • 2004
  • PG-13
  • Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
  • 1 h 55 m
  • 2004
  • PG-13
  • Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
  • 1 h 55 m

Ladder 49

Metascore Mixed or Average Based on 32 Critic Reviews
47
User Score Generally Favorable Based on 39 User Ratings
7.6
My Score
Hover and click to give a rating Saved

Summary When a firefighter (Phoenix) is trapped in the worst blaze of his career, his life and the things he holds important -- family, dignity, courage -- come into focus. As his fellow firemen of Ladder 49 do all they can to rescue him, Jack's life hangs in the balance. (Touchstone Pictures/Beacon Pictures)

Directed By: Jay Russell

Written By: Lewis Colick

Top Cast

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Critic Reviews

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Metascore
Mixed or Average Based on 32 Critic Reviews
47
25% Positive
8 Reviews
56% Mixed
18 Reviews
19% Negative
6 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Mixed or Average Based on 32 Critic Reviews
47
25% Positive
8 Reviews
56% Mixed
18 Reviews
19% Negative
6 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
88
Because it is attentive to these human elements, Ladder 49 draws from the action scenes instead of depending on them. Phoenix, Travolta, Barrett and the others are given characters with dimension, so that what happens depends on their decisions, not on the plot.
By Roger Ebert FULL REVIEW
70
Offers audiences a real rarity in theaters these days: a good, honest cry.
By Ann Hornaday FULL REVIEW
60
This resolutely old-fashioned movie is less a drama of the streets than a kind of recruiting film.
By Bill Gallo FULL REVIEW
50
Moves you with a couple of its grittier dramatic choices, but overall the film feels cheap, tugging a little too hard on the almost instinctual pride you feel when seeing a hero in fireman's outfit.
FULL REVIEW
50
Instead of cashing in on barely healed wounds, Ladder 49 could have taken a different cue from pornography and gone the way of "Boogie Nights," a fascinating, difficult and honest glimpse into another storied profession.
FULL REVIEW
30
The men in this movie are little more than beer ad cliches going through Ford tough motions as though trapped in a bad country music video. There's not a realistic moment or character or performance in the picture.
By Rick Kisonak FULL REVIEW
20
What makes this nonsense more galling than usual is that while Ladder 49 might have started out as a heartfelt attempt to honor those in the line of literal fire, it weighs in as an attempt to exploit their post-Sept. 11 symbolism.
By Manohla Dargis FULL REVIEW

User Reviews

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User Score
Generally Favorable Based on 39 User Ratings
7.6
69% Positive
27 Ratings
26% Mixed
10 Ratings
5% Negative
2 Ratings

User Reviews

 View All
User Score
Generally Favorable Based on 39 User Ratings
7.6
69% Positive
27 Ratings
26% Mixed
10 Ratings
5% Negative
2 Ratings

There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.

Details

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Production Company Touchstone Pictures, Beacon Pictures, Casey Silver Productions, Fantail Films Inc.
Release Date Oct 1, 2004
Duration 1 h 55 m
Rating PG-13
Genres
Tagline A bond forged by fire is never broken.
View All Details

Awards

MovieGuide Awards
• 2 Nominations
Teen Choice Awards
• 2 Nominations
BMI Film & TV Awards
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination

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