‘LADDER 49’ – FITTING TRIBUTE
TO REAL FIREFIGHTERS
by: Josh Marks
Ladder 49 has something rare in a big budget motion picture—sincerity.
Director Jay Russell (Tuck Everlasting) and writer Lewis
Colick (October Sky) realistically chronicle the life and career of fictional
Ladder 49 opens with Morrison trapped in a 20-story building that is up in flames while Chief Mike Kennedy (John Travolta) tries to coordinate his escape. Struggling to survive, he reflects back on his career as a firefighter.
Morrison starts out as an inexperienced rookie and is quickly introduced to the antics and camaraderie of the firehouse. Chief Kennedy and the firefighters train him and provide support. He eventually marries and has a child. After a tragic incident involving one of his fellow firefighters, Morrison switches to a riskier position. His wife Linda (Jacinda Barrett) worries about his dangerous profession—creating a dilemma for Morrison between his rewarding but risky job and his family concerns.
One of the strengths of this movie, besides the likeable characters, is the realism. It was shot on location in Baltimore and the cast trained together as a unit at the Fire Academy. Whether the firefighters are going through the monotonous routines at the firehouse, unwinding at the bar, or saving a child from a burning building—it all feels genuine.
By the end of the film the empathy for Morrison is so strong and the bond between him and Kennedy so realized that it makes for an emotional roller coaster ride and an overall satisfying experience.
Ladder 49 is simply a good movie. It is an understated and fitting tribute to the real-life firefighters who put their lives on the line every day.