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Ladder 49 Our rating: Your rating: 1 2 3 4 Your Comments: see all MPAA rating: PG-13 Theater release: October 01, 2004 by Touchstone Pictures Directed by: Jay Russell Runtime: 1 hour 55 minutes Cast: Joaquin Phoenix (Jack Morrison), John Travolta (Chief Kennedy), Jacinda Barrett (Linda Morrison), Morris Chestnut (Tommy Drake), Kevin Daniels (Don Miller), Robert Patrick (Lenny Richter) Related: Talk About It/Family Corner

One of the most enduring images in the weeks and months after Sept. 11, 2001, centered on the cleanup at the wreckage of the World Trade Center towers at Ground Zero. As the tons of debris were gradually removed, periodically the body of a victim from the attack would be uncovered. At that point work would stop at the site and an impromptu memorial service would be held for the body, often a firefighter or policeman who was killed during the rescue effort.

The shadows of 9/11 certainly fall on Ladder 49, the first movie about firemen to be released since that tragedy. But it's also a story that can stand very well on its own, a compelling tribute to all of those who would "go into a building when everyone else is running out."

Jack and Linda Morrison (Joaquin Phoenix and Jacinda Barrett) enjoy a romantic dinner

Joaquin Phoenix, best known for his Oscar-nominated role as the dastardly Emperor Commodus in Gladiator, gets to play the hero this time as Baltimore firefighter Jack Morrison. We are first introduced to Jack during a spectacular blaze in a 20-story waterfront warehouse. Jack is part of the search-and-rescue team, entering the burning building to locate any survivors and help them escape.

As he is lowering one man to safety, Jack's own life is endangered when the floor he is standing on collapses, sending him tumbling down several stories and trapping him inside. Injured and unable to get out on his own, Jack must wait while the rest of the team tries to get through the wreckage and rescue him.

John Travolta, Kevin Chapman and Joaquin Phoenix as Baltimore firefighters

This touches off a series of flashbacks, as we watch the progress of Jack's career from his very first day in the firehouse. The action frequently switches back to the "present," as Jack communicates with his chief, Mike Kennedy (John Travolta), and works his way to a safer spot while his fellow firefighters struggle to locate him before the building is completely destroyed.

So we see Jack battle his first blaze, working his way into an apartment building with a firehose, careful not to step on the horde of rats who are making a hasty exit. He meets Linda (Jacinda Barrett) in a grocery store that same day, and quickly falls in love, gets married and has a family.

Along the way he also makes the choice to move to the search-and-rescue team, sees some of his comrades injured and even killed in the line of duty, and risks his own life to make a dramatic rescues, even receiving a special commendation. And there is the camaraderie of the firehouse, where good-natured practical jokes help forge stronger bonds.

Jack and Chief Kennedy (John Travolta) fighting fires

But because of the inherent danger of her husband's profession, Linda occasionally wonders if Jack might want to find a safer line of work; one of his kids even says, "I don't want you to get hurt anymore." But Jack presses on, believing he can make a difference in his small part of the world.

The major shortcoming of the film is its limited scope. We get to know Jack Morrison pretty well, but none of the other characters are even superficially explored or make even a minor impression. For example, another fireman does most of the sweet talking in the scene where Jack first meets Linda, but I honestly can't remember which one it was. Nobody seems to have much of a life away from the firehouse, unless it's the neighborhood tavern where the entire company always seems to be blowing off steam. Even Jack's family is really in the background for most of the film, popping up periodically to bring him back down to earth.

And while he is the most famous name in the cast, Travolta's role is surprisingly small, nothing more than joining in on a few firehouse pranks, providing an occasional pep talk for his charges and speaking at funerals.

Jack gets caught in the flames

Thus much of the burden of carrying this film rests on Phoenix's shoulders, but he is up to the task. Even though his performance is often surprisingly subdued, it's obvious that Jack is a man in love with his job, who truly gets a kick out of helping others.

And director Jay Russell (Tuck Everlasting, My Dog Skip) and his special effects team make up for the lack of character development with some truly thrilling firefighting sequences. The warehouse fire is simply spectacular, and other scenes do an excellent job of showing us the real danger that these men must face in the line of duty.

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