message in the movies By Rev. Bruce Batchelor Glader

                      
          
Ladder 49   Rated PG-13
Directed by Jay Russell. Starring Joaquin Phoenix, John Travolta.

Photo © Touchstone Pictures
The shadow of the Twin Towers can be seen in virtually every scene in Ladder 49, a well-made film about the day-to-day routine of a Baltimore Fire Department.  September 11, 2001 was a day in which many of New York’s finest chose to walk into a burning building while everyone else was walking out, rescuing many while paying the ultimate price.  The film tells the story of Jack Morrison, a young man assigned to the search and rescue squad.  We follow Jack’s career from his days as a rookie (and his first encounter with a major fire) and witness the growing camaraderie of the fire department.  There is also a very tender story of Jack’s courtship and marriage, as well as true-to-life depictions of practical jokes in the station house and the personal devastation that accompanies the loss of life while on the job.  Aside from one occurrence of a very bad word, this is a family friendly film that celebrates heroism, sacrifice, and honor.  I am not persuaded that firemen have to die in order to embody the values of the profession, but there are two funerals and one major immolation before the end credits roll.  While Ladder 49’s story is nothing special, the cast is very good and the characterizations ring true.  There is a genuine decency about this film that is its greatest virtue.

Pitchfork Rating: Four halos  (A positive film about firefighters that honors a vocation of service.)   Two pitchforks. (One instance of extreme language; quite a bit of overimbibing; mild intimations of sexual activity.)

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