Leaving Las Vegas

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For other uses, see Leaving Las Vegas (disambiguation).
Leaving Las Vegas

Theatrical release poster
Directed by Mike Figgis
Produced by Lila Cazès
Annie Stewart
Written by John O'Brien (novel)
Mike Figgis (screenplay)
Starring Nicolas Cage
Elisabeth Shue
Julian Sands
Richard Lewis
Valeria Golino
Music by Mike Figgis
Cinematography Declan Quinn
Editing by John Smith
Distributed by United Artists
Release date(s) October 27, 1995 (limited)
February 9, 1996 (wide)
Running time 112 min.
Country United States
Language English
Budget $4,000,000 (estimated)
Gross revenue $32,029,928
Official website
Allmovie profile
IMDb profile

Leaving Las Vegas is a 1995 romantic drama film about a relationship between a suicidal alcoholic and a prostitute from Las Vegas, starring Nicolas Cage and Elisabeth Shue. Ben Sanderson is a late-stage alcoholic who has hit rock bottom. Trashing all personal and professional ties to his L.A. existence, he sets off for the lights of Vegas on a mission: to drink himself to death. There he meets Sera, a beautiful, seen-it-all hooker. From the moment Ben and Sera connect, they form a unique bond based upon unconditional acceptance and mutual respect that will change each of them forever. The film was directed and written by Mike Figgis, based on a semi-autobiographical novel by John O'Brien. Two weeks after the production of the film had started, O'Brien committed suicide. A halt of the project was considered, but work on the film was continued as a memorial of sorts.

Leaving Las Vegas was filmed in super 16mm[1] instead of 35 mm film format, which is the basic film gauge most commonly used for motion pictures, although 16 mm is relatively common for art house films. After a limited release in the United States on October 27, 1995, the film received high critical praise. It made its nation-wide release on February 9, 1996, with moderate box office receipts, presumably because the film did not have a big marketing scheme, and it was fairly unknown until after the Academy Awards Ceremony of 1996. The critical success of the film did not surface immediately, however it was one of the most popular films for rental and sale in 1996 and 1997.

Nicolas Cage received an Academy Award for Best Actor for his work in this film. Elisabeth Shue was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress and the film also received nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Director (Figgis).

Contents

[edit] Cast

[edit] Plot

Ben Sanderson (Cage) is a depressed alcoholic Hollywood screenwriter who has lost everything and almost everyone due to his incessant drinking. After finally losing his family and his job, he rids himself of all his possessions, and decides to commit suicide by alcohol consumption in Las Vegas. After arriving, he meets Sera (Shue), a prostitute, and a deep friendship and understanding develops between them.

The film begins with Ben walking into a restaurant and borrowing some money from his colleague Peter (Richard Lewis). He then proceeds directly to a bar and starts drinking. He attempts to pick up a pretty girl (Valeria Golino) and fails. After leaving the bar he visits a prostitute, and succeeds only in getting his wedding ring stolen. (It shows up again on his finger later in the film) He is then fired from his job as a screenwriter for alcohol related issues and is given a large severance package. He is then asked what is he going to do now and he states "I think I'll move out to Las Vegas". He then comes home and starts emptying his house by stuffing bedding in garbage bags, and creating a bonfire in his backyard on which he burns photographs, clothes, and other possessions. He then leaves for Las Vegas. As he drives drunkenly down the Las Vegas Strip, he almost hits a woman in the crosswalk (who turns out to be Sera) who chastises him verbally before walking away. Ben then checks himself into a sleazy motel called The Whole Year Inn. However, as he looks at this the wording changes to "The Hole You're In". This is perhaps the signifier of the subtle tale that the film has to tell.

In the meantime, the film introduces Sera (Elisabeth Shue), a Las Vegas prostitute who works for a pimp, Yuri Butso (Julian Sands), a Latvian immigrant. Yuri and Sera "share a volatile relationship where Yuri is the dominator and Sera is the masochist."[2] Russian mobsters are after Yuri for an unknown matter; therefore, Yuri breaks his relationship with Sera in fear that Russians may hurt her. It frees Sera to continue to build her relationship with Ben.

On his second day in Las Vegas, Ben finds Sera, on the same street where he met her, introduces himself and offers her $500 to go to his room for an hour. Sera agrees to go to his room, but she gets confused when Ben does not want to have sex with her. Instead, they just talk, and in the process they create an odd relationship with each other. Their relationship, however, is ultimately doomed; Sera has to promise Ben that she will never ask him to stop drinking, and Ben is not allowed to criticize Sera's occupation. At first the two are generally stable. Ben states that he is "totally at ease with this (Sera's prostitution)." However, after spending some time together, they both become more and more frustrated with the other's behavior. Over time, Sera attempts to get Ben to eat healthy but Ben refuses to even notice these actions as he stumbles for more alcohol. Finally, Sera becomes so fed up with Ben's alcoholism that she begs him to see a doctor. Ben, furious but far too intoxicated (possibly brain damaged at this point in the film, evidenced by his increasingly incoherent speech patterns) to express his feelings, goes out and brings another prostitute back to Sera's house. Sera returns home to find them together and throws Ben out. Shortly afterwards, she is raped and beaten by three teenagers, and the injuries she sustains make her occupation publicly obvious. After being evicted, Sera receives a telephone call from Ben, who is on his deathbed. She goes to visit Ben, and they have sex for the first time. They fall asleep, and when Ben wakes up, he looks across at Sera, who is lying on top of him, and dies while holding her as she sleeps.

Throughout the movie, there are cut scenes to Sera explaining "what happened" to an unknown person (most likely a therapist).

[edit] Production

Mike Figgis masterminded the film, not only directing but writing the script and composing the score. In April 1994, shortly before preproduction of the film began, John O'Brien, author of the semi-autobiographical novel this film is based on, committed suicide.[3][4] As a result, the production was stopped temporarily[citation needed]. Throughout production, Figgis had problems because permits were not issued for some street scenes.[5] This caused him to film some scenes in one shot to avoid any police contact.[5] Cage researched his character by binge drinking in Dublin for two weeks and had a friend to videotape him under the influence so he could study his speech patterns.[6] He later admitted that "it was one of the most enjoyable pieces of research I've ever had to do for a part."[6]

The film was shot in Burbank, California, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Laughlin, Nevada, and Halifax, Nova Scotia in Canada. Due to the low budget - approximately $4,000,000 - Figgis filmed in the super 16mm format.[1] The film had a limited release on October 27, 1995. After receiving high praise from critics and four Academy Award nominations, the film was released nationwide February 9, 1996. The United Artists company distributed the film in North America, while RCV Film Distribution with Atalanta Filmes distributed the film in Europe and in Australia 21st Century Film Corporation distributed the film.

[edit] Reception

Leaving Las Vegas was received well by critics, scoring 82 metapoints out of 100.[7] Critics such as Roger Ebert from Chicago Sun-Times and Rick Groen from Canadian The Globe and Mail gave the film high marks. Ebert wrote, "They (the characters) are the drunk and the whore with a heart of gold. Cage and Shue make these clichés into unforgettable people." Ebert named the film 'best of 1995' and included it with his 'best of the decade' list (Leaving Las Vegas was #8). [8] Leonard Klady from Variety said Leaving Las Vegas was "certainly among a scant handful of films that have taken an unflinching view of dependency."[9] On Rotten Tomatoes, the film received 94% overall approval out of 31 reviews.[10] Overall, the film was a success at the box office grossing $32,029,928.[11]

[edit] Awards

Award wins
Award nominations

[edit] Differences from the novel

The screenplay takes much of the actual dialogue from the book. Nearly every line that is spoken by Ben or Sera is repeated in the film; however, there are some differences:

  • The character of Yuri in the film is Al in the novel, where he is of Middle Eastern descent and whose full name is Gamal Fathi.
  • In the novel, Sera is raped by the teenage students before meeting Ben, not after.
  • In the scene where Ben asks Sera to dinner, the film shows her resisting him at first, going to Yuri then finding him again. In the novel, she accepts dinner right away.
  • In the novel, we learn that Ben's final check was approximately $5,000. He also says that the only reason he said "I'm sorry!" to his boss was due to his boss crying, as they were good friends.
  • In the novel, Ben is already fired when the narration begins.
  • After being caught cheating on Sera at the end of the movie, Sera throws Ben out. In the novel, she just cries as he goes to the couch.
  • When Ben and Sera are arguing about Ben's health near the end, he eats nothing. In the novel, he eats all the rice she gives him in his bowl.

[edit] VHS and DVD releases

The video cassettes and DVD of the film were distributed by MGM.[12] The video cassettes were distributed on November 12, 1996 in two languages, English and Russian, while the DVD was distributed on January 1, 1998 in English for USA and Canada only, later Australian and UK editions were released.[13][14] The DVD contains a supplemental "Hidden Page" menu feature.[12]The film is also released on LaserDisc and HD DVD.

[edit] Spoofs

The success of Leaving Las Vegas has had a moderate effect on the media. It spawned a direct-spoof, Eating Las Vegas, about a binge eater who travels to Las Vegas to eat himself to death, and was referenced in the addiction documentary Super Size Me (2004).

[edit] Soundtrack

The following is a list of songs featured in the original soundtrack of the film.[15]

  1. "Intro Dialogue" (Nicolas Cage, Elisabeth Shue) – 0:32
  2. "Angel Eyes" (Sting) – 4:02
  3. "Are You Desirable?" (John Doe, Brian Smith) – 2:43
  4. "Ben & Bill" (Nicolas Cage) – 0:30
  5. "Leaving Las Vegas" (Mike Figgis) – 3:12
  6. "Sera's Dark Side" (Mike Figgis) – 1:26
  7. "Mara" (Mike Figgis) – 4:28
  8. "Burlesque" (Mike Figgis) – 2:40
  9. "On The Street" (Nicolas Cage, Elisabeth Shue) – 0:28
  10. "Bossa Vega" (Mike Figgis) – 3:14
  11. "Ben Pawns His Rolex/Sera Talks To Her Shrink" (Nicolas Cage, Elisabeth Shue) – 0:37
  12. "My One And Only Love" (Sting) – 3:36
  13. "Sera Invites Ben To Stay" (Nicolas Cage, Elisabeth Shue) – 0:31
  14. "Come Rain Or Come Shine" (Don Heley) – 3:41
  15. "Ben And Sera - Theme" (Nicolas Cage, Elisabeth Shue) – 2:18
  16. "Ridiculous" (Nicolas Cage) – 1:03
  17. "Biker Bar" (Mike Figgis) – 3:44
  18. "Ben's Hell" (Mike Figgis) – 1:37
  19. "It's A Lonesome Old Town" (Sting) – 2:37
  20. "Blues For Ben" (Mike Figgis) – 1:56
  21. "Get Out" (Mike Figgis) – 1:49
  22. "Reunited" (Mike Figgis) – 3:28
  23. "Sera Talks To The Cab Driver" (Elisabeth Shue, Lou Rawls) – 0:23
  24. "She Really Loved Him " (Mike Figgis) – 1:17
  25. "I Won't Be Going South For A While" (The Palladinos) – 4:27

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b Roger Ebert. Cage relishes operatic role in tragic 'Leaving Las Vegas'. Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved on 2006-12-09.
  2. ^ Leaving Las Vegas. HollywoodBitchSlap. Retrieved on 2006-12-09.
  3. ^ John O'Brien's bittersweet departure | Leaving Las Vegas | Movie Commentary | News + Notes | Entertainment Weekly
  4. ^ FILM REVIEW;Lurching Through a Life Of Alcoholic Abandon. NY Times. Retrieved on 2007-01-16.
  5. ^ a b Ryan Lampe. 'Leaving Las Vegas' reminds us performance counts. The Stanford Daily. Retrieved on 2006-12-09.
  6. ^ a b Cage Did Serious Research For Alcoholic Role. WENN. Retrieved on 2006-12-09.
  7. ^ The score from Leaving Las Vegas. MetaCritic.com. Retrieved on 2006-12-09.
  8. ^ Roger Ebert (1995-11-10). 'Leaving Las Vegas'. Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved on 2006-12-09.
  9. ^ Leonard Klady (1995-09-18). Leaving Las Vegas. Variety.com. Retrieved on 2006-12-09.
  10. ^ Leaving Las Vegas. Rotten Tomatoes.com. Retrieved on 2006-12-09.
  11. ^ 'Leaving Las Vegas'. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved on 2006-12-09.
  12. ^ a b DVD details for Leaving Las Vegas. IMDB.com. Retrieved on 2006-01-08.
  13. ^ Leaving Las Vegas (1995) VHS. Amazon.com. Retrieved on 2006-01-08.
  14. ^ Leaving Las Vegas (1995) DVD. Amazon.com. Retrieved on 2006-01-08.
  15. ^ Leaving Las Vegas CD. CD Universe.com. Retrieved on 2006-12-09.

[edit] External links