Leaving Las Vegas (1995)
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A suicidal alcoholic Hollywood screenwriter travels to Las Vegas to drink himself to death, where he forms an unexpected bond with a local prostitute.
The story
Ben Sanderson is an alcoholic Hollywood screenwriter who has lost his job, family, and friends. With nothing left to live for, and with a sizable severance check from his boss, he heads to Las Vegas where he plans on drinking himself to death. While there, he encounters Sera, a prostitute working for an abusive pimp. Despite their vastly different lives, the two begin to develop a rapport and a romantic relationship. Ben seeks a connection rather than sex, and the two agree to a pact of mutual non-judgment regarding their respective lifestyles as they navigate their shared isolation in the desert city.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Ben Sanderson, a Hollywood screenwriter who has lost his career and family, travels to Las Vegas with the intention of drinking himself to death. He encounters Sera, a prostitute, and the two begin a relationship based on mutual tolerance of their circumstances. However, the dynamic becomes strained as Sera tries to convince Ben to seek help while he continues his self-destructive path. The narrative takes a dark turn when Sera is brutally gang-raped by three customers at a nearby hotel. The following day, she learns that Ben is on his deathbed. She visits him, and they share a final intimate moment before he dies. In the aftermath, Sera tells her therapist that she accepted Ben for who he was and loved him.
- First release year
- 1995
- Runtime (minutes)
- 111
- Production countries
- United States; United Kingdom
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Mike Figgis
- Writers
- Mike Figgis · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Nicolas Cage · Ben Sanderson; Elisabeth Shue · Sera; Julian Sands · Yuri Butsov; Richard Lewis · Peter; Steven Weber · Marc Nussbaum; Emily Procter · Debbie; Valeria Golino · Terri; Thomas Kopache · Mr. Simpson
- Genres
- romantic drama
- Themes
- alcoholism; depression; despair; human connection
- Tone and mood
- dark; unflinching
- Premise and plot tags
- independent film; romance; drama
- Source material / true-story basis
- 1990 semi-autobiographical novel by John O'Brien
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 91% · scale: percentage · review count: 54
- Awards and nominations
- Golden Globe Award · Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama · win; Academy Award · Best Actor · win; Golden Globe Award · Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama · nomination; Academy Award · Best Actress · nomination; Academy Award · Best Adapted Screenplay · nomination; Academy Award · Best Director · nomination
- Production trivia
- Nicolas Cage performed research by binge drinking in Dublin for two weeks.; The film was shot over 28 days during the autumn of 1994.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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