Comprehensive information and links about Ladder 49

Ladder 49 is a 2004 action movie about firefighters. It was directed by Jay Russell, and as the first fictional firefighter film since the September 11, 2001 attacks, it attempts to celebrate the firefighting profession. Joaquin Phoenix, who plays the film's protagonist, worked with the Baltimore fire department for a month to get a feel for the character.

, with Jack Morrison (Phoenix), trapped after saving a man's life in a burning building while the rest of Baltimore's crew, lead by Captain Mike Kennedy (Travolta), tries to rescue him. Interspersed with Kennedy's efforts to rescue Jack are a series of flashbacks showing Jack Morrison's transition from rookie to veteran, his meeting with the woman who would become his wife, his relationship with his children, and the bond he formed with his fellow firefighters, some of whom give their lives in the line of duty. Although the film does not feature a villain or antagonist (it does not ever mention the 911 attacks, terrorists, or even arson as a cause of any of the fires seen), Jack's job becomes more dangerous and challenging as the years pass, which is both problematic and rewarding for him. Before the climax, we see Jack awarded the Medal of Honor for saving a young girl's life on Christmas Eve. By the end of the film, seeing that there is no hope, Jack tells Kennedy to withdraw his men, and leave him to die. Jack is lost in the line of duty, and the last scenes include not only Jack's funeral scenes but also scenes of his fellow firefighters continuing their work, as their lives and their job must go on.