Ladder 49

We saw this the day before my birthday - and saved Shark Tale for my birthday BUT I ended up in the ER with a huge kidney stone blocking my kidney the evening of my birthday so NO MOVIE FOR YOU. Hospital and surgery and junk and we were off movies for a bit.

The star is Joaquin Phoenix (who we loved in Signs) and also John Travolta (Pulp Fiction... yeah he's been in other stuff but Pulp Fiction was his best). We were torn by the formulaic tone to the movie - thin characters and predictable events. But because of 9/11 this movie takes on a whole new, deep purpose. You actually understand much more about what being a firefighter really involves. We all know it's dangerous, we saw BackDraft, we have seen dozens of tv shows and rescue movies but this one is laid out so much better. The dangers feel more real, and what the firefighters families go through is much better understood.

This is a very well done, important movie for everyone to see.

We give it a 4 for purpose behind it and content.

Pueblo Tinseltown was the theater.