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53-532: Leaving Las Vegas is a 1995 American drama film written and directed by Mike Figgis and based on the 1990 semi-autobiographical novel by John O'Brien . Nicolas Cage stars as a suicidal alcoholic in Los Angeles who, having lost his family and been recently fired, has decided to move to Las Vegas and drink himself to death. He loads a supply of liquor and beer into his BMW and gets drunk as he drives from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. Once there, he develops

106-504: A manic episode and come close to jumping off a building claiming he can fly. Saved from jumping by fellow construction worker Howard, he is transported to a psychiatric hospital. Jones is misdiagnosed as schizophrenic , medicated, and released due to lack of space related to budget cuts at the hospital run by Dr. Catherine Holland. After Jones charms Dr. Elizabeth "Libbie" Bowen as he checks out, she takes an interest in his case as she struggles with her divorce and other patients. While in

159-443: A 16-mm. camera in my face was liberating because it's much smaller, so you don't feel as intimidated by it. It catches those little nuances. Because as soon as that big camera's in your face, you tense up a little bit. Film acting is a learning experience about how to get over that, but I don't know that you ever really do." Figgis had problems because permits were not issued for some street scenes. This caused him to film some scenes on

212-462: A better understanding of the film. According to the taxonomy, combining the type with the genre does not create a separate genre. For instance, the "Horror Drama" is simply a dramatic horror film (as opposed to a comedic horror film). "Horror Drama" is not a genre separate from the horror genre or the drama type. Crime dramas explore themes of truth, justice, and freedom, and contain the fundamental dichotomy of "criminal vs. lawman". Crime films make

265-423: A broader range of moods . To these ends, a primary element in a drama is the occurrence of conflict —emotional, social, or otherwise—and its resolution in the course of the storyline. All forms of cinema or television that involve fictional stories are forms of drama in the broader sense if their storytelling is achieved by means of actors who represent ( mimesis ) characters . In this broader sense, drama

318-434: A couple of trucks, with it all happening around them, and their voices become great". Filming took place over 28 days during the autumn of 1994. Leaving Las Vegas had a limited release on October 27, 1995. As it won awards from multiple film critics’ organizations and earned four Academy Award nominations, the film's release was expanded and it ultimately opened nationwide on February 9, 1996. United Artists distributed

371-456: A fascinating subject that, alas, did not come out in the film." Figgis encouraged the lead actors to experience their characters' ordeals first-hand by extensive research. He told Film Critic : "It was just a week and a half of rehearsal. A lot of conversations. A lot of communication in the year before we made the film. Reading the book. I encouraged them [Cage and Shue] to do their own research, which they wanted to do anyway, and then ultimately

424-580: A live performance, it has also been used to describe the more high-brow and serious end of the dramatic output of radio . The Screenwriters Taxonomy contends that film genres are fundamentally based upon a film's atmosphere, character and story, and therefore the labels "drama" and "comedy" are too broad to be considered a genre. Instead, the taxonomy contends that film dramas are a "Type" of film; listing at least ten different sub-types of film and television drama. Docudramas are dramatized adaptations of real-life events. While not always completely accurate,

477-685: A more central component of the story, along with serious content.  Examples include Three Colours: White (1994), The Truman Show (1998), The Man Without a Past (2002), The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011), and Silver Linings Playbook (2012). Coined by film professor Ken Dancyger , these stories exaggerate characters and situations to the point of becoming fable, legend or fairy tale.  Examples: Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) and Maleficent (2014). Light dramas are light-hearted stories that are, nevertheless, serious in nature.  Examples: The Help (2011) and The Terminal (2004). Psychological dramas are dramas that focus on

530-458: A part." Shue spent time interviewing several Las Vegas prostitutes. The limited budget dictated the production and Figgis ended up filming in super 16mm and composing his own score. He said "We didn't have any money, and we weren't pretending to be something we weren't. We couldn't shut down The Strip to shoot". Cage recounted that he found the use of 16mm liberating as an actor stating in a 1995 interview with Roger Ebert: "As an actor, having

583-633: A person's life and raises their level of importance. The "small things in life" feel as important to the protagonist (and the audience) as the climactic battle in an action film, or the final shootout in a western.  Often, the protagonists deal with multiple, overlapping issues in the course of the film – just as we do in life.  Films of this type/genre combination include: The Wrestler (2008), Fruitvale Station (2013), and Locke (2013). Romantic dramas are films with central themes that reinforce our beliefs about love (e.g.: themes such as "love at first sight", "love conquers all", or "there

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636-478: A rapport; Sera invites Ben to move into her apartment. Ben instructs Sera never to ask him to stop drinking. Ben says he will not criticize her occupation, and she thanks him. At first, the pair are happy but soon become frustrated with the other's behavior. Sera begs Ben to see a doctor, which he refuses to do. While Sera is working, Ben goes to a casino and returns with another prostitute. Sera returns to find them in her bed and throws Ben out. Shortly afterward, Sera

689-418: A romantic relationship with a prostitute played by Elisabeth Shue and the film shifts to include her narrative perspective. O'Brien died from suicide after signing away the film rights to the novel. Leaving Las Vegas was filmed in super 16 mm instead of 35 mm film ; while 16 mm was common for art house films at the time, 35 mm is most commonly used for mainstream film. After limited release in

742-464: A specific approach to drama but, rather, consider drama as a lack of comedic techniques.  Examples: Ghost World (2001) and Wuthering Heights (2011). According to the Screenwriters' Taxonomy, all film descriptions should contain their type (comedy or drama) combined with one (or more) of the eleven super-genres. This combination does not create a separate genre, but rather, provides

795-477: A violent attack by a patient and they strengthen their bond as she comforts him while he struggles with missing the benefits of his mania while on medication and life at the hospital. As romantic attraction between Jones and Bowen grows, she contacts his ex-girlfriend to learn more about his past. Furious at the invasion of his privacy, Jones tries to leave the hospital but Bowen follows him, confesses her feelings for him and they sleep together. Feeling guilty about

848-412: Is a mode distinct from novels, short stories , and narrative poetry or songs . In the modern era, before the birth of cinema or television, "drama" within theatre was a type of play that was neither a comedy nor a tragedy . It is this narrower sense that the film and television industries, along with film studies , adopted. " Radio drama " has been used in both senses—originally transmitted in

901-526: Is a final fight to the death; the idea of the protagonists facing death is a central expectation in a war drama film. In a war film even though the enemy may out-number, or out-power, the hero, we assume that the enemy can be defeated if only the hero can figure out how.   Examples include: Apocalypse Now (1979), Come and See (1985), Braveheart (1995), Life Is Beautiful (1997), Black Book (2006), The Hurt Locker (2008), 1944 (2015), Wildeye (2015), and 1917 (2019). Films in

954-529: Is approached by three college students at the Excalibur Hotel and Casino . She initially rejects their offer by stating that she only "dates" one at a time but eventually acquiesces when offered an increased price. When she enters their hotel room, the students change the deal and demand anal sex, which she refuses. When she attempts to leave, they violently gang-rape her. The following day, after Sera's landlady sees her bruised, she tells Sera to leave by

1007-411: Is charming and rational during a competency hearing. He apologizes for the incidents at the concert and construction site and challenges Bowen's diagnosis because she has never seen him in a depressive cycle. He is released. Bowen gives Jones a ride home from the hearing and he flirts with her while she tries to get more info from him about his illness. Jones reveals he resists treatment because he enjoys

1060-421: Is someone out there for everyone"); the story typically revolves around characters falling into (and out of, and back into) love. Annie Hall (1977), The Notebook (2004), Carol (2015), Her (2013) , and La La Land (2016) are examples of romance dramas. The science fiction drama film is often the story of a protagonist (and their allies) facing something "unknown" that has the potential to change

1113-422: Is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-genre, macro-genre, or micro-genre, such as soap opera , police crime drama , political drama , legal drama , historical drama , domestic drama , teen drama , and comedy-drama (dramedy). These terms tend to indicate a particular setting or subject matter, or they combine a drama's otherwise serious tone with elements that encourage

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1166-623: The Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama and the Academy Award for Best Actress . The film also received nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Director . Ben Sanderson is an alcoholic Hollywood screenwriter who has lost his job, family, and friends. With nothing left to live for and a sizable severance check from his boss, he heads to Las Vegas to drink himself to death. One early morning, he drives drunkenly from his Los Angeles home down to

1219-656: The Las Vegas Strip ; he nearly hits a woman, Sera, on the crosswalk. She chastises him and walks away. Sera is a prostitute working for abusive Latvian pimp Yuri Butsov. Polish mobsters are after Yuri, so he ends his relationship with Sera for fear that the Poles may hurt her. On his second day in Las Vegas, Ben looks for Sera, introduces himself, and offers her $ 500 to come to his room for an hour. Sera agrees, but Ben does not want sex. Instead, they talk and develop

1272-763: The western super-genre often take place in the American Southwest or Mexico, with a large number of scenes occurring outdoors so we can soak in scenic landscapes. Visceral expectations for the audience include fistfights, gunplay, and chase scenes. There is also the expectation of spectacular panoramic images of the countryside including sunsets, wide open landscapes, and endless deserts and sky.   Examples of western dramas include: True Grit (1969) and its 2010 remake , Mad Max (1979), Unforgiven (1992), No Country for Old Men (2007), Django Unchained (2012), Hell or High Water (2016), and Logan (2017). Some film categories that use

1325-493: The Apes (1968), A Clockwork Orange (1971), Blade Runner (1982) and its sequel Blade Runner 2049 (2017), Children of Men (2006), Interstellar (2014), and Arrival (2016). In the sports super-genre, characters will be playing sports. Thematically, the story is often one of "Our Team" versus "Their Team"; their team will always try to win, and our team will show the world that they deserve recognition or redemption;

1378-459: The Las Vegas strip in one take to avoid the police, which Figgis said benefited production and the authenticity of the acting, remarking "I've always hated the convention of shooting on a street, and then having to stop the traffic, and then having to tell the actors, 'Well, there's meant to be traffic here, so you're going to have to shout.' And they're shouting, but it's quiet and they feel really stupid, because it's unnatural. You put them up against

1431-478: The United States on October 27, 1995, Leaving Las Vegas was released nationwide on February 9, 1996, receiving strong praise from critics and audiences with many lauding the performances from Cage and Shue, the tone, the themes and Figgis's direction and screenplay. Cage received the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama and the Academy Award for Best Actor , while Shue was nominated for

1484-407: The audience jump through a series of mental "hoops"; it is not uncommon for the crime drama to use verbal gymnastics to keep the audience and the protagonist on their toes.   Examples of crime dramas include: The Godfather (1972), Chinatown (1974), Goodfellas (1990), The Usual Suspects (1995), The Big Short (2015), and Udta Punjab (2016). According to Eric R. Williams ,

1537-440: The basis for a film. Despite basing most of his screenplay on O'Brien's novel, Figgis spoke of a personal attachment with the novel, stating "Anything I would do would be because I had a sympathetic feeling towards it. That's why I did Mr. Jones , because I think manic-depression is a fascinating, sad, and amazing phenomenon. It's not a coincidence that some of the greatest artists have been manic-depressives. That made it, to me,

1590-466: The benefits of his mania and despite Bowen's efforts to convince him, he stops taking his prescribed lithium . Howard, who meets Jones again and is worried about him despite his cheerful and friendly mood, contacts Bowen who discovers Jones severely depressed at his apartment. She helps him check into her hospital. Bowen begins helping Jones with psychotherapy and he starts to open up. Howard visits Jones and they become friends. Jones rescues Bowen during

1643-533: The characters' inner life and psychological problems. Examples: Requiem for a Dream (2000), Oldboy (2003), Babel (2006), Whiplash (2014), and Anomalisa (2015) Satire can involve humor, but the result is typically sharp social commentary that is anything but funny. Satire often uses irony or exaggeration to expose faults in society or individuals that influence social ideology.  Examples: Thank You for Smoking (2005) and Idiocracy (2006). Straight drama applies to those that do not attempt

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1696-481: The construction site where he previously tried to jump off the building. This time Jones is able to calm himself just as Bowen shows up. With Bowen's help Jones has finally accepted the need to treat his condition and the two happily reconcile. To prepare for the film, Richard Gere, Mike Figgis and Eric Roth studied bipolar disorder. Gere met with several people who have the disorder to gain insight and knowledge on what to accurately portray. Michelle Pfeiffer gave up

1749-473: The course of the film. Thematically, horror films often serve as morality tales, with the killer serving up violent penance for the victims' past sins.  Metaphorically, these become battles of Good vs. Evil or Purity vs. Sin.  Psycho (1960), Halloween (1978), The Shining (1980), The Conjuring (2013), It (2017), mother! (2017), and Hereditary (2018) are examples of horror drama films. Day-in-the-life films takes small events in

1802-464: The end of the week. Sera receives a call from Ben, who is on his deathbed. Sera visits Ben, the two make love, and he dies shortly thereafter. Later, Sera explains to her therapist that she accepted Ben for who he was and loved him. Mike Figgis based Leaving Las Vegas on a 1990 autobiographical novel by John O'Brien, who died by suicide in April 1994, shortly after finding out his novel was being used as

1855-481: The family as a whole reacts to a central challenge. There are four micro-genres for the family drama: Family Bond , Family Feud , Family Loss , and Family Rift . A sub-type of drama films that uses plots that appeal to the heightened emotions of the audience. Melodramatic plots often deal with "crises of human emotion, failed romance or friendship, strained familial situations, tragedy, illness, neuroses, or emotional and physical hardship". Film critics sometimes use

1908-556: The female lead to take on the part of Catwoman in Batman Returns . Although it was not released until 1993, most of the filming began to took place in November 1991 and was entirely finished in early 1992. The film was released to mixed reviews; movie historian Leonard Maltin remarked that "Gere is fine, but his onscreen behavior turns this into The Jester of Tides . " Indeed, Gere received praise for his performance as

1961-500: The film high marks. Ebert wrote, "If there are two unplayable roles in the stock repertory, they are the drunk and the whore with a heart of gold . Cage and Shue make these cliches into unforgettable people." Ebert named the film "best of 1995", and would eventually rank it as the eighth best film of the 1990s. Leonard Klady from Variety wrote Leaving Las Vegas was "certainly among a scant handful of films that have taken an unflinching view of dependency." Video cassettes and DVD of

2014-605: The film in North America, while RCV Film Distribution and Atalanta Filmes handled the European release, and 21st Century Film Corporation distributed the film in Australia. MGM/UA reportedly spent less than $ 2 million marketing the film, which included TV spots and ads in industry publications. The film was a success at the box office, particularly considering its budget, grossing $ 49.8 million. On Rotten Tomatoes ,

2067-481: The film received an approval rating of 91% based on 53 reviews, with an average rating of 7.7/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Oscar-awarded Nicolas Cage finds humanity in his character as it bleeds away in this no frills, exhilaratingly dark portrait of destruction." It also holds a score of 82 out of 100 on Metacritic , based on 23 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". Roger Ebert from Chicago Sun-Times and Rick Groen from The Globe and Mail gave

2120-600: The film were distributed by MGM Home Entertainment . 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. Australian and UK editions later were released. The DVD contains a supplemental "Hidden Page" menu feature. The film was also released on Blu-ray, HD DVD, and LaserDisc. A soundtrack album, consisting mainly of film score composed and performed by Mike Figgis,

2173-416: The future of humanity; this unknown may be represented by a villain with incomprehensible powers, a creature we do not understand, or a scientific scenario that threatens to change the world; the science fiction story forces the audience to consider the nature of human beings, the confines of time or space or the concepts of human existence in general. Examples include: Metropolis (1927), Planet of

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2226-717: The general facts are more-or-less true. The difference between a docudrama and a documentary is that in a documentary it uses real people to describe history or current events; in a docudrama it uses professionally trained actors to play the roles in the current event, that is "dramatized" a bit. Examples: Black Mass (2015) and Zodiac (2007). Unlike docudramas, docu-fictional films combine documentary and fiction, where actual footage or real events are intermingled with recreated scenes. Examples: Interior. Leather Bar (2013) and Your Name Here (2015). Many otherwise serious productions have humorous scenes and characters intended to provide comic relief . A comedy drama has humor as

2279-416: The hallmark of fantasy drama films is "a sense of wonderment, typically played out in a visually intense world inhabited by mythic creatures, magic or superhuman characters. Props and costumes within these films often belie a sense of mythology and folklore – whether ancient, futuristic, or other-worldly. The costumes, as well as the exotic world, reflect the personal, inner struggles that the hero faces in

2332-429: The inappropriate relationship, Bowen confesses to Shaye and he insists she stop treating Jones and seeing him at all. Jones is transferred to another hospital but soon checks himself out. Upset over this and the suicide of another one of her patients, Amanda Chang, Bowen quits her job. Jones shows up at Howard's house. Howard deduces that Jones is having another manic episode and contacts Bowen when Jones takes off towards

2385-417: The legal system. Films that focus on dramatic events in history. Focuses on doctors, nurses, hospital staff, and ambulance saving victims and the interactions of their daily lives. Focuses on teenage characters, especially where a secondary school setting plays a role. Mr. Jones (1993 film) Mr. Jones, a charismatic and dynamic man, talks his way into a job on a construction site, only to have

2438-579: The midst of another manic episode, Jones impulsively spends large amounts of money on a date and jumps up onto the stage during a concert performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony and starts conducting. Arrested, sent back to the hospital, and diagnosed correctly by Dr. Bowen as having bipolar disorder , he reveals to Bowen and her colleague Dr. Patrick Shaye that he has been in and out of hospitals for twenty years but always refuses treatment for his condition. Bowen tries to have Jones involuntarily committed for treatment, but benefiting from manic energy Jones

2491-534: The story does not always have to involve a team. The story could also be about an individual athlete or the story could focus on an individual playing on a team. Examples of this genre/type include:  The Hustler (1961), Hoosiers (1986), Remember the Titans (2000), and Moneyball (2011). War films typically tells the story of a small group of isolated individuals who – one by one – get killed (literally or metaphorically) by an outside force until there

2544-525: The story." Examples of fantasy dramas include The Lord of the Rings (2001–2003), Pan's Labyrinth (2006), Where the Wild Things Are (2009), and Life of Pi (2012). Horror dramas often involve the central characters isolated from the rest of society. These characters are often teenagers or people in their early twenties (the genre's central audience) and are eventually killed off during

2597-578: The term "pejoratively to connote an unrealistic, pathos-filled, camp tale of romance or domestic situations with stereotypical characters (often including a central female character) that would directly appeal to feminine audiences". Also called "women's movies", "weepies", tearjerkers, or "chick flicks". If they are targeted to a male audience, then they are called "guy cry" films. Often considered "soap-opera" drama. Focuses on religious characters, mystery play, beliefs, and respect. Character development based on themes involving criminals, law enforcement and

2650-465: The three of us got together and just started talking...talking about anything, not necessarily about the film or the script, about anything that came up." Cage did research by binge drinking in Dublin for two weeks and had a friend videotape him so he could study his speech. He also visited hospitalized chronic alcoholics. He said "it was one of the most enjoyable pieces of research I've ever had to do for

2703-407: The troubled title character. Roger Ebert noted that the film would have been better if the romance plot between Jones and Libbie was left out, since it appeared forced and contrived. The movie debuted at No. 7 at the box office. Rotten Tomatoes reported that 43% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 14 reviews, with an average rating of 5.20/10. On Metacritic , the film has

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2756-498: The word "comedy" or "drama" are not recognized by the Screenwriters Taxonomy as either a film genre or a film type. For instance, "Melodrama" and "Screwball Comedy" are considered Pathways,  while "romantic comedy" and "family drama" are macro-genres. A macro-genre in the Screenwriters Taxonomy. These films tell a story in which many of the central characters are related. The story revolves around how

2809-509: Was released November 7, 1995. The soundtrack also included three jazz standards performed by Sting and excerpts of dialogue from the film. A version of " Lonely Teardrops " performed by Michael McDonald that features in the film is not included. All tracks are written by Mike Figgis except as noted Drama film In film and television , drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction ) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind

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