Leaving Las Vegas
Encyclopedia
Leaving Las Vegas is a 1995 romantic drama film directed and written by Mike Figgis
, based on a semi-autobiographical novel
of the same name
by John O'Brien
. Nicolas Cage
stars as a suicidal
alcoholic
who has ended his personal and professional life to drink himself to death in Las Vegas
. While there, he forms a relationship with a hardened prostitute, played by Elisabeth Shue
, which forms the center of the film. O'Brien committed suicide
two weeks after production of the film started. A halt was considered, but work continued as a tribute.
Leaving Las Vegas was filmed in super 16mm instead of 35 mm film
which is most commonly used for mainstream film, although 16 mm is common for art
house
films. After limited release in the United States on October 27, 1995, Leaving Las Vegas made its nationwide release on February 9, 1996, receiving praise from critics and audiences. Cage received the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama
and the Academy Award for Best Actor
, while Shue was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress
. The film also received nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay
and Best Director.
costs him his job, family and friends. With nothing left, he goes to Las Vegas
to drink himself to death. As he drives drunkenly down the Las Vegas Strip
, he almost hits a woman in the crosswalk (Shue), who chastises him. Ben checks into a sleazy motel called The Whole Year Inn. As he looks at this the wording changes to "The Hole You're In." Meanwhile, Sera is a prostitute for an abusive pimp, Yuri Butso (Julian Sands
), a Latvian immigrant. Polish mobsters are after Yuri, so he breaks his relationship with Sera in fear that the Poles may hurt her.
On his second day in Las Vegas, Ben meets Sera, on the street where he first met her, introduces himself and offers $500 to go to his room for an hour. Sera agrees to go to his room, but Ben does not want sex. Instead, they talk and create an odd relationship. Their relationship is doomed; Sera has to promise Ben she will never ask him to stop drinking, and Ben is not allowed to criticize Sera's occupation. At first the two are stable. Ben is "totally at ease with this (Sera's prostitution)." However, each becomes frustrated with the other's behavior. Sera attempts to get Ben to eat but Ben stumbles for more alcohol. Sera begs him to see a doctor. Ben, furious but intoxicated, brings another prostitute (Mariska Hargitay
) to Sera's house. Sera returns home and throws Ben out. Shortly afterward, she is raped and beaten by three teenagers, and the injuries make her occupation obvious. After being evicted, Sera receives a call from Ben, who is on his deathbed. She visits Ben and they have sex. 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. His last word is "wow".
, who committed suicide
in April 1994, shortly after finding out his novel was being made into a film. Despite basing most of his screenplay on O'Brien's novel, Figgis spoke of a personal attachment with the novel. "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-depressive[s]. That made it, to me, a fascinating subject that, alas, did not come out in the film."
in Dublin for two weeks and had a friend videotape him so he could study his speech. He also visited hospitalized career alcoholics. He said "it was one of the most enjoyable pieces of research I've ever had to do for a part." Shue spent time interviewing several Las Vegas prostitutes.
Figgis had problems because permits were not issued for some street scenes. This caused him to film some scenes on the Las Vegas strip in one take to avoid the police, which Figgis said benefited production and the authenticity of the acting: " '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 a couple of trucks, with it all happening around them, and their voices become great."
The film was shot in Burbank, California
, Los Angeles
, Las Vegas, Laughlin, Nevada
, and Halifax, Nova Scotia in Canada.
of dependence
and obsession
. Ben and Sera build their relationship on the foundation that neither of them can change who they are if they are going to continue pursuing a life together, further validating the theme of a tragic love story born in a desperate world between two self-destructive people (Ben with alcohol
, Sera with prostitution
). Nicolas Cage called Ben "crumbled elegance", and viewed him as a man who once had it all; Cage thus tried to give the character a kind of "continental elegance when he was in a bad situation". Cage continued by saying that the elegance is imploding on him because of the booze, causing it to fall apart. "But you still get the idea of what it used to be." There is hope, however, with Sera's character, who despite having nobody to turn to, is less unfortunate and dependent. Shue perceived her character in a similar light: "She is a wounded soul. She is clinging to hope in the midst of desperation. I think they are not of the world, there is a mythical nature to their love. A couple with a positive energy. A contradiction to other elements."
company distributed the film in North America, RCV Film Distribution with Atalanta Filmes in Europe, and in Australia 21st Century Film Corporation
distributed the film.
from Chicago Sun-Times
and Rick Groen from 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). Leonard Klady from Variety
said Leaving Las Vegas was "certainly among a scant handful of films that have taken an unflinching view of dependency." On Rotten Tomatoes
, the film received 89% overall approval out of 45 reviews. Overall, the film was a success at the box office
grossing $32,029,928.
Award nominations:
of the film were distributed by MGM. 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 Australia
n and UK editions were released. The DVD contains a supplemental "Hidden Page" menu feature. The film is also released on Blu-ray, HD DVD
and LaserDisc
.
who travels to Las Vegas to eat himself to death, and Leaving Las Vegas is also alluded to in the documentary Super Size Me
(2004). It was also briefly mentioned in the Family Guy
episode "Movin' Out (Brian's Song)
". The Spanish pop band Amaral based their song "Moriría por vos", included in their 2002 album Estrella de mar
, upon the film.
and excerpts of dialogue from the film. A version of "Lonely Teardrops
" performed by Michael McDonald
that features in the film is not included.
Mike Figgis
Michael "Mike" Figgis is an English film director, writer, and composer.-Personal life:Figgis was born in Carlisle, England and grew up in Africa. Figgis for several years had a relationship with the actress Saffron Burrows and cast her in several films...
, based on a semi-autobiographical novel
Autobiographical novel
An autobiographical novel is a form of novel using autofiction techniques, or the merging of autobiographical and fiction elements. The literary technique is distinguished from an autobiography or memoir by the stipulation of being fiction...
of the same name
Leaving Las Vegas (novel)
Leaving Las Vegas is a 1990 novel by John O'Brien. The novel was adapted into a 1995 film, also called Leaving Las Vegas, starring Nicolas Cage and Elisabeth Shue. The film was nominated for four Academy Awards....
by John O'Brien
John O'Brien (novelist)
John O'Brien was an American author. His first novel Leaving Las Vegas was published in 1990 by Watermark Press and made into a film of the same name in 1995.-Life and career:...
. Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage is an American actor, producer and director, having appeared in over 60 films including Raising Arizona , The Rock , Face/Off , Gone in 60 Seconds , Adaptation , National Treasure , Ghost Rider , Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans , and...
stars as a suicidal
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
alcoholic
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
who has ended his personal and professional life to drink himself to death in Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
. While there, he forms a relationship with a hardened prostitute, played by Elisabeth Shue
Elisabeth Shue
Elisabeth Judson Shue is an American actress and producer, most famous for her roles in the films The Karate Kid, Adventures in Babysitting, Cocktail, Back to the Future Parts II and III and Leaving Las Vegas, for which she won five acting awards and was nominated for an Academy Award, a Golden...
, which forms the center of the film. O'Brien committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
two weeks after production of the film started. A halt was considered, but work continued as a tribute.
Leaving Las Vegas was filmed in super 16mm instead of 35 mm film
35 mm film
35 mm film is the film gauge most commonly used for chemical still photography and motion pictures. The name of the gauge refers to the width of the photographic film, which consists of strips 35 millimeters in width...
which is most commonly used for mainstream film, although 16 mm is common for art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
house
House
A house is a building or structure that has the ability to be occupied for dwelling by human beings or other creatures. The term house includes many kinds of different dwellings ranging from rudimentary huts of nomadic tribes to free standing individual structures...
films. After limited release in the United States on October 27, 1995, Leaving Las Vegas made its nationwide release on February 9, 1996, receiving praise from critics and audiences. Cage received the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama
Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama
The Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture - Drama was first awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association as a separate category in 1951...
and the Academy Award for Best Actor
Academy Award for Best Actor
Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry...
, while Shue was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress
Academy Award for Best Actress
Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry...
. The film also received nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay
Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay
The Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay is one of the Academy Awards, the most prominent film awards in the United States. It is awarded each year to the writer of a screenplay adapted from another source...
and Best Director.
Plot
Ben Sanderson (Cage) is a Hollywood screenwriter whose alcoholismAlcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
costs him his job, family and friends. With nothing left, he goes to Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
to drink himself to death. As he drives drunkenly down the Las Vegas Strip
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
, he almost hits a woman in the crosswalk (Shue), who chastises him. Ben checks into a sleazy motel called The Whole Year Inn. As he looks at this the wording changes to "The Hole You're In." Meanwhile, Sera is a prostitute for an abusive pimp, Yuri Butso (Julian Sands
Julian Sands
Julian M. Sands is an English actor, known for his roles in the Best Picture nominee The Killing Fields, the cult film Warlock, A Room with a View, Arachnophobia, Vatel, the television series 24 and as Jor-El in the television series Smallville.-Career:Sands began his film career appearing in...
), a Latvian immigrant. Polish mobsters are after Yuri, so he breaks his relationship with Sera in fear that the Poles may hurt her.
On his second day in Las Vegas, Ben meets Sera, on the street where he first met her, introduces himself and offers $500 to go to his room for an hour. Sera agrees to go to his room, but Ben does not want sex. Instead, they talk and create an odd relationship. Their relationship is doomed; Sera has to promise Ben she will never ask him to stop drinking, and Ben is not allowed to criticize Sera's occupation. At first the two are stable. Ben is "totally at ease with this (Sera's prostitution)." However, each becomes frustrated with the other's behavior. Sera attempts to get Ben to eat but Ben stumbles for more alcohol. Sera begs him to see a doctor. Ben, furious but intoxicated, brings another prostitute (Mariska Hargitay
Mariska Hargitay
Mariska Hargitay is an American actress, best known for her role as New York City sex crimes Detective Olivia Benson on the NBC television drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, a role that has earned her multiple awards and nominations, including an Emmy and Golden Globe.The daughter of actress...
) to Sera's house. Sera returns home and throws Ben out. Shortly afterward, she is raped and beaten by three teenagers, and the injuries make her occupation obvious. After being evicted, Sera receives a call from Ben, who is on his deathbed. She visits Ben and they have sex. 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. His last word is "wow".
Cast
- Nicolas CageNicolas CageNicolas Cage is an American actor, producer and director, having appeared in over 60 films including Raising Arizona , The Rock , Face/Off , Gone in 60 Seconds , Adaptation , National Treasure , Ghost Rider , Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans , and...
as Ben Sanderson - Elisabeth ShueElisabeth ShueElisabeth Judson Shue is an American actress and producer, most famous for her roles in the films The Karate Kid, Adventures in Babysitting, Cocktail, Back to the Future Parts II and III and Leaving Las Vegas, for which she won five acting awards and was nominated for an Academy Award, a Golden...
as Sera - Julian SandsJulian SandsJulian M. Sands is an English actor, known for his roles in the Best Picture nominee The Killing Fields, the cult film Warlock, A Room with a View, Arachnophobia, Vatel, the television series 24 and as Jor-El in the television series Smallville.-Career:Sands began his film career appearing in...
as Yuri Butso - Richard LewisRichard Lewis (comedian)-Early life:Lewis was born in Brooklyn, New York City and was raised in Englewood, New Jersey. His father worked as a caterer and his mother was an actress. Lewis is Jewish. He later attended Ohio State University and was a member of the Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity....
as Peter - Steven WeberSteven Weber (actor)Steven Robert Weber is an American actor. He is best known for his role in the television show Wings which aired throughout the 1990s on NBC.-Early life:...
as Marc Nussbaum - Emily ProcterEmily Procter-External links:...
as Debbie - Valeria GolinoValeria GolinoValeria Golino is an Italian-Greek film and television actress. She is best known to English language audiences for the 1988 film Rain Man, and the Hot Shots! films...
as Terri - Thomas KopacheThomas KopacheThomas Kopache is an American actor.Kopache was born in Manchester, New Hampshire, the son of Dorothy E. . He is known as Assistant Secretary of State Bob Slatterly in The West Wing and for various roles in the Star Trek franchise...
as Mr. Simpson - R. Lee ErmeyR. Lee ErmeyRonald Lee Ermey is a retired United States Marine Corps drill instructor and actor.Ermey has often played the roles of authority figures, such as his breakout performance as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in Full Metal Jacket, Mayor Tilman in the Alan Parker film Mississippi Burning, Bill Bowerman in...
as Conventioneer - Xander BerkeleyXander BerkeleyAlexander Harper "Xander" Berkeley is an American actor. His roles include George Mason on the television series 24.-Early life:Berkeley was born in Brooklyn, New York, but has lived most of his life in New Jersey...
as Cynical Cabbie - Mariska HargitayMariska HargitayMariska Hargitay is an American actress, best known for her role as New York City sex crimes Detective Olivia Benson on the NBC television drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, a role that has earned her multiple awards and nominations, including an Emmy and Golden Globe.The daughter of actress...
as Hooker at Bar
Development
Mike Figgis based Leaving Las Vegas on a 1990 autobiographical novel by John O'BrienJohn O'Brien (novelist)
John O'Brien was an American author. His first novel Leaving Las Vegas was published in 1990 by Watermark Press and made into a film of the same name in 1995.-Life and career:...
, who committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
in April 1994, shortly after finding out his novel was being made into a film. Despite basing most of his screenplay on O'Brien's novel, Figgis spoke of a personal attachment with the novel. "Anything I would do would be because I had a sympathetic feeling towards it. That's why I did Mr. Jones
Mr. Jones (film)
Mr. Jones is a 1993 romantic drama film starring Richard Gere, Lena Olin, Anne Bancroft, Tom Irwin and Delroy Lindo, and directed by Mike Figgis.- Plot :...
, because I think manic-depression
Bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder or bipolar affective disorder, historically known as manic–depressive disorder, is a psychiatric diagnosis that describes a category of mood disorders defined by the presence of one or more episodes of abnormally elevated energy levels, cognition, and mood with or without one or...
is a fascinating, sad, and amazing phenomenon. It's not a coincidence that some of the greatest artists have been manic-depressive[s]. That made it, to me, a fascinating subject that, alas, did not come out in the film."
Casting
Figgis encouraged the lead actors to experience their character's 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 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 researched by binge drinkingBinge drinking
Binge drinking or heavy episodic drinking is the modern epithet for drinking alcoholic beverages with the primary intention of becoming intoxicated by heavy consumption of alcohol over a short period of time. It is a kind of purposeful drinking style that is popular in several countries worldwide,...
in Dublin for two weeks and had a friend videotape him so he could study his speech. He also visited hospitalized career alcoholics. He said "it was one of the most enjoyable pieces of research I've ever had to do for a part." Shue spent time interviewing several Las Vegas prostitutes.
Filming
The meager budget dictated the production and Figgis ended up filming in super 16mm and composing his own score. He remarked, "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."Figgis had problems because permits were not issued for some street scenes. This caused him to film some scenes on the Las Vegas strip in one take to avoid the police, which Figgis said benefited production and the authenticity of the acting: " '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 a couple of trucks, with it all happening around them, and their voices become great."
The film was shot in Burbank, California
Burbank, California
Burbank is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States, north of downtown Los Angeles. The estimated population in 2010 was 103,340....
, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, Las Vegas, Laughlin, Nevada
Laughlin, Nevada
Laughlin is a census-designated place in Clark County, Nevada, United States, and a port located on the Colorado River. Laughlin is south of Las Vegas, located in the far southern tip of Nevada. It is best known for its gaming, entertainment, and water recreation. As of the 2010 census, the...
, and Halifax, Nova Scotia in Canada.
Themes
Leaving Las Vegas is a bittersweet love storyRomance film
Romance films are love stories that focus on passion, emotion, and the affectionate involvement of the main characters and the journey that their love takes through courtship or marriage. Romance films make the love story or the search for love the main plot focus...
of dependence
Behavioral addiction
Behavioral addiction is a form of addiction which does not rely on drugs or alcohol. Increasingly referred to as process addiction or non-substance-related addiction ) behavioral addiction includes a compulsion to repeatedly engage in an action until said action causes serious negative consequences...
and obsession
Obsessive love
Obsessive love is a state in which one person feels an overwhelming obsessive desire to possess another person toward whom they feel a strong sexual attraction, with an inability to accept failure or rejection...
. Ben and Sera build their relationship on the foundation that neither of them can change who they are if they are going to continue pursuing a life together, further validating the theme of a tragic love story born in a desperate world between two self-destructive people (Ben with alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
, Sera with prostitution
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
). Nicolas Cage called Ben "crumbled elegance", and viewed him as a man who once had it all; Cage thus tried to give the character a kind of "continental elegance when he was in a bad situation". Cage continued by saying that the elegance is imploding on him because of the booze, causing it to fall apart. "But you still get the idea of what it used to be." There is hope, however, with Sera's character, who despite having nobody to turn to, is less unfortunate and dependent. Shue perceived her character in a similar light: "She is a wounded soul. She is clinging to hope in the midst of desperation. I think they are not of the world, there is a mythical nature to their love. A couple with a positive energy. A contradiction to other elements."
Release
Leaving Las Vegas had a limited release on October 27, 1995. After praise from critics and four Academy Award nominations, the film was released nationwide February 9, 1996. United ArtistsUnited Artists
United Artists Corporation is an American film studio. The original studio of that name was founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks....
company distributed the film in North America, RCV Film Distribution with Atalanta Filmes in Europe, and in Australia 21st Century Film Corporation
21st Century Film Corporation
Not to be confused with 20th Century Fox Film Corporation21st Century Film Corporation was a small-scale theatrical distribution company formed sometime in the early 1970s as a production company and distributor.-History:...
distributed the film.
Reception
Leaving Las Vegas was received very well by critics, scoring 82 metapoints out of 100. Critics such as Roger EbertRoger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
from Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
and Rick Groen from The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail is a nationally distributed Canadian newspaper, based in Toronto and printed in six cities across the country. With a weekly readership of approximately 1 million, it is Canada's largest-circulation national newspaper and second-largest daily newspaper after the Toronto Star...
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). Leonard Klady from Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
said Leaving Las Vegas was "certainly among a scant handful of films that have taken an unflinching view of dependency." On Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
, the film received 89% overall approval out of 45 reviews. Overall, the film was a success at the box office
Box office
A box office is a place where tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through an unblocked hole through a wall or window, or at a wicket....
grossing $32,029,928.
Awards
Award wins:- Academy Award for Best ActorAcademy Award for Best ActorPerformance by an Actor in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry...
: (Nicolas Cage) - Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture DramaGolden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture DramaThe Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture - Drama was first awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association as a separate category in 1951...
: (Nicolas Cage)
Award nominations:
- Academy Award for Best ActressAcademy Award for Best ActressPerformance by an Actress in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry...
: (Elisabeth Shue) - Academy Award for DirectingAcademy Award for DirectingThe Academy Award for Achievement in Directing , usually known as the Best Director Oscar, is one of the Awards of Merit presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to directors working in the motion picture industry...
: (Mike Figgis) - Academy Award for Writing Adapted ScreenplayAcademy Award for Writing Adapted ScreenplayThe Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay is one of the Academy Awards, the most prominent film awards in the United States. It is awarded each year to the writer of a screenplay adapted from another source...
: (Mike Figgis) - Golden Globe Award for Best Director - Motion PictureGolden Globe Award for Best Director - Motion PictureThis page lists the winners of and nominees for the Golden Globe Award for Best Director. Since its inception in 1943, it has been presented annually by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, an organization composed of journalists who cover the United States film industry for publications based...
: (Mike Figgis) - Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture - DramaGolden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture - DramaThis page lists the winners and nominees for the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama, since its institution in 1951. The organizer, Hollywood Foreign Press Association , is an organization of journalists who cover the United States film industry, but are affiliated with publications...
: (Leaving Las Vegas) - Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture DramaGolden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture DramaThe Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture - Drama was first awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association as a separate category in 1951...
: (Elisabeth Shue)
Home media releases
The video cassettes and DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
of the film were distributed by MGM. The video cassettes were distributed on November 12, 1996 in two languages, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
, while the DVD was distributed on January 1, 1998 in English for USA and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
only, later Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n and UK editions were released. The DVD contains a supplemental "Hidden Page" menu feature. The film is also released on Blu-ray, HD DVD
HD DVD
HD DVD is a discontinued high-density optical disc format for storing data and high-definition video.Supported principally by Toshiba, HD DVD was envisioned to be the successor to the standard DVD format...
and LaserDisc
Laserdisc
LaserDisc was a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium. Initially licensed, sold, and marketed as MCA DiscoVision in North America in 1978, the technology was previously referred to interally as Optical Videodisc System, Reflective Optical Videodisc, Laser Optical...
.
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 eaterBulimia nervosa
Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by binge eating and purging or consuming a large amount of food in a short amount of time, followed by an attempt to rid oneself of the food consumed, usually by purging and/or by laxative, diuretics or excessive exercise. Bulimia nervosa is...
who travels to Las Vegas to eat himself to death, and Leaving Las Vegas is also alluded to in the documentary Super Size Me
Super Size Me
Super Size Me is a 2004 American documentary film directed by and starring Morgan Spurlock, an American independent filmmaker. Spurlock's film follows a 30-day period from February 1 to March 2, 2003 during which he eats only McDonald's food...
(2004). It was also briefly mentioned in the Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
episode "Movin' Out (Brian's Song)
Movin' Out (Brian's Song)
"Movin' Out " is the second episode of the sixth season of the animated series Family Guy. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on September 30, 2007. It was written by John Viener and directed by Cyndi Tang. In the episode, Peter convinces Brian to move in with his girlfriend Jillian...
". The Spanish pop band Amaral based their song "Moriría por vos", included in their 2002 album Estrella de mar
Estrella de mar
Estrella de mar is the third studio album from Spanish folk rock group Amaral released in Spain during 2002. Led by the first single and #1 hit "Sin Ti No Soy Nada", Estrella de Mar became the duo's breakthrough album, selling more than 1 million of copies in Spain alone...
, upon the film.
Soundtrack
A soundtrack album, mainly comprised of film score composed and performed by Mike Figgis, was released November 7, 1995. The soundtrack also included three jazz standards performed by StingSting
Sting , CBE, is an English musician, singer-songwriter, activist, actor and philanthropist...
and excerpts of dialogue from the film. A version of "Lonely Teardrops
Lonely Teardrops
"Lonely Teardrops" is a song recorded and released as a single in 1958 by R&B singer Jackie Wilson on the Brunswick label. It is a 1999 Grammy Hall of Fame Inductee...
" performed by Michael McDonald
Michael McDonald
Michael McDonald may refer to:*Michael McDonald , American "blue-eyed soul" singer*Michael McDonald , American actor-comedian*Michael McDonald , Jamaican runner...
that features in the film is not included.
External links
- Leaving Las Vegas: Rearview essay by Erin O'BrienErin O'Brien (writer)Erin O'Brien is a fiction and nonfiction writer in the Cleveland area. She writes a biweekly column "," originally for the Cleveland Free Times and currently running in the Cleveland Scene. Her first novel, Harvey and Eck, was published by in 2005.She writes a blog, .Erin O'Brien is the sister...