Nicolas Cage
Ben Sanderson
Search results
Leaving Las Vegas (1995) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more.
Feb 9, 1996 · With Nicolas Cage, Elisabeth Shue, Julian Sands, Richard Lewis. Ben Sanderson, a Hollywood screenwriter who lost everything because of his alcoholism, arrives in Las Vegas to drink himself to death. There, he meets and forms an uneasy friendship and non-interference pact with prostitute Sera.
- (135K)
- Drama, Romance
- Mike Figgis
- 1996-02-09
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 a romantic relationship with a prostitute played by Elisabeth Shue and the film shifts to include her narrative perspective.
It was at this time that Elisabeth took a chance on a low-budget, high-risk project entitled Leaving Las Vegas (1995), directed by Mike Figgis. Her gutsy portrayal of a prostitute mixed up with a suicidal alcoholic paid off as she was recognized with a Best Actress nomination at the Academy Awards that year.
- January 1, 1
- 1.57 m
- Wilmington, Delaware, USA
- JOHN O’BRIEN KILLED HIMSELF BEFORE THE FILM BEGAN PRODUCTION. John O’Brien’s father described his son’s 1990 novel as his suicide note. Nicolas Cage said it was “bittersweet” that the author, who was 33 years old when he died, never got to see the film based on his novel—and life.
- NICOLAS CAGE HONORED O’BRIEN IN HIS OWN WAY. Cage told Roger Ebert he found it “creepy” that while he played Ben Sanderson, he unknowingly ended up wearing the same watch and driving the same model BMW as O’Brien.
- IT WAS SHOT ON 16MM INSTEAD OF 35MM FILM. Though 35 millimeter film was the norm for mainstream movies, 16 millimeter was a cheaper option, which was necessary because of Leaving Las Vegas's tiny $3.5 million budget.
- PEOPLE WERE SKEPTICAL OF THE CASTING OF ELISABETH SHUE. Shue was known for her work on more lightweight films like The Karate Kid (1984) and Adventures in Babysitting (1987).
People also ask
Was Elisabeth a good actress in Leaving Las Vegas?
What happens in the movie 'Boys in Las Vegas' starring Elisabeth Shue?
Is Leaving Las Vegas based on a true story?
Is Leaving Las Vegas a good movie?
Ben Sanderson. Elisabeth Shue. Sera. Julian Sands. Yuri. Richard Lewis. Peter. Valeria Golino. Terri. Watchlist. In Theaters At Home TV Shows. Advertise With Us. Adapted from the novel by John...
- (53)
- Drama
- R
Although often cast as a girl-next-door type, in a career-defining role she starred as a prostitute in the 1995 film Leaving Las Vegas with Nicolas Cage. The role earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.
