Search - Jacob's Ladder

A tortured man finds himself caught in a middle-ground between hallucination and reality in this supernatural thriller, scripted by Bruce Joel Rubin of Ghost (1990) and My Life (1993).
Jacob Singer (Tim Robbins) is a soldier stationed in Vietnam who undergoes a traumatic experience on the battlefield - the nature of which is initially unclear. The film then moves into his post-Vietnam experience in 1970s New York, where he feels consistently traumatized, but can never quite remember exactly what happened to him in Southeast Asia or to free himself from his anxieties over the recent tragic death of his young son (Macaulay Culkin). Though well educated, Jacob works as a letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service and has become romantically involved with one of his co-workers, Jezzie (Elizabeth Pena), after divorcing his wife. Soon, Jacob's tenuous hold on reality starts to slip as horrifying events befall him; he is nearly run over by a subway train, pursued by faceless demons in cars, and spots reptilian tails and horns protruding from the bodies of those he encounters. Jacob also suffers severe panic attacks related to the chaos that may be reality, or may exist only in his mind. He seeks counsel from Louis (Danny Aiello), a kindly chiropractor, as his ex-wife Sarah (Patricia Kalember), fellow Vietnam vet Paul (Pruitt Taylor Vince), and enigmatic stranger Michael (Matt Craven) all try to help the tortured soul. Jason Alexander, Ving Rhames and Eriq LaSalle highlight the supporting cast. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Tim Robbins - Jacob Singer
Elizabeth Peña - Jezzie
Danny Aiello - Louis
Matt Craven - Michael
Ving Rhames - George
Pruitt Taylor Vince - Paul

Jacob's Ladder was released on DVD by Artisan in 1998 as a "special edition." The anamorphic 1.85:1 widescreen transfer still shows some age and the Dolby Digital soundtrack is adequate, but =Jacob's Ladder is not about state-of-the-art picture and sound; it is about the story. The commentary focuses on the small touches and changes that Adrian Lyne's involvement brought to the film. It's not bad as director commentaries go, but Artisan unfortunately did not consider including writer Bruce Joel Rubin on the track. Rubin comments plenty during the documentary, which seems like it was made at the time of the film, either for cable or a laserdisc release. The story behind Rubin's script is fascinating, the documentary thankfully focusing less on promoting the film and more on gaining a deeper understanding of it. The three deleted scenes are all valuable extensions of the story that were cut to streamline the narrative. They are presented with the choice of director commentary, but Lyne doesn't really go into specifics on the decision not to include them in the film. A trailer, a television spot, cast lists, and production information round things out. This isn't a flawless presentation of the film, but Artisan's commitment to "special edition" DVD makes the disc worthwhile. ~ Oliver Thornton, All Movie Guide

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