About Leaving Las Vegas

Released in 1995, 'Leaving Las Vegas' is a romantic drama directed by Mike Figgis. The movie offers a brilliant and gut-wrenching portrayal of a suicidal alcoholic who forms a relationship with a compassionate Las Vegas prostitute. Adapted from a semi-autobiographical novel of the same name by John O'Brien, the movie offers an emotional glimpse into lives on the edges of society.

Making / Production

'Leaving Las Vegas' was made under the direction of Mike Figgis, who also penned the script. The film was shot on super 16mm instead of the standard 35mm, this giving it a grainy look that further added to the novel's overall tragic theme. As an independent film, it was produced by Lumiere Pictures and Initial Productions with a budget of only $4 million.

Actors

• Nicolas Cage portrayed the role of Ben Sanderson, a Hollywood screenwriter who lost everything because of his alcoholism and travels to Las Vegas to drink himself to death. Cage's authentic performance won him the Academy Award for Best Actor.
• Elisabeth Shue played Sera, a prostitute working the Las Vegas strip who becomes Ben's companion. Shue's sensitive portrayal received high acclaim and several award nominations.
• Julian Sands featured as Yuri, Sera's Latvian pimp. His convincing performance added depth to the movie's narrative.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• Author John O'Brien, whose novel the film is based on, committed suicide two weeks after the film went into production.
• Nicolas Cage prepared for his role by binge drinking in Dublin for two weeks and then filmed his experiences.
• The film was shot in just 28 days.

Awards

'Leaving Las Vegas' was highly recognized in awards circuits, with Nicolas Cage winning an Academy Award for Best Actor. The film also won the Golden Globe for Best Drama, Best Actor (Cage), and Best Director for Figgis.

Quotes

• Becoming a made classic line, Ben Sanderson says, "I'm not going to remember anything. I'm not even going to remember you."
• Another famous quote from the movie is Sera's line, "It's not my place to ask. I don't ask. I don't ask because it's not my place."

• The film's soundtrack composed by director Mike Figgis adds a luscious melancholy to the movie. Figgis even used his own band to perform live on the soundtrack.
• Sting's cover of "My One and Only Love" was featured in the end credit roll.