T 0 N ’
By Thomas LeClair
Film Critic
tj!l9l @psu.edu
Ladder 49 ****l/2
Touchstone Pictures presents a
film directed by Jay Russell.
Starring Joaquin Phoenix, John
Travolta Written by Lewis Colick.
Running time 120 minutes Rated
PG-13 for intense fire and res
cue situations and language.
In an age where firefighters,
policemen, and Emergency
Medical Teams are deemed
heroes in their communities, it is
only fitting that Hollywood would
make films showing their
courage, bravery, and integrity.
Jay Russell’s latest film Ladder
49 is the story of Jack Morrison
(Joaquin Phoenix) and his trials
and tribulations as a fire fighter
at his fire station. The story fol
lows him from his first day at the
station to his promotion to ladder
rescue. Morrison has an impres
sive dedication to his job, always
the first one down the pole when
the alarm blares ready for the
dangers that await him. The film
asks both in dialogue and in its
photography how are firefighters
Descendants front man, scientist by day, rock star by night
By John Fox
Staff Reporter
jtfls3@psu.psu
The Descendents have enjoyed
a prolific musical career span
ning over twenty-five years.
Fueled by rejection, coffee, and
girls, the music of the
Descendents has been credited
as originating the pop-punk
sound. In 1982, they released
their third album, the now classic
Milo Goes to College. The title
was a true indication of lead
singer Milo Aukerman’s academ
ic intentions. Throughout his col
lege career, Aukerman and the
band continued to pump out
classic albums and ferocious live
shows. Aukerman talked candid
ly about his experience with
graduate school and dual
careers as research scientist and
rock star.
Aukerman, probably the only
punk rock icon with a Ph.D. in
Plant Molecular Genetics, has
been working as a research sci
entist for technology power
house DuPont since 2001.
Aukerman's area of research
reflects DuPont’s interest in
developing corn hybrids and
The Decendents record a song for their last album
S TOMFOOLERY OF CINEMA
able to go in to a burning build
ing when everyone else is trying
to get out? Morrison answers the
question by telling everyone
from his wife and children to the
stranger on the street that his job
saves lives.
John Travolta plays Chief
Michael Kennedy, a veteran fire
fighter carrying the family legacy
of fighting fire. He becomes a
father figure for Morrison, teach
ing him important survival tech
niques and assuring him that he
is doing a great job. Other sup
porting cast includes Morrison’s
wife, Linda (Jacinda Barrett),
children, and the other fighters
in the station. Each of them,
especially Linda, act in order to
show the hardships of fire fight
ing on the domestic side as well
as the occupational side.
Travolta and Phoenix worked
well with each other. They did
not compete for the spot light
and showed a very touching
father/son type of relationship.
The film focuses solely on fami
ly, either Morrison’s family at
home or the one at the fire
house.
The visual effects in this film
were impressive. There were
obvious instances where the
plants with novel properties
which they market to farmers,
puting great effort into identifying
genes that control important crop
traits. He attributed his direction
in grad school to an interest in
DNA and genes and says that he
has spent his scientific career
studying the beauty of DNA.
Aukerman talked about the ori
gins of the band and his desire to
go to college.
“The two things blossomed at
the same time,” said Aukerman.
“I joined the band in my junior
year of high school. I also kind of
had an inkling that I would end
up in science. I can trace it back
to a book report I did on DNA. My
dad was a physicist so I always
had an affinity for science. It is
just ironic that my obsession with
genes started at the same time
as my obsession with punk rock.”
Aukerman discussed a period of
time where he felt he had to
decide between the two pas
sions to pursue in the long term,
and he decided that colleg e was
the best choice. “Looking back, I
thought I was making the deci
sion to leave music behind, but
music seems to keep reeling me
back in. I’d go to college and for
get about music but it’s kind of
Photos courtesy of The Decendents Web site
crew could not use actual fire so
digital fire was added, but it is
seamless and impressive. The
crew also got special permission
in Baltimore to ignite an aban
doned building which looked
horrifying at its first appearance
in the film.
The film depicts the horrors and
trauma fire has on the fighters,
their families, and the victims of
the fires. Firefighters put their
lives on the line every time the
alarm blares, and the courage
required of these men and
women that “are just doing their
job,” hardly gets recognized.
Colick and Russell worked very
hard with the screenplay and the
direction to make this a more
glorified drama then an action
flick like Backdraft. Colick’s
screenplay told a very specific
story that used fire only as just
another day on the job. The film
required special training and
stunt work, but did not let these
tools take away from the plot.
Everything that is seen when
fires are being fought looked
authentic and real. Unlike
Backdraft, which was about the
fire, Ladder 49 is about the fire
fighters - and that is a much
more interesting story to tell.
like a drug. You can’t shake your
self of the habit,” he said.
Aukerman said that his band
mates were completely support
ive of his decision to go to col
lege.
“It’s just what friends do,” he
said. “They emotionally support
ed me while I went through my
trials and tribulations in science
and I supported them as they
went through their trial and tribu
lations as musicians.”
Punk rock and science are not
often mentioned in the same
sentence. A research scientist
operating under a punk rock per
sona might not have much luck
professionally because the punk
attitude does not necessarily
lend itself to the seriousness
demanded of scientific profes
sionals. Aukerman talked about
how he managed his dual per
sonas.
“It’s impossible to balance those
identities,” he said. “I tend to shift
back and forth from one to the
other. If I’m going to be shifting
into music mode, it’s something
that has to occur for a long peri
od of time, like a year or six
months. I can’t one day be a
musician and one day be a sci
entist because it’s impossible to
get anything done that way.”
Aukerman said that ideally, it
would be great to juggle between
the both of them but it does not
seem to work out for him. “I have
to break off chunks of time for
one and shift and do the other
one independently,” he said.
Aukerman said that the
Descendents’ lasting power has
always been a mystery to him.
He offered a few thoughts that
might be considered factors in
their longevity.
“There has been a resurgence
of pop-punk ever since Green
Day hit the scene,” he said. “That
[kind of] legitimized that style
and, for better or worse, we have
been recognized as one of the
founding bands to make that kind
of music.” Aukerman continued
on that the band has a “mythical
status” that surrounds them,
which they consider silly. “But if
people want to perceive us as
inventors, so be it.”
Aukerman also described the
bond that he shares with his
band members. “We’re always
willing to drop everything and
come to each other’s support, so
we never had a blowout break
up where it’s like ‘we never want
Entertainment
Joaquin Phoenix and John Travolta star in Jay Russell’s “Ladder 49.” The film
depicts the story of Jack Morrison, a firefighter, as he experiences the trials and
tribulations of fighting fire.
The Decendents entertain a crowd of enthusiastic punk rock fans. With fingers held
high in praise of the music, the Decendents are known to perform with high energy.
to see you again’. We usually put
out a record every five years.
There’s something to be said for
tried and true friendships that
have breathing room,” he said.
“People also seem to recognize
our music as having more lasting
power than other more trend ori
ented music. It’s important that
new bands are naming us as
influences, which also keeps us
relevant.”
Aukerman said that the band’s
legendary status is gratifying but
remains humble. He said that he
is simply thankful that people are
still enjoying the band’s music
and plans to put out future
records.
“The way that we have operat
ed for many years now has been
completely ad hoc,” said
Aukerman. “All it requires is a
phone call. We’re not locked into
any expectations from a record
company so there’s no record
company saying ‘you owe us a
record’. I don’t feel locked into
any expectations form listeners,
either. Every time I feel like I
want to write some music it’s
because I want to do it. You have
to go wherever the creativity
takes you.”
Aukerman has a wife and two
young children. All of the
Descendents have families and
careers outside of the band.
Because of this, touring is an
even more complicated endeav
or than putting out an album.
Aukerman said that the music
now has become a very gratify
ing hobby.
With the presidential election
around the corner, Aukerman
spoke out as to where he stands.
“I need to know more specifics,
but I do know that I can’t vote for
Bush with any good conscience,”
said Aukerman. “I’m not really
that political so I can’t come up
with anything particularly astute
to say other that I hate him. I’ll
probably be voting Democrat.”
As far as Aukerman’s future in
science, he said that he is in a
transitional period right now
where he is segueing from being
a research scientist to becoming
a research manager.
“It allows me more freedom to
do research in a creative man
ner,” said Aukerman of his new
position at DuPont.
Aukerman said that he looks
forward to making music for his
kids, one of which can now point
out his dad on an old
Descendents poster in the base
ment.
For all the undergrads interest-
The Capital Times
Photo courtesy of Yahoo Images
ed in pursuing science,
Aukerman offered some sound
advice
“There is a crossroads you
come to when you finish your
undergrad degree,” said
Aukerman. “I look back at going
to grad school as a very reward
ing experience. Ultimately, in the
end, it was good for my career
development. But it took me a
while to get to that perspective.
Grad school is very challenging
and you don’t always see the
light at the end of the tunnel.” He
said that any grad school student
needs to realize tha a Ph. D. is
not “the be-all-and-end-all.” “It’s
just the thing that gets your foot
in the door. In my field, once you
have a Ph.D., you have to prove
that you can do good independ
ent research. A Ph.D. doesn’t
necessarily solve all your prob
lems. There’s probably plenty of
examples of people who got their
Ph.D.s and are now driving taxis.
You have to keep your eyes
open during grad school and
start to map out what you want to
do after grad school and have
realistic expectations,” he said.
You can check out The
Descendent online at
www.descendentsonline.com.