Leaving Las Vegas is a 1995 American romantic drama film directed by Mike Figgis and written by Figgis and John O'Brien. The film stars Nicolas Cage and Elisabeth Shue as two people who fall in love while struggling with alcoholism and suicidal tendencies. It is based on the semi-autobiographical novel of the same name by O'Brien. The film was a critical and commercial success, earning Cage an Academy Award for Best Actor.