This coming Friday a new movie will be released that focuses on the events of 9/11. More specifically, the movie focuses on United Airlines Flight 93, which was brought down by passengers that heroically fought to regain control of the hijacked plane. Since the movie’s trailer was released a few weeks back, there has been controversy over whether the movie has been made too soon after the tragic events of that day.
Believe it or not, each family that lost a loved one in that plane signed off on its making and they stand behind the directors, producers and studio for making the film. Also, 10% of the grosses made from the films first 3 day box office campaign will go to The Flight 93 National Memorial.
As I’m sure you are aware, United Airlines Flight 93 crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania on September 11, 2001. All evidence uncovered indicates that the hijacked plane was to be flown into the Capitol building in Washington DC on the same morning that 3 other flights brought down the Twin Towers at the World Trade Center and crashed into the Pentagon. The 9/11 Commission Report concluded that the plane was crashed by the hijackers after the 40 passengers onboard revolted.
The National Memorial for the Flight will be erected, and is slated to cover hundreds of acres of land; however, one Congressman is adamantly against the size of it. He is afraid that the total cost of the memorial will be shouldered by the government (the families of the victims pledged to raise 50% of the money necessary to erect it, but are far from that goal to date). So red tape and bureaucracy still seem to rule, even when the situation is of this magnitude and importance.
Back to the issue at hand…
…why make a movie about this tragedy now?
In my opinion, the writers/producers/directors of this movie are exploiting the tragedy for monetary gain. I could be totally wrong, and they could be making this movie for pristine purposes, but I highly doubt it, and here’s why:
If the makers of the film meant to only portray the events of the day, and to only cause us to “never forget” the lives lost, then why not give ALL of the profits of the movie to The Flight 93 National Memorial? Though the 10% is a kind gesture, it is but a pittance if your intentions are truly magnanimous. And at that, the studio (Universal) is only giving 10% of its first 3 day weekend grosses to the Memorial.
How cheap?!!!
If you understand how movies work, the 1st weekend buzz will often generate more and more people to come out and see the movie in the coming weeks. Therefore the theatre is only giving a small portion of cash to the Memorial in comparison to what they could be giving if the 10% were given throughout the movie’s theatre run.
As for the families of the victims, the sentiment that I keep hearing them echo is that everyone needs to remember. My response to such a sentiment is “has anyone forgotten?” Seriously, anyone in their mid-teens, I’m sure, vividly remembers the events of that day. In order for people to remember they would’ve had to have forgotten, and trust me September 11th doesn’t only live with the victims’ families everyday, it lives with all of us everyday.
Speaking as someone that has lost many loved ones, I know that the concept of “remembering” is very important. But the simple fact is that no one has forgotten the sacrifices made on that day (although I must admit that the Trade Centers get much more attention than the plane that crashed into the Pentagon and Flight 93).
That brings me to my major point, which is simply that there is no reason for this movie to be made right now. If, as the families say, we need to remember, then certainly the movie could’ve been postponed for another 10 or 15 years. No one I know has forgotten the events of 9/11. And if the goal of the Studio isn’t money driven, then give ALL of the profits to the Memorial.
In 10 or 15 years this movie would actually make much more sense, given the reasoning of the family. It could serve as an educational tool as well as a moment to recall the sacrifices made on that day. It could act in the same way that Malcolm X and Titanic did in the mid-nineties; give people a chance to see and understand a part of history that they didn’t have the chance to witness for themselves; spur interests in the events of that day.
Doing it now, in my opinion, only amplifies and conjures up not-so-old wounds that haven’t healed for many of the other families who directly lost people on that day, not to mention the American public. 2,300 other families lost loved ones on the morning of September 11th, and millions of American citizens were terribly (emotionally, socially, some physically) wounded by 9/11, not just the 40 families directly affected by Flight 93’s crash.
Will the movie do well at the box office? I think so. Will I go see the movie? Probably. Do the passengers on United Airlines Flight 93 need and deserve to be remembered? Absolutely! Is this film too much too soon? Without a doubt!
-Maelstrom
4 comments:
This is a relevant article that is highly relevant to this blog. I think all should read.
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/12521202/
The movie and as your post is a big pile of BS.
1. Those 10% for the first 3 days is to make everbody feel warm about how good-hearded Universial is so that the public flocks into the theatre. With this 10% investment, they make more money than they can dream of.
2. You use the word "heroic" in the beginning. Nobody knows. There is no black box in the cabin, definitly not in coach. What the 9/11 Commision found is surely policy driven. They can come up with many things, just to push for their ideas. So nobody knows. So don't use that word.
3. You used "sacrifice". That is even more BS. A sacrifice is: you give something INTENTIONALLY. Nobody entered the plane to sacrifice himself. So don't use sacrifice.
4. Remembrance: The President as any politician and News cast constantly remind each and everyone plus their cat of 9/11. Nobody forgot. So nobody needed to remember.
5. Back to the producers: American producers will excadurate the american component. They will paint a picture of evil Arabs attacking innocent Americans, who fight heroical with fists against tanks (Not literally). Some facts are true, some are definitly not. Whatever, the flight happend in the PAST, but it does not help the CURRENT or FUTURE WORLD. It amplifies hatred between cultures, it increases the drive to introduce democracy by force into arabian societies. That is no good path. We need to integrate, not separate. And the movie is contradicting to that need.
99. Until Hollywood comes out with a movie about AbuGraib and Guantanamo, (which it surely won't) I consider this movie "political propaganda" aimed at increasing tensions in the world and making money. And that is what is going to happen. Trust me!
I gotta argue with the above post first on a point by point basis then, I'll throw my own view in there.
#1 There IS a voice black box that records what is spoken, it is how lines like "Let's roll" are known. The voice black box was found and it is a micraphone that stays open. Its not a major point, but you gotta get your facts right.
#2 Those people DID sacrifice, while they may not have known when purchasing tickets what they were doing, once they were presented with that situation they decided their course of action. That is intent in its purest form. The saw a problem they tried to solve it.
#3 A reminder doesnt always have to be because you forgot whats going on. This movie isnt a string tied around a finger, its a call to honor those who did something valiant. People dont forget wars, yet we have memorial and veterans day. This is along that same line of thinking.
#4 This flight and the 3 others that day have a DIRECT EFFECT on today's events. Although we may disagree on how everything has panned out since then. You have to agree that since that day the world has changed. And that flight has alot to do with what happens in the current and future world as you put it.
Finally, you're attacking a film that you haven't seen. I know growing up my mom always said "dont judge a book by its cover" and maybe you weren't taught those things, but you dont know the angle this film takes. To do something like that, running off at the mouth without any facts is as dangerous as anything out there. It just increases seperation and amplifies hatred. Something you said yourself that you have no business in wanting to see take place. I agree with you, that that is a terrible thing to happen. But you need to look in the mirror on this one.
If you want to attack this film, do so because some of the "facts" were made up, such as "White House" or "Capital" debate which the film solves cause things like that werent and arent known. But the rhetoric you're espousing is nothing more than hate speech. Allow these people their moment because have surely earned it.
As far as the original post, I must disagree with Vortex on this one. The families of the passengers on this flight have signed on for it and have said that this is now a time to tell this story and although you may not be ready I dont think its fair to say that they cant tell it.
just to keep it short:
#1: The voice black box records the stuff spoken in the cockpit. Whatever you mumble in coach, nobody knows.
#2: They did not decide about their life they decided where they want to die, since they expected, they were going to die anyhow. Still does not count as giving your life.
#4: It had an effect, it changed the world for the worse. Therefore, you should not keep the topic in the eyes.
#Finally: Do you need to experience everything to understand everything? Do you need to try all kinds of drugs to know they are bad? Often you can predict the events, based on past experience you had. And past experience of movies made in the America: glory to this nation. This nation did nothing wrong. Heros everywhere.
#Hatred: I don't see how not going to a movie increases hatred. If you don't consume more information/images you stay in the same spot. So nothing changes.
Just because I have a different oppinion than above does not imply I hate anybody.
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