Saturday, May 20, 2006

United 93's Impact

We went to see the somber and gut-wrenching United 93 at the theater yesterday afternoon. It was a profound experience that everyone should have to go through – as a civic duty. This is the kind of movie that every senior in high school should have to watch in order to graduate. It's not entertaining or fun, it's just necessary.

The movie follows the passengers, highjackers, crew, and air traffic controllers through the morning of September 11. It's incredibly fair, showing the highjackers as sophisticated but nervous, the passengers as brave but traumatized, and the controllers as capable but confused. This movie is not special effects laden and it's not been Hollywood-ized with extra bells and whistles. No big name stars, no silly sub-plots, no left wing politics, no comedic relief. The emotion is built up fairly early, stays there, and actually begins to let up as the inevitable nears.

The movie has been limited to fewer screens in its release, giving it only a modest profit. It may only be in theaters for a few more weeks, so though you may sit there so stunned you won't want to eat your $8 popcorn, it's still worth seeing.

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