Today was the one day a year people write on my Facebook wall: my birthday. I am now 23. Thank you to all who sent me kind notes. Nothing really happened today, but I want to comment on the one thing I did do today. I managed to persuade Ian, Katie, and her friend Elise to go see United93 with me. If you don't know, it's the story of the fourth plane hijacked on September 11th - the one that didn't reach its target. It's the story of the passengers on United flight 93 who fought back, resulting in a crash in the middle of a field in Pennsylvania instead of the US Capitol.
There are some things about this film that are worth knowing. Many people are upset, claiming it's too early to have a movie about September 11th. I agree - it's too early for a movie, a Hollywood blockbuster, but it's not too early for a documentary. The film feels nothing like a movie. It shot entirely with handheld video cameras, complete with poor quality and lots of movement. It watches just like home video of the event. There are no "actors." A number of the actual air traffic controllers from that day came forward to reenact their jobs in this film. None of the passengers or flight crew are people you've seen anywhere before. They're not the beautiful Hollywood fare. Each of them looks exactly like a person I've sat next to on a plane. There is almost no script. The professionals who were on the job and now in the movie recreated their lines. The passengers on the plane engaged in the normal smalltalk you share with your "single serving friends." There were hardly any "foreground" conversations. Instead, this background talking filled the movie. The phone calls passengers made to their families were recreated off of the flight recordings and the families recounting the calls. In every way it felt like someone sitting on a plane with a video camera. A plane I have been on dozens of times. There was nothing different or special about this flight or any of the people on it. We know as much about each character as they do of each other. Some people complained that we didn't know the characters well enough. I disagree. We got to know them as much as they got to know each other. The point of this film was not to explain or dramatize the happenings about UAL93, but to take us there, to put us on the plane. No commentary, no message, no spin. Just the raw happenings.
And we all supported them. People banded together to help those affected. Love poured out of every corner of this land. It became ok to talk about God, even pray in public settings. Impressed with the fleeting nature of life, people fled to God. Whoever made the statement that September 11th is our generation's version of Pearl Harbor was exactly right. I think a lot of it has to do with the heroes. That day was filled with tragedy, and, in the midst of it all, powerful stories emerged of those who gladly gave their lives for the sake of others. The brave men of the NYFD and NYPD, climbing through the collapsing towers trying to save just one more person. Or the heroic actions of those passengers on UAL93. They each embodied the strength and character we should all have as Americans, yes, but even moreso as Christians (I'm not going to elaborate, but hopefully you can draw your own conclusions).
You should see this film. It will get to you the same way the real day did. I am not an overly emotional person. I have never cried in a movie until today. See it this weekend if you can. Universal is donating 10% of the proceeds from the opening weekend to the Flight 93 Memorial Fund. If nothing else, watch this trailer. It's not the one that's currently out there. This one is much better. I first saw this over 6 months ago and it gripped me. I think it's just about the best trailer I've ever seen, at least for a dramatic movie. It's simple and powerful, much like the film itself. If you've seen United 93, leave a comment below and let me know what you thought.
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