World Trade Center

Went and saw World Trade Center last night. Need to articulate how I feel - if there are words for it...

If I had faith in any pairing of entities to make a 9/11 movie, it would would Oliver Stone and Paramount. Having said that, the movie itself exists regardless of who made it. Generally, WTC was rated a "B" movie by most critics. When I got home from the theater, I read some of the reviews and I felt like I needed to defend the movie when, before, I expected to hate it. I know Hollywood isn't the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of the best way to honor those affected by 9/11; however, I think Hollywood got it mostly right this time.

WTC is about two PATD (Port Authority Transit) officers who volunteered--with a few other officers--to go into the first tower and evacuate. They did not yet know why the tower had been hit; and they had no idea that the second tower went down as well. After they are trapped in 20 feet of collapsed rubble and all but the two officers are dead, most of the movie presents these officers as they are: underground, bleeding internally, confused and close to death. Most critics slammed Stone for this portrayal - that the film focused on the rescue workers perspective too much.

Here's my argument: How could Stone have made a movie about the 3,000 people who died? How could he have paid homage to each one of the police officers, firefighters, families, and children? What kind of movie would that have been? I estimate it would have been an awful, awful movie. One that had no attention span; no devotion to honoring the victims and survivors of 9/11; no real focus on either the evil that spawned these terrorist actions or the goodness that came through in every person who helped that day and following weeks.

The two PATD officers featured in Stone's movie were numbers 18 and 19 of ONLY 20 survivors pulled out of the rubble. They are not only survivors, but they represent the countless police officers and firefighters and medics who joined together in an awe-inspiring rescue effort. Their effort has more love, valor and compassion in its first few moments than President Bush could EVER hope to capture in the non-existent memorial. It has been almost five years since 9/11. What have we done? Somehow, our search for Osama has become a "freedom fight" for democracy in Iraq. Don't get me wrong - every in this world deserves to be free - EXCEPT BIN LADEN. And what of the crater in the middle of New York City where there was a promise for a memorial? I'm sure the citizens of NYC and the families of 9/11 don't need an empty eye sore to remind them of what happened that day.

I am afraid that Stone and Paramount have opened the floodgates for many 9/11 films to come. Stone's movie was not a great movie, but it was good. It worries me that not all future films can be good. I am scared of a Toby Keith-ish, knee jerk, kill 'em all action flick staring some inane, sugary Hollywood boy-toy. World Trade Center was a simple storytelling plot. It was not glossed over with any of Stone's typical film inclinations. It did not feel awkward. Although I was not emotionally prepared when I walked into that theater last night, I'm glad I did. I needed to remember how terrible I felt that day, how sad I was.

Critics of World Trade Center have said it's too early to make this movie. Yes, Stone did wait ten years before he made Platoon, but an entire generation of people who opposed Vietnam had not yet forgotten what this country went through. Sadly, it seems the generation of Americans who experienced 9/11 have already forgotten what it felt like to watch that plane flying where it shouldn't have been; to see the devastation unfolding before our eyes on NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, and every news channel in the world; to see the number of deaths continue to rise; to see mothers and fathers and sisters and brothers repeating 'Missing Persons' information for days afterward; to feel sick each time the President attempted a strong and unwavering facade; to hear Peter Jennings say, Call your family. Tell them that you love them. Do it now.