A Weblog of Centrist Voices in American Politics
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A Weblog of Centrist Voices in American Politics | |
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May 01, 2006Hollywood and 9/11The new film United 93 was released on Friday. As I'm sure we all know, this is the movie that attempts to recapture the events of 9/11, from the destructions of the towers, and the hijacking of the plane itself. I've not seen it yet-I plan to see it this week, but I've heard that its beyond intense, and that viewers will relive those events as if they were there. There's been talk that the early turnout's been somewhat lacking. In other words, a lot of people aren't going to see the film. Numerous theories are going around as to why. Many have suggested that blue staters aren't going to see it because of Bush, etc, and that many conservatives aren't going because they don't trust Hollywood to get it right, so to speak. Frankly, I don't think politics really play a role on this. Call me naive, but I think most mainstream Americans understand what 9/11 meant. I think the problem is, a lot of people have almost forgotten. I say some, because I suspect a whole lot of people, chiefly the 9/11 families and those living in New York and D.C. haven't forgotten. They live it everyday. It's reasonable then to assume that many people aren't ready to see it again onscreen. I'm not going to judge them. People have to make up their own minds. As for me personally, I choose to see it to remember. I think a lot of us do need to remember. AS for Hollywood's motives, I think conservatives are prejudging. Hollywood's liberalism notwithstanding, one ought to see the movie first. For all of Hollywood's uneasiness about war, I'd like to think they at least get the genereal idea that 9/11 was a horrible tragedy, and heroes gave their lives. Besides, the real driving force behind Hollywood isn't really liberalism, but lucre. Remember when everybody predicted that Fahrenheit 9/11 would sweep the Oscars, and Hollywood would try to sway the '04 election? What happened? Michael Moore overreached, and his vulgar propaganda piece received nothing. The Passion wasn't even hyped, and it got four Oscar nods (not that Hollywood was behind the Passion either. My point is that Hollywood knows the game. People should make up their minds as always. I really don't think we should let politics and political motives overtake this movie. God knows, there's enough politicization of 9/11 as it is. Posted by Rafique Tucker at May 1, 2006 12:19 AMComments
Good points, however as Mel Gibson did sit for an hourlong Barbara Walters interview before the release of the Passion, I find it hard to argue it was not hyped. Also, I think the film to fear is the Oliver Stone one, not this. Posted by: JP at May 1, 2006 07:46 AMThe early buzz I've seen on conservative web sites is that it's a very good film, very well done. Rather than politics, I think it opened slow because it's such an intense subject, few people wanted to go see it without having had a chance to read reviews and talk with their families about whether to go see it or not. I haven't seen it yet, though I intend to, but it is not light summer fare, so I'm waiting for the right mood before taking it in. Posted by: PatHMV at May 1, 2006 08:15 AMI may watch when t shows up on HBO. I so rarely go out to movies these days(mostly becuase they are not making anything I want to see). I would prefer to go to something a little more escapist. Besides, I already have one plane disaster movie I do want to see this summer, "Snakes on a Plane". It looks so terrible it has to be hillarious. I have heard great reviews and it sounds like it was done in a good non-biased manner. I don't know. Maybe if we capture or take out Bin Laden in the next few weeks, I will go see. Just not ready to see it right now. Posted by: Jim M at May 1, 2006 10:47 AMI'm about as blue as you get, but I wanted to see this film. It did not disappoint. Yes, it's the story of people who bought the wrong ticket, but it's also the story of an old Air Traffic Controller saying "Trust me, this is a hijacking" when his younger management is still unsure. "We haven't had a hijacking in 20 years." It's the story of a GS-16 who just got promoted and his first day on the job has to face the unbelievable. At the 8:30 staff meeting he was razed because the day before they caused the air line industry 90 million because of the slow system. Today he'll take every airplane over America down. It's the story of Air Force Defense teams that came in ready to run a cold war defense exercise ... only now the ATC folks just called in with a hijacking. "This is real world!" Only the F-15's out of Langly launched on the usual scramble runway for going after Soviet Bear bombers and now we have to turn them around and head them for D.C. "Even if we have to shatter some windows." And a colonel when asked by his weapons team if they can "put a 9 in the nose" of these airlines will spend most of the film begging on the phone for some rules of engagement. This is not to deny the courage of the people on Ft 93 as they absorb just how much the world has changed and that their lives - and the lives of so many others - are in their hands alone. This is a superb film of common men and women in an uncommon situation who have to grips with a whole new, and horrible, reality and respond. Many of them are playing themselves in this film, channeling that day to make it present again for you and me. Ben Laden got ninty minutes. That's all the time it took free men and women to face up to what he was doing and start to respond. This is the story of a whole lot of people living through that 90 minutes. Posted by: Mike Moscoe at May 1, 2006 01:17 PMI won't see it. No matter how good it might be (and it will, without doubt, be less awful than the Stone monstrosity that will follow it), at base, it is simply too soon, and the more people refuse to see it, the more likely it is that Hollywood will decide this is just too taboo a subject and can the Stone movie and any other projects in the works. We are just still too close to the event for this kind of movie, in my opinion. Maybe in another five or ten years. Posted by: Simon at May 1, 2006 02:20 PMI have serious concerns about the Oliver Stone movie as well. Lord knows what havoc his version will unleash. Posted by: Rafique Tucker at May 1, 2006 02:38 PMI have serious concerns about the Oliver Stone movie as well. Lord knows what havoc his version will unleash. Posted by: Rafique Tucker at May 1, 2006 02:38 PMYeah. Lord only knows what kind of havoc Oliver Stone will unleash with his version. Posted by: Rafique Tucker at May 1, 2006 02:39 PMFlight 93 was shot down and PNAC is real Posted by: 911northwoods at May 1, 2006 04:51 PMOk, conspiracy nuts off the starboard bow. I assume since there was no indication on flight 93's audio of being shot down in the recent tape played in court that it was a fabrication too? There is not a shred of legitimate evidence that 93 was shot down. It may have been discussed; but it did not happen. Posted by: Jim M at May 1, 2006 05:16 PMThere is not a shred of legitimate evidence that 93 was shot down. It may have been discussed; but it did not happen.Duh. The complete lack of evidence is the surest proof that the conspiracy is working. Don't you know anything, Jim? ;) Posted by: Simon at May 1, 2006 06:36 PM |
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