United 93

Do you remember where you were on September 11th, 2001? I do. It was Tuesday, the day after the Denver Broncos beat the New York Giants at Invesco Field at mile high, where Ed McCaffrey broke his leg and would be out for the rest of the season. That should have been the news in Denver on the 11th. My in laws were visiting and I was staying home from work and sleeping in when my wife came into the bedroom and said that a plane had hit the World Trade Center in New York. I came downstairs just in time to see the second plane hit. I remember clearly the feeling that the world as I knew it had changed. It's been almost 5 years since then and I remember that day clearly. In the film United 93, a film based on what was known about the hijackers and what the filmmakers supposed happened on that fateful United flight, takes us back to that day and trys to fill in some of the blanks that have haunted me, and I suppose many others, about what actually happened that day. Such questions as How come the FAA didn't know which flights were hijacked? Where was the military and why didn't they stop the other planes' attacks? How was this able to happen? United 93 attempts to fill in those blanks and does so with some of the very people who were there. The film not only doesn't use recognizable actors, they used the very person who was in charge of the skys that day at the FAA, the man who had to make the call to clear the skys of all planes. They also used the very people in the military who had to try to find the hijacked planes and determine if the rules of engagement would allow them to shoot down a civilian airliner over US airspace. From that stand point the film is a real depiction of the actual events. Onboard flight 93, the filmmakers didn't have anyone to tell them what happened other than the families of those who talked to their loved ones aboard the flight prior to it's nosedive into a Pennsylvania field. The film makes extensive use of handheld camera work adding to the surrealistic feeling that you are aboard the plane. Given that we know what happens, you would think that tension leading up to the end of the film would be reduced, you would be wrong. I was sitting on the edge of my seat throughout, and when it was all over I felt exactly the same as I did nearly 5 years ago. If you are still deeply troubled by what happened on 9/11, then don't see this film. If however, you are searching for perspective on the events of that day, then by all means see the film. I would think this film would hold some powerful abilities to help us heal, if, by seeing it, we could talk about it and the way we feel as a community about the events of that day. I saw this film by myself and wish I had some of you to bounce what I was feeling off of. I can't wait for this film to come out on DVD so that I can continue my own healing process, and I encourage those of you who are ready to experience it to join me. I'll keep you posted about events at "The Steele Street Screening Room".

United 93

SAP score: 7,6,6
Enjoyment Factor 0
Overall: ***

I'll explain the SAP score in my next column. Be aware, I am in Los Angeles this week and have been since the first of May. I will be attending the Damah Film Festival this coming weekend where I will see films and attending workshops on Film and Spirituality. I hope to post each evening while I am there. Until next time...