"United 93", What Controversy?
TV news reports, like this one, almost universally say that the upcoming opening of the new film that details the events that led to the crash of United Flight 93 in Pennsylvania on 9/11/01 is "controversial". Why?
By all accounts the producers contacted every family of those lost on that day and all approved of the concept and of the final product. The story linked to above at least quotes one "man on the street" as fearing that seeing the movie will be too painful. That is an understandable human emotion. I still cannot watch extended documentary footage of that day without tears.
But the word "controversial" implies that someone has a political or ethical objection to the film, yet none have come forward. One can assume that if people like Rush Limbaugh are celebrating the film's opening, there will be an automatic reaction against the film from the left. So far it has not materialized.
In any given month films are released that some portion of the population will find disturbing, horror films or films with a sexual content, for example. These rarely merit special mention in the newscasts.
Whether or not one likes the terminology, we have been and are under attack by Islamofascist terrorists. Hollywood has a long and honorable tradition of making films during wartime that celebrate the actions of heroes and simultaneously mourn their loss. "United 93" appears to be solidly in that tradition. I plan on seeing it and I fully expect to be moved by it. Facing up to our pain is a good thing.
By all accounts the producers contacted every family of those lost on that day and all approved of the concept and of the final product. The story linked to above at least quotes one "man on the street" as fearing that seeing the movie will be too painful. That is an understandable human emotion. I still cannot watch extended documentary footage of that day without tears.
But the word "controversial" implies that someone has a political or ethical objection to the film, yet none have come forward. One can assume that if people like Rush Limbaugh are celebrating the film's opening, there will be an automatic reaction against the film from the left. So far it has not materialized.
In any given month films are released that some portion of the population will find disturbing, horror films or films with a sexual content, for example. These rarely merit special mention in the newscasts.
Whether or not one likes the terminology, we have been and are under attack by Islamofascist terrorists. Hollywood has a long and honorable tradition of making films during wartime that celebrate the actions of heroes and simultaneously mourn their loss. "United 93" appears to be solidly in that tradition. I plan on seeing it and I fully expect to be moved by it. Facing up to our pain is a good thing.
posted by Joe Hogan at
12:19 PM
