By Dennis O’Neil
Hollywood has opened up the Pandora’s Box that is Sept. 11. “United 93,” the first feature film to deal explicitly with the tragedy, is being previewed in theaters across the country.
At Graumann’s Chinese Theater in Los Angeles audience members vocally lashed out at the film’s trailer with cries of “Too Soon!” according to Newsweek magazine. In upper Manhattan, where the tragedy is still palpable, a Loews Theater pulled the trailer because of the reactions it was getting.
Set to be released April 28, the film has provoked a variety of reactions from audiences across the nation, and most are negative.
“Certain people get locked into certain stages of the grieving process,” said Dr. Stanley Frager, a professor at the Kent School of Social Work and an expert in grief counseling. “There was a real ‘move forward’ mentality to those who were more detached from the tragedy. We didn’t really give ourselves a chance to grieve.”
The families of those killed, however, were supportive of the film’s production. Director Paul Greengrass secured the confidence of each of the 40 families. Many were deeply involved in the project. They saw it as a tribute to their loved ones rather than an exploitation of them. Much of the uproar over the film has come from those less attached to the tragedy.
“Those who were less attached have a different relationship to the tragedy,” Frager said. “Before 9/11, we felt very insulated. The loss on Sept. 11 was the loss of being safe. The film reminds us of how vulnerable we still are.”
The film tells the story of United flight 93, which was hijacked en route to San Francisco and re-routed to hit the U.S. capitol building on Sept. 11, 2001. The flight’s passengers fought back against their terrorist captors, attempting to retake the plane. The plane ultimately crashed in Pennsylvania, killing those on board, but the passengers had prevented the hijackers from accomplishing their mission, saving many innocent lives on the ground.
Greengrass is known primarily for big-budget shoot-em-ups like “Bloody Sunday” and “The Bourne Supremacy.” Though “United 93” is financed by Universal Studios, it doesn’t appear to be glossy, overdone or typically Hollywood.
There are no big-name actors, and the trailer emphasizes a look that is modest and naturalistic, with no visual effects to be found. It indicates a film dedicated to celebrating heroes.
Despite this, controversy surrounds the film’s release, and will probably hurt its box office showing on opening weekend. More Sept. 11 movies are on the way, though, specifically Oliver Stone’s “World Trade Center” with Nicolas Cage.
Whether or not 9/11 is still an open wound on the American skin, it appears few want to see it depicted on screen. Though the film’s approach appears to be one of great sensitivity, audience members are reacting negatively to the memory of a tragedy close to home for all of us. With the five-year anniversary of 9/11 pending, many are saying it is too soon.
“The whole notion of ‘too soon’ is so arbitrary,” said senior Jason Witt. “I’m sure many people thought making a movie about Pearl Harbor was too soon. If you keep saying something happens too soon, [when] is it ever going to be late enough?”
