Is It Too Soon for 9/11 Movies?

That's the question causing mixed feelings and controversy among people all over the country. With two films about September 11th coming out this year, Paul Greengrass's "United 93" this month and Oliver Stone's "World Trade Center" in August, moviegoers are ambivalent at best. Even the trailer for "United 93" has incited heated debate over whether or not America is ready to see any story told about that date of infamy for the new millennium. Many refuse to go to the theater to be subjected to it, most seem unsure how they will be able to handle the subject matter if they did go, and others feel that we should remember and this is just another way to ensure that we don't forget. And, still others feel they can't forget as it is, and would rather not be reminded. And some are still in as much shock as if it were yesterday.

When you consider all this, you have to wonder if not now, then when? Will we ever be ready as a country to see a film about the most traumatic and terrible event in our nation's history? As a horrible surprise attack on U.S. soil, the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York and Washington D.C. are often compared to the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, only closer to home, striking at civilians in the course of their everyday lives. The first film fictionalizing the story of Pearl Harbor, "Remembering Pearl Harbor," was released only a year after the attack. However, the acclaimed film "From Here to Eternity" with Burt Lancaster and Montgomery Clift was made a whole 12 years after Pearl Harbor. We are approaching the 5th anniversary of the September 11th attacks, and the public is still divided on this issue. It seems one that will never end for those most affected and haunted by that day.

The filmmakers of "United 93" have answered this raging question in their own way before they started to put together the movie. They went to the families of the people who had been onboard United flight 93 that morning, and when they answered that they wanted the stories of their lost loved ones told, the filmmakers used that as their moral compass in the matter. Meanwhile, there are those who were affected in other ways to whom the answer doesn't come so assured. I have a friend who was an EMT working Ground Zero that day, and I spent most of the day worrying that he was under the towers when they collapsed. As it turned out, he had been transporting patients away from the scene, but several of his fellow workers were not so lucky. He told me that he does not know if he will see either film, but if they are done well and with the proper respect for everyone involved and the events, he will more than likely see both films, even though it will be difficult for him, particularly with "World Trade Center." On the other hand, I also know people who simply will not see the films.

At this year's Academy Awards, Jon Stewart satirized the mood of today's films, such as "Crash" and "Brokeback Mountain," by saying that this is why we go to the movies, "to escape." It seems that these days, the notion on which that observational irony is based is only partially true anymore. There are plenty of choices in theaters for those who wish to be entertained, but there are more choices emerging for those who want to see something relevant to reality in all its harshness. "Fahrenheit 9/11" was an overwhelming example of how cinema can impact its audience in tangible, thought-provoking ways. Sometimes, we want to see something that is worth watching because it has intrinsic value and reaches us in ways that we might otherwise never be reached. I dare say there isn't anyone who hasn't imagined themselves in the position of being a passenger on one of those planes that crashed on 9/11, but it seems impossible to imagine actually seeing that situation depicted on screen. How can we know what to expect? How can we predict how we'll react? Are we ready? Will we ever be? Yes, no, maybe? The most common answer to all of these questions seems to be resounding uncertainty; "I don't know."

Still, there is a need to answer the question. Well, if you believe the story needs to be told, then in the coming months you can go see "United 93" and "World Trade Center" and judge for yourself just how well Greengrass and Stone are at telling it. But, if you believe that it's too soon, then you can choose not to see either motion picture and refrain from contributing to whatever box office figures will come from 9/11 movies this year. For some, it's a matter of being patriotic to see these movies, and for others, it's because of patriotism that they will never see them. It will boil down to our principles and our gut feelings, our emotions regarding 9/11 and our views on the aftermath.

Our faith in the filmmakers will also play a part in the decision to go or not to go. Greengrass has spoken about his upcoming release with reverence, but the only big credit to his name is "The Bourne Supremacy," which can only make one guess how he will handle this incredibly sensitive material. As far as Oliver Stone is concerned, there is certainly precedent by which we can forecast his treatment of the very delicate subject matter since he is notorious for his visions of true stories, such as "JFK" and "Born on the Fourth of July." However, this still doesn't begin to scratch the surface when trying to gauge the reception these films will get upon their release.

As much conjecture as I've thrown out here, the cyclical arguments could continue into infinity. The more you ask the question, the less it seems to have an answer. Then, it becomes clear that it all comes down to the individual. For whatever reason above or otherwise, we will each make a choice, even if we are unsure what that choice will be until we are faced with it. Some will be ready and some will not. Some will think they are prepared but will discover that they really weren't. Some will realize they are better able to handle it than they thought possible. It will depend on your personal experience of 9/11 as well as your feelings about films depicting that day being made and released at this point in time. If you're unprepared, nothing will prepare you, and if you're ready, nothing will stop you from going. Whether you see these movies or not, you will most likely hear about them and talk about them for a long time to come. And, the only certainty is that emotions as well as tensions will be as high as they have been regarding that day since September 11th itself. Be sure and also watch our video interview with Paul GreenGrass where he discusses the movie, and the controversy.