Flight 93 "movie"

What do you think of the made for TV movie "Flight 93". It's about the flight that crashed in PA on 9/11. It apparently got big ratings for A&E (their highest EVER), and is just one of a number of this kind of thing relating to 9/11.

I'm honestly not comfortable with it (so don't watch it - obviously), and I'm not comfortable with people profiting from these kinds of things for entertainment. I don't find anything entertaining about the program -- and it can't possibly count as "educational" -- it's not a documentary.

I did watch the documentary made by the French brothers who happened to be shooting a documentary on the NYFD (I think it was called 9/11). It was very hard to watch, but I felt like I should. So it's not as though I'm opposed to watching or learning about it (in fact, I kind of feel a need to read or see things about it - even though nothing will ever make sense of it). I'm sure there was money made on this project as well -- but these men were there and risked their lives. Someone wrote a script for the A&E thing.

I guess I just see it as too raw a subject, and too likely to hurt more people this soon. What do you think, and did anyone watch it?

[DCJenn]

I didn't see it, I can replay the images seared forever into my brain.

and the Washington Post movie/tv critic said that it was horribly done and since there's a huge thing w/ flight 93 here in DC (where it was supposed to crash) I'm not surprised that they hated it.

I do have to say that the Pentagon has done a nice job with the 9/11 memorial.

Jenn

[Phoebe]

I saw parts of this show. I didn't like it so I turned it off. I saw another show about Flight 93 a while back (can't remember the channel) where it gave a run down of the events that day, introduced the passengers on board and interviewed actual family members about their experiences. It also showed the families going to the Memorial in PA. I felt this show was much better because it explained actual events and used family members in a documentary type style. The movie on the other night was not favorable in my opinion.

I also watched the documentary by the French Brothers.

Jennifer

[SueC]

I saw the preview and felt funny about watching that, too. But honestly, I still can't really bring myself to watch any of the specials they have on 9/11. It amazes me that it has been almost 5 years and it still all seems so surreal. And I didn't even know anybody personally that was lost. I did watch the show where they interviewed the engineer that designed the twin towers and it made me so sad to hear him talking about how the towers going down were basically his responsibility.

Flight 93 "movie"

It seems like we live in an age of immediate nostalgia, and I guess tragedy is no exception to that trend. I've always felt like going back to what's now referred to as "ground zero" would have been like looking into an open casket, something I always avoid at funerals. I want to remember that area of downtown as it looked in its prime, with tremendous towers and bustling commerce. I don't need to see the burrial ground it's become. I feel that, I don't want to close my eyes and see it. It's too literal. I was born and raised in NY, and feel very lucky and a little guilty not to have lost close friends and family. A documentary I might be able to handle someday, but not a made-for-tv-movie. It's too ambitious, even for A&E.

[Auspicious]

Re: Flight 93 "movie"

I've always felt like going back to what's now referred to as "ground zero" would have been like looking into an open casket, something I always avoid at funerals. I want to remember that area of downtown as it looked in its prime, with tremendous towers and bustling commerce. I don't need to see the burrial ground it's become.

I think if you visit it you might feel better. A lot of hard work has gone into cleaning it up and the trains are running and the streets are hopping. Yes there's a gaping omission in the area and there's no getting around that, but that part of town is still home and hearth to a lot of people and they've done a seriously admirable job of keeping the mojo going. They are nothing if not irrepressible. I think you'd be proud.

[pstone]

We would never watch it.