United 93

The past few years the rage in Hollywood has been to produce superhero movie after superhero movie. I just got back from a movie that had real heroes, real men and women who risked their lives for the good of others.

I'm not sure how successful United 93 was on opening weekend or how it has done since. I'm not concerned about what the critics had to say. Contrary to what some of my friends think, I do not think that United 93 was made to turn a profit, or to be some blockbuster.

The movie was real. It showed an honest portrayal of all involved, from the airline crew, to ground control, to the passengers on the plane, to the terrorists themselves. There was nothing cheesy or cliche about this movie. There were no big speeches, no dramatic music, no evil personas for the terrorists. The dialogue heard at the beggining of the movie could be heard at any airport and aboard any plane. The stewardesses go through their routines, the passengers are talking about business and vacations with others, and when the air traffic controllers are warned of hijackings, the first reactions are always a laugh with "you're joking, right?" One comments by laughing, "there hasn't been a hijacking in 20 years, who's joking?".

I read some posts about the movie that claimed the people aboard the plane were not heroes. I agree that there was some sort of life preservation instinct kicking in, after all, human beings will fight to keep their life. The buildup of information from phone calls aboard the plane leads the passengers to realize their plane is not a "typical" hijacking, but a suicide mission. What occurs after that is a concentrated, heroic dash to get control of the plane. The leaders, with no type of training to fall back on, step up and lead the mission. The stewardesses gather any type of "weapons" for them to use like plastic knives, wine bottles, and fire extinguishers. The men do not stand up valiantly and rally the troops, instead they are filled with fear, tears welling in their eyes, with a real sense of danger and death ahead. Instead of faltering under pressure, though, they make their stand. Though scared and mentally drained, they rise and become reluctant heroes. I don't think reluctant in this case is a bad word to use. I think a hero's greatest battle is the internal struggle with fear and possible failure. A hero stands, though, and these men did that.

The last five minutes of the movie are the most intense shots I've ever seen. Men gather internal courage to charge the terrorists guarding the cockpit, they charge, break down the cockpit door, and the plane crashes. I was physically shaking in my seat. I felt like burying my head and crying and all I had to do was watch, not live this movie.

I'm not sure what else to say on this topic. Watch this movie. I'm not sure how suitable this movie is for children, it would definitely be one to talk about with the kids before and after if you were to watch it.

I wish I could say more.