United 93

Year Released: 2006

Date Reviewed: 3/02/08

Genre: Documentary/Recreation

Rating: R

Average User Rating:

A

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Synopsis:

United 93 is the story of the flight that disappeared from the radar over a Pennsylvania field that day.  Most believe this plane was intended to be a missile for the terrorists, most likely aimed at the capitol building.  Due to cell phone calls made from passengers, heartbreakingly recreated, experts have concluded that the passengers realized the situation and overtook the terrorists.

The Freak's Rating: A : In sixth grade one of our assignments was to go home and interview our parents on historical events they had been witness to in their lives.  We asked about the moon landing, the Kennedy assassination and the assassination of Martin Luther King.  I remember glancing down at my interview question sheet, knowing how historically significant these events were and wondering if I'd ever have an event so powerful in my lifetime.

Sadly, that question was answered on September 11, 2001.  At the time I was working at IFSI (Illinois Foundation Seeds, Inc.) in central Illinois.  We had just finished our summer crop and were planning one of our trips to Florida for crossbreeding of sweet corn.  My coworker, Chris, had some alcoholic issues catch up to him and long story short I had to pick him up from work.  We arrived at the office and checked our email in the morning.  It was business as usual.  Chris, checking the news websites, said "Hey, did you hear that a plane hit the World Trade Center?".  I had not and went onto a new site immediately to look.  I read the headline, "small plane hits the World Trade Center".  We let it go, mumbling comments like "that sucks", not thinking anything about it.

I proceeded out into my workstation in the building and began to separate corn seeds by breed in packets for organizational field planting.  One of the older ladies worked with me and turned the radio on.  We listened as news reports came pouring in about a second plane, then a bomb at the nation's capital, then a third plane, and so on.  I can still see her face, trying to concentrate on counting seeds all along thinking about this tragedy and how severe it might actually be.

Still I continued with my work.  About an hour after the initial reports came in, we were told that all the employees of both of our divisions (sweet corn and field corn) had gathered near the two televisions in the buildings and were watching the news together.  We were encouraged by everyone, except our direct supervisors, to go watch with them if we felt the inclination to do so.  Chris and I continued working, due mostly to the pressure we constantly felt from our supervisor.

The phones began to ring in the office.  Husbands were calling wives, kids calling parents, etc...  The enormity of the situation was finally sinking in.  I began to think of the girl I was interested in, a student at a Christian college in Minnesota.  I wondered what she was doing and how she was dealing with this.  I also became concerned, as most did that day, with the well being of my family and friends.

The reports came in from the other building that the towers had collapsed.  I had never been to New York City and could only relate to the scope of the collapse on what I had seen on television.  I remember thinking of the tragedy, but nothing could prepare me for when I arrived at home and began watching the footage.

By the end of the day, we decided to head home a little early to start watching the reports.  At the time I was managing my father's apartment building.  It was a small building with only five apartments located miles into the country.  Central Illinois might as well be the deep south as it pertains to the sense of community.  The front porch of our apartment building was enormous, spanning all five apartments and providing an area everyone congregated to grill, have a beer and just hang out.  It sounds crazy, but friends and family members of the tenants actually would drive out to our building just to hang out on the porch with everyone.

As I pulled into the driveway I noticed all the tenants were on the porch, most with at least a couple visitors.  I was the only one out there with satellite television, so most were waiting for me to arrive.  I pulled in, walked into my apartment and flipped on the television.  I put the front window up and we all sat on the porch, about 20 of us, smoking cigarettes, drinking beers and watching through my window at the reports on TV.  I didn't allow smoking in my apartment, so though I was prodded everyone was forced to stay outside.  Still we all set there, most of us intrigued for the first time at watching the news.  Every commercial break we'd talk about the situation in the way only rednecks can.

Cell phones were blazing the whole evening.  I spoke with nearly everyone I knew, including Jen.  Mostly I just wanted to hear people's voices to know they were OK.  It was the first time I actually saw the cell lines close up for extended periods of time because of call volume.

After hours of hanging out, a good buzz obtained and enough second hand smoke to kill a small child, I went inside.  The crowd broke up and went to their separate apartments; those who were visiting went home.  My best friends out there, Pam & Greg, had a teenage daughter named Jessica.  Jessica and I had become good friends.  Though some might have thought it was odd for a 25 year old to befriend a 14 year old girl, she was like a sister to me.  About 10 minutes after everyone went inside and lights were starting to go out, she came to my door.  She asked, "are you still watching this stuff?".  I answered yes and she asked if she could come in and watch with me.

We sat there for at least another hour or so watching highlights, hearing commentary and talking about the situation.  We listened to members of Congress sing God Bless America on the steps of the congressional building in Washington, D.C.  I'll never forget how that day went, nor will most.

The point is that I'll never forget that day and I shouldn't.  It was a tragedy in American history that should be remembered and reflected upon for a multitude of reasons.  Many people that day lost their lives attempting to help others.  From the firefighters in NYC to the passengers and crew of United Flight 93, many heroes fell.

Many people in this film are authentic.  The flight controller for the FAA, whose first day at work it was, it portrayed by the real guy.  When the announcements are made over intercoms about flight status for the fateful planes that day, they are made by the real person who did so on that day.  Many people were quick to do it, to honor the memory of those that day.

Paul Greengrass was nominated for Best Director for his work on this picture and is increidbly deserving.  Making you feel as if you were there in the plane with everyone, Greengrass blended history with emotion beautifully.  The tension in the film is insane, making you cringe nearly every second.  Recreated shots make you remember and force you to feel the same fears you felt that day.  The final cut of this film was approved by family members of every passenger and crew member aboard as the most tasteful representation of their loved ones last moments possible.

Following the crew and passengers from the moment they board until their final descent, United 93 is a testament to true heroism and is a film to be embraced and circulated for all to see.