This article, written by me, ran in today's copy of our campus newspaper. It's basically an overview of the debate about the film, responses from students and locals and my own experience scattered throughout.
T-town reacts to 'United 93'
As I was looking through my movie notebook, which contains every movie I've seen in the theater in the past three years, I realized that no movie has ever been as high on my radar as "United 93." This comes as no surprise, as the film is easily the most debated since "The Passion of the Christ."
This movie has been the talk of the Internet film community and the entertainment media since it was announced. Discussions have been about the morality and appropriateness of making the movie at all, or at least this soon after 9/11, as well as whether this was an attempt by greedy Hollywood blowhards to capitalize on a major tragedy.
I remember reading many message boards and news articles containing responses like this post from the CHUD.com message boards, written in reaction to the first teaser trailer for the film: "Was this film really necessary, considering how much coverage the event has already had and how it only happened five years ago? Movies are primarily made to make money."
Controversy arose in New York when the first teaser was shown, as it was met with cries from people who thought it was too soon. Eventually the trailer was pulled from the theater because it was considered too upsetting.
Rob Keith, a senior majoring in telecommunication and film, shares a similar sentiment. "It is a subject that does not need to be made into a film," Keith said. "I have not forgotten the events of that day and do not need a film to remind me."
If you have turned on any news station in the past week, you had a good chance of seeing debates about the film. While the discussions on TV revolve mostly around the previously mentioned issues, the conversation in this region of the country revolves mostly around whether people can handle it.
My crimson-blooded mother is in the camp that won't see "United 93" because the emotions brought on by 9/11 are likely to resurface because of the movie. Tess Foster, a junior majoring in English, agrees. “I watched the trailer before the movie Inside Man and that alone was emotional overload. I would never say that I will NEVER be ready to see the movie; all I'm saying is that I'm not ready right now.”
If not for the fact that I am a movie fanatic, I would've probably not seen the movie either.
The film ended up completely wrecking me emotionally; my head was in my lap as the credits rolled because I was sobbing uncontrollably.
After the show, not a sound was heard aside from the noise I was making as the audience members slowly made their way out of the auditorium.
Several students who attended the same screening congregated outside the theater afterward to discuss their feelings. One junior who wished to be identified only as John said that "it's a tough movie" and the film is "inspirational."
Jessica Juliana, a sophomore majoring in accounting, applauded the film for not exploiting the event "like Pearl Harbor with its lovey-dovey story."
"They didn't ham it up at all," she said.
Two locals also chimed in on the film. Tommy Townsend, a UA alumnus who served in the Army for 33 years, said, "It really made you 're-angry,' you know what I'm saying? The commercials said everybody really ought to see it, and ... they really ought to see it."
When asked whether they thought the movie was at all inappropriate, his wife, Cathy Townsend, responded, "Absolutely not. It was very respectful." She added that the film was "very realistic [and] very powerful."
One of the most interesting reactions came from Japanese exchange student Rui Taniguchi, who is studying political science and criminal justice. When he spoke of seeing the events of 9/11 unfold while in Japan, he said, "We did care about it, but we were just bystanders. Most people were really calm and cool about it."
Before the film, I was visibly nervous, and he asked me why I was agitated. He repeated several times that "it's just a movie." However, the film clearly gave him a new perspective on the events of that day.
"I was trembling," Taniguchi said of his experience with the film. "I wasn't thinking that these things actually happened. The movie made it real for me, really real."
This movie was pretty awsome if u like the 80's B horror. Its on Netflix
Where the hell are u gonna find gravey flavored condoms in any other movie ...........huh............... I LOVE U TURKEY!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was very excited to see the American Reunion movie. I saw American Pie just after college and remembered it was quite funny. Jim, Michelle, Oz, Heather, Stifler reunite for their high school...
this is the song to have fun on.
