World Trade Center--a Movie Review

Movie: World Trade Center
Starring: Nicholas Cage, Michael Pena, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Maria Bello, William Mapother, Michael Shannon
Rating: PG-13
My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Every generation has their day of infamy. My grandparents had Pearl Harbor. My generation had September 11, 2001. Just like with every major event in history, it was a day that began like every other. Yet, by the time the sun set, the world would never be the same again. For Port Authority Police Officers John McLaughlin (Nicholas Cage) and Will Jimeno (Michael Pena), it would shape the story of their lives forever.

Patrolling the bus terminal was the usual norm for these two men, but a low flying airplane quickly caught their attention. Smoke is seen, rumors were being bandied back and forth about what exactly had stuck the World Trade Center. All they knew was that they were being sent in to help evacuate the building and it wasn’t a pretty scene. While in the concourse between the two towers, the South Tower begins to collapse. McLaughlin, being the leader of the group, yells at his men to get into the elevator shaft—one of those men being Jimeno. Initially, McLaughlin, Jimeno, and another officer, Dominick Pezzulo, live through the initial blast—but the shifting of falling debris leaves Will and John the only ones alive. The fight to remain that way consumes the men.

For John’s wife, Donna (Maria Bello) and Will’s wife, Allison, (Maggie Gyllenhaal), they find themselves like the majority of Americans on that day. They remained glued to their TV sets, trying to make sense of what was going on before their eyes. They feared anyone coming to their doors, for they expected news of their loved ones being dead. All they could do is wait and remember. Contrast that with United States Marines Dave Karnes (Michael Shannon) and Jason Thomas (William Mapother)—they can do something. They can go to New York City, to Ground Zero, and help in any way they can. What they don’t know is that these two brave soldiers would be in the “right place at the right time” to help their brothers in arms.

To be honest, I have been loath to watch this movie. Like I am sure everyone alive on September 11th, I remember that day so vividly; I remember how I found out, what my reaction was, just how long I sat in front of the TV—and the day didn’t directly affect me, as it did for countless Americans. Yet because I knew this was based on a true story, and an inspiring one at that, I thought it was a good idea to watch this on the tenth anniversary of that horrific day.

I wasn’t disappointed. Was I happy watching this? No…how could you be remembering the devastation, the loss. Oliver Stone did a fantastic job in directing; he didn’t try to put a political spin on the day. He did an actual portrayal, down to having the characters watch actual news coverage voiced by Tom Brokaw. As that was the network I watched that day, my memories seemed all the more acute. It’s in the scenes of empty New York streets, the wall of missing persons placed by worried loved ones, the falling ash and debris that remind me of what was lost that day.

Because the movie is so raw, the content has to be raw and realistic. Violence is what you would expect. We see the towers come down from inside; we constantly see falling rubble. There isn’t any sexual content. Language is the one issue. The f word is used twice; God’s name in vain, the “s” word and the “d” word make plenty of appearances. And yet, in a way, I accepted it. It seemed very true to life to me.

You know what else was very true for me? It was the scenes in which I remembered anew of why I am that all-American girl. They were the scenes of policemen and fire fighters, from all across the country, helping each other. It was the moment of two strangers comforting each other in the hospital. It was of the cheering that ensued when Will and John were the eighteen and nineteenth men to be removed from Ground Zero—alive. I love this country that I live in, a country in which though the World Trade Center may fall, you cannot bring down the people. Our spirit, our brotherly love that really does exist cannot die, no matter how many planes hit.