There have been a number of defining moments in the world just within my lifetime alone. You know… the type that make you remember where you were when it happened. It started just a few short months after my birth with the assassination of John F. Kennedy, which admittedly I really don’t remember. Then there was the killing of the athletes in the Munich Olympics… the same Olympics I was on my way to see when I lived in Germany. Of course most of us can also remember the fates of the Space Shuttles Challenger and Columbia. And even on a smaller scale there was the death of Elvis and the murder of John Lennon. It was an average morning for me and most of the rest of the world on September 11, 2001. I work in a downtown office building, and that morning I happened to walk through our copy center and overheard some co-workers talking about an airplane having crashed into one of the World Trade Center buildings. Since it is typical of the media outlets to overreact, generally reporting the news without fact checking, I though it was some kind of exaggeration.

But then I walked into our break room and joined a group of people who had gathered around the TV and watched as smoke and flames poured out of the top of one of the towers. Then minutes later I witnessed the second plane hitting the other Tower, telling us once and for all that this was no accident.

Over the course of the next few days, the new outlets were filled with every conceivable version of the incident and it would be months before we knew the whole truth. But the one thing we learned immediately was that there are some brave souls in this world… some of whom are no longer here. As most of you may know, there were two other planes hijacked, one of which flew into the Pentagon, the other destined for another undetermined target. However, in a case of unbelievable courage, the passengers of United Flight 93 decided to fight back. And while I wish I could say it saved their lives, it most certainly saved the lives of those who might have been in whatever building it was heading for.

Over the past several years, 9/11 was a subject that was broached mainly in the realm of documentaries. No one dared attempt any kind of re-enactments. But perhaps enough time has passed that we can finally allow ourselves to see a dramatized version of some of the events of that day. First there were two films about Flight 93, one a theatrical release called United 93, another a made for TV drama called Flight 93. And Oliver Stone recently directed the film, "World Trade Center." So far I've seen all three, not because of any ghoulish voyeuristic tendencies on my part, but because these are important events that should be remembered.

The most recent one I watched was "United 93", which was released on DVD by Universal just a few days ago. I watched it on September 11th, along with CNN's coverage of the events from 5 years ago. The film takes place in near real time and dramatizes what took place on the one airplane that did not reach its intended target.

This particular film was directed by Paul Greengrass and his approach to the film is one devoid of the 'Hollywood-izing' that is inherent in most films based on actual events. He worked with surviving members of the families to try and piece together the events based on cell phone calls and the facts as are known. The film's realism is enhanced by the casting of lesser known actors, only a couple of which I recognized from other projects. Greengrass also utilized a handful of the actual people on the ground to pay themselves.

The film effectively interweaves the activities onboard the as well as those happening on the ground. As you might imagine, the attacks came at such shocking speed, that confusion reigned. But there were many men and women on that day who gave their lives to save others. I noticed on the release of these films there box office numbers were rather poor. I heard it said that people weren't ready to see these events portrayed on film, but if that is true, then these people are cowards. The only people I'd give special dispensation to are the ones who were there that day; they don’t need to see it. But if you were, and still are safe, then not seeing these movies is criminal.

Universal is releasing the film in single and double disc sets, and I would highly recommend the double disc. The first disc includes a terrific commentary by Greengrass (available on both versions), and the second disc includes interviews with some of the families of the passengers aboard United 93. There are also bios for each of the 40 people who died that day.

The people aboard Flight 93 were heroes just as the rescue workers were heroes, and this film (as any film about this subject should be) is a testament and a memorial to them.

Directed by: Paul Greengrass
Extras: United 93 - The Families and the Film, Feature Commentary, Memorial Pages
Specifications: Widescreen (2.35:1), Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, DVS 5.1
Studio: Universal
Release Date: 9/5/2006
Region 1
MPAA Rating: R (Language and Some Intense Sequences of Terror and Violence)
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We'll give United 93 an A +.