Notes From A Burning House

Is this a movie that is coming too soon to a theatre near you?

This question refers to United 93, a dramatization of the United
Airlines flight hijacked on 11 September 2001, which crashed in Pennsylvania after the terrorists were overpowered by the passengers.  The trailer generated press attention (and free publicity!) when some audience members reacted by shouting, "Too soon!"

Watching the trailer on television, I wondered.  I felt relieved that
the drama was not populated by celebrities.  It was not clear,
however, whether September 11 had escaped the Hollywood treatment.  A
trailer is not the movie itself.  The trailer aims only at publicity.  Unsurprisingly, the trailer built suspense, as if United 93 were a thriller with explosive special effects and a symphonic score.

Without seeing the movie, some people actually got face-time on
television, airing conclusions about the movie based only the trailer.
Put off by the advertising, the negative comments suggested that some
Americans (if not all of us) are unprepared to watch this story unfold
in a Hollywood movie.

There is an understandable mistrust of an event like this getting the
"movie of the week" treatment, for commercial profit.  The story has
been told and re-told in the press.  It is being re-told in court
right now, as Zacarias Moussaoui’s trial moves into the penalty phase
– how is that for uncanny timing?

What is the purpose of this movie, and what audience will go see it?
The notion that United 93 is a commercial product whose purpose is to
make money might be hard to take.  What will compel viewers to buy
tickets to see it?  Is this a ritual of certification, a la Walker
Percy?  Is it too soon to see this event on a movie screen?  If so,
why?

The good Rabbi Borak attended a screening of the film yesterday
afternoon.  When he returned, he said it was an excellent film and
elaborated no further.  Damn him, building up the suspense like that. 

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