DashTrash400
It's a dog's life
- Joined
- Dec 16, 2004
- Posts
- 449
United 93
My wife and I saw the movie last night. It's a hard one to watch - particularly the last 15 minutes - but very worthwhile, an excellent movie.
From a technical standpoint, they really did a superb job. They bought an actual 757-200 and retrofitted it with an authentic circa-2001 UA interior, even going to the trouble of finding the Sept 01 inflight magazine, inflight movies, etc. The cockpit is also from an actual 757, albeit an older one than N591UA. The procedures, callouts, warning systems were all *fairly* accurate.
What really struck me was how "real" the airline culture & crew interaction felt. Later I found out that the actors that play the pilots and two of the flight attendants are current or former pilots and flight attendants. JJ Johnson, who plays Captain Dahl, is himself a United captain.
Watching the day unfold from the perspective of ATC and the ATCSCC was fascinating. Ben Sliney, who was at the time the brand new national manager of the ATCSCC, plays himself and gives one of the best performances of the movie. A few of the other air traffic controllers played themselves.
I was really hoping they didn't "Hollywoodize" this movie by adding a bunch of life stories, superfluous dialogue, action sequences, etc. They didn't. The passengers aren't really held up as stereotypical heroes, but as scared people who realized they were going to die if they didn't do something. The signature phrase "Let's Roll" (Todd Beamer) is actually in the movie but it's almost a mutter, you'd miss it if you weren't listening for it.. "Comeon guys, let's roll, hurry up..."
The entire thing felt very, very real, like you were just another passenger on the flight or fly on the wall at the ARTCC. I can't imagine that the movie could've been done much better... a real tribute to those who lost their lives on UA93. But hard to watch. I sat half-stunned for a few minutes after the end, trying to keep from bawling.
My wife and I saw the movie last night. It's a hard one to watch - particularly the last 15 minutes - but very worthwhile, an excellent movie.
From a technical standpoint, they really did a superb job. They bought an actual 757-200 and retrofitted it with an authentic circa-2001 UA interior, even going to the trouble of finding the Sept 01 inflight magazine, inflight movies, etc. The cockpit is also from an actual 757, albeit an older one than N591UA. The procedures, callouts, warning systems were all *fairly* accurate.
What really struck me was how "real" the airline culture & crew interaction felt. Later I found out that the actors that play the pilots and two of the flight attendants are current or former pilots and flight attendants. JJ Johnson, who plays Captain Dahl, is himself a United captain.
Watching the day unfold from the perspective of ATC and the ATCSCC was fascinating. Ben Sliney, who was at the time the brand new national manager of the ATCSCC, plays himself and gives one of the best performances of the movie. A few of the other air traffic controllers played themselves.
I was really hoping they didn't "Hollywoodize" this movie by adding a bunch of life stories, superfluous dialogue, action sequences, etc. They didn't. The passengers aren't really held up as stereotypical heroes, but as scared people who realized they were going to die if they didn't do something. The signature phrase "Let's Roll" (Todd Beamer) is actually in the movie but it's almost a mutter, you'd miss it if you weren't listening for it.. "Comeon guys, let's roll, hurry up..."
The entire thing felt very, very real, like you were just another passenger on the flight or fly on the wall at the ARTCC. I can't imagine that the movie could've been done much better... a real tribute to those who lost their lives on UA93. But hard to watch. I sat half-stunned for a few minutes after the end, trying to keep from bawling.
