DVD/VIDEO: Flight 93

FLIGHT 93 (2006)

My Rating: *** (out of *****)
Starring: Brennan Elliott, Kendall Cross, Ty Olsson, Monnae Michaell, April Telek, Colin Glazer, Meghan Heffern, Laura Mennell
Director: Peter Markle

My Review:
Flight 93, the first non-documentary film to focus on some of the events surrounding 9/11, originally aired on A&E in January 2006 to the tune of some 5.9 million viewers (a record for the cable network). Three months later, Paul Greengrass’ superlative United 93 hit movie houses to become the first theatrical release to tell the story of the only hijacked aircraft on September 11, 2001, that did not reach its predetermined target.

Perhaps unfortunately, I happened to view Greengrass’ film first, and, sadly, Flight 93 pales in comparison. I’m not exactly sure why I had the reaction to this film that I did. I expected to be blown away, as I had been with United 93 and with Jules and Gedeon Naudet’s astonishing documentary 9/11. My reaction was, instead, strangely muted. Perhaps it was my expectations after seeing those other films. Or maybe it was the subpar production values and sometimes unconvincing acting in this made-for-TV version. My reverence for and belief in the importance of the subject matter might also have had an effect. Perhaps it was a combination of all of these factors. No matter what way you slice it, Flight 93 doesn’t come close to creating the emotional impact that is offered by its theatrical and documentary counterparts.

The stories in this film and in Greengrass’ version are identical, though – where United 93 spends a great deal of time addressing the chaos experienced by air traffic controllers, military personnel, and ground crews - Flight 93 chooses to emphasize the passengers and their families (the latter are neither seen nor heard in Greengrass’ film). Portions of each film play like carbon copies of one another (the terrorists’ somber preparations, the initial upset on the doomed aircraft, and the desperate final attempt of the passengers to thwart their captors), though the aforementioned differences in focus make each one a totally separate and unique viewing experience.

Director Peter Markle’s decision to give special attention to the families of Flight 93’s doomed passengers is certainly a noble one. The film forces us to imagine the horror, powerlessness, and anguish that must have ensued for these people, going through the motions on an ordinary autumn morning only to be called by loved ones who had just been sentenced to die within the hour. And certainly, the sheer power of this subject matter creates some intense emotional moments and reactions. Markle gets a lot of mileage out of Meghan Heffern’s quietly authentic and moving performance as Nicole Miller, and the scene where Todd Beamer (Brennan Elliott) prays with Lisa Jefferson (an effective Monnae Michaell) is simply breathtaking. On the other hand, some of the dialogue and performances feel cramped, forced, stagy, and downright weak, thus giving Flight 93 a tepid movie-of-the-week feel that seriously dilutes its effectiveness at certain points. Also, the sloppiness of some of the scenes (while Nicole Miller’s mom talks to her on the phone, children ride their bikes and play the street, when it is more than likely that they were in school on that Tuesday morning in September 2001) is downright distracting.

Alas, in terms of the movie as a whole, what could have struck with the force of a hurricane merely unsettles us with the impact of a bad thunderstorm. Though this is almost tragic when one considers the magnitude of the events depicted in Flight 93, the fact that the story is being told – with at least some level of skillfulness and power – is reason enough to see the film.

PG-13, for depiction of a terrorist attack with moments of related violence, as well as mature thematic elements, emotional intensity, and some mild language