The AMC Loews theater on Manhattan's Upper West Side took the rare step of pulling the movie trailer for the upcoming film "United 93," about 9/11, from its screens after several complaints, report Senior Writer Sean Smith and Reporter Jac Chebatoris in the April 10 issue of Newsweek. "One lady was crying," says one of the theater's managers, Kevin Adjodha. "She was saying that we shouldn't have [played the trailer]. That this was wrong ... I don't think people are ready for this.
Viewers in other cities are reacting as well. When the trailer played before "Inside Man" last week at the famed Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, audience members began calling out "Too soon!" And audiences generally seem to be split on the issue. "I don't think that's a movie I really want to see," says Jackie Alvarez, 73, of San Ramon, Calif., after seeing the trailer. "It gave me the creeps. It's way too soon." | Too soon? It's been 5 years |
But 17-year-old Antoine Richardson of Memphis, Tenn., is looking forward to it.
"I don't think it's exploitative or too soon," he says. "It helps us remember."
| Which could be the problem, some people want us to forget |
Carole O'Hare, whose 79-year-old mother, Hilda Marcin, died on the flight, says she feels the criticism that Universal - the studio - is exploiting a national tragedy, is unfair. "This story has to be told to honor the passengers and crew for what they did," she says. "But more than that, it raises awareness. Our ports aren't secure. Our airlines still aren't secure, and this is what happens when you're not secure. That's the message I want people to hear."
Writer-director Paul Greengrass has gone to great lengths to be respectful in his depiction of what occurred, proceeding with the film only after securing the approval of every victim's family. "Was I surprised at the unanimity? Yes. Very. Usually there are one or two families who are more reluctant," Greengrass writes in an email. "I was surprised and humbled at the extraordinary way the United 93 families have welcomed us into their lives and shared their experiences with us." A quick look at movies from 1942 dealing with Pearl Harbor and the war :
Remember Pearl Harbor
Submarine Raider
A Yank on the Burma Road
The Navy Comes Through
The Battle of Midway
Casablanca
Eagle Squadron
The Flying Tigers
Der Fuehrer's Face
The First of the Few
Attack in the Pacific
Bombs Over Burma
The Commandos Strike at Dawn
To the Shores of Tripoli
I don't seem to recall hearing about any protests about it being "too soon" back then. |
| I downloaded the trailer from the Apple website. It's very powerful, and I understand the emotional response. We need more of that, not less. |
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