Movies and 9/11

Where were you on 9/11? This has become the phrase that dominates our conversations these days. On the anniversary of our darkest day, we all go back to our own memories of that Tuesday morning.

My memory of 9/11 forever changed the way I process film and its power to bring a story to life.  I was eleven years old when I turned on the TV and saw the news coverage of the World Trade Center. I still remember my exact thoughts: "Wow, this movie looks pretty good."  To this day, that thought follows me, and I find myself analyzing it from every angle.

I had no idea what happened that morning, my mother picked me up from school, and would not tell me anything. She said she would explain after she came home from work. Therefore when I saw the news, my mind could not even consider the idea that this was real, this was really going on in New York. However, there is more to this than me being young and naive.

What if this really was a movie? I processed the tragic and devastating images as good entertainment. Which is what we all do when we watch any end-of-the-world movie. What does that say about our society and our understanding of human suffering. Why do we enjoy watching it so much, even after living through it?

The only way I can make sense of our near obsession with destruction is that maybe we look in these tales for hope and endurance. In every one of these movies, you can see peoples' drive to survive and help as many as possible. Maybe, hopefully, that is why we watch. To remind ourselves that their are still every-day heroes in the world. We as a country should be very proud of those who proved to the world on 9/11 that we are a land of heroes.