Posted on 04/16/2006 5:31:56 PM PDT by DieHard the Hunter
New Zealand September 11 hero Alan Beaven is to be immortalised in the first Hollywood movie about the terrorist attacks, but his Auckland family will not rush to see the film.
Beaven's brother, Ralph Beaven, said the idea of watching a film of his brother's ordeal was traumatic.
Universal Studios is soon to release United 93, which will focus on the United Airlines flight which crashed in a field in Pennsylvania before it could reach its intended target in Washington DC, thought to be the White House.
It is believed the hijackers failed in their mission because a group of heroic passengers, including former Auckland University student Beaven, stormed the cockpit. Beaven will be played in the movie by British actor Simon Poland.
A year after the 2001 attacks, Beaven's wife, Kimi, revealed to the Sunday Star-Times that her husband's remains were found in the cockpit of Flight 93 and his voice was on the cockpit voice recorder.
The film, to open on April 28 in America, has ignited debate there over whether the country is ready for such a vivid portrayal of the attacks.
When a trailer advertising the film was played at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, audience members began calling out, "Too soon!"
The trailer contains news film of one of the planes about to hit the World Trade Center, and a cinema in Manhattan took the rare step of pulling it from its screens after several complaints.
"One lady was crying," the manager told a local paper. "I don't think people are ready for this."
Ralph Beaven said he would not go to the cinema to watch the film. "For me personally, I'm not sure I'd go along, I think it would be a little too close to home. I don't want to go down that track again.
"It would be very emotionally charged, especially seeing someone else represent your brother."
He said he might consider watching it later in the privacy of his home, if it was issued on DVD.
His brother had been an environmental lawyer in San Francisco who had fought for the underdog against big corporations, and who did not seek the limelight.
"He was not the sort of person who deliberately set out to have a lot of publicity. He was a down-to-earth Kiwi, he wore jeans and jandals."
Beaven said he had never received official word as to what exactly his brother's role was on the flight, and he believed Kimi Beaven's belief he had fought with the hijackers was conjecture.
Because I NEVER said anything about ANYONE attending the film.
".....I can't help but think about the children of the victims. I had my cousin in my lap for hours during one of the memorials trying to explain how daddy fit in the little box. I fielded some of the most gut wrenching, painful questions that will forever haunt my sleep...."
>>>>I can't help but think about the children of the victims
That is portraying ME as a victim or having empathetic thoughts of children of victims?
Nope, sorry, those comments were about the Oiver Stone film, not the United 93 film.
Show me what you are referencing.
I think so. Viewing Flight 93 would be helpful in correcting your sense of proportion. What those passengers went through was really 'gut wrenching.'
I live right by the Beamer family. I know more about Flight 93 than will be in the film.
I don't need my sense of proportion corrected.
Ah, so you can't back up your statement.
I don't care what you think either.
That about sums up my feelings about it.
From memory, you're usually a level-headed Freeper.
Can you not see how 'it's all about me' that sounds?
Nope. You have tried to turn my posts into 'it's all about me'. You have not been able to back that up though.
I don't see the parallel. Are you saying a film portrayal of Flight 93 is some kind of insult to the families of the victims?
>>>>Are you saying a film portrayal of Flight 93 is some kind of insult to the families of the victims?
Nope. But your words are, "...why do we care what victims' families think about this film?"
What a crank you are!
I'm really not sure what your motivation against this movie is but if you are such a purist who doesn't "go(es) to movies to be entertained not to watch other peoples suffering" then why such a strong assault on a movie that tells an important and true story? Since you admit you didn't see Schindler's List or Hotel Rhawanda then obviously you wouldn't know firsthand how effective and educational those films were - to avoid similar tragedies in the future.
I wouldn't question your motivation if you had just posted a single comment that made clear your view and then left the debate. There is more to your reasoning than you are revealing.
I thought the Flite 93 transcript released last week made chilling reading. Dunno if I'd want to listen to the tape, tho'. Still...
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