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.
,,, I also think it's a bit early for a movie like this.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.