Thanks, Eric. I totally get where you're coming from and agree to a certain extent, my post notwithstanding.

I encourage everyone to see it because I had forgotten, just a bit, the visceral horror that I felt on that day. Not that I wanted to relive that feeling, but I do think that I, at least, needed the reminder.

Also, there was the curiosity factor behind why I wanted to see United 93 - I really wanted to know more about the behind the scenes activity of the air traffic controllers because I don't think their story has been told enough.

Jen, I share your fascination with the "backstories" of 9/11, especially since -- with respect to Flight 93, anyway -- that's the only area where someone knows exactly what took place. If I change my mind about seeing the movie, it will be primarily to learn more about the flight controllers and other behind-the-scenes heroes.

If you check Discovery channel, they have show on the grounding of all flights on 9/11 that's pretty good. It doesn't go into the investigation of the hijacked planes that morning, but the response to the order to ground all air traffic. Very informative.

Unfortunately, I can't remember what it's called. They ran it and other 9/11 related show this weekend, so I bet they'll run it again sometime.

I'll probably see it when it comes to Israel. It's not that I forget, but it becomes less vivid over time (at least for me). I think I had a similar reaction when I read this tale of my 9-11:

It's in six parts, all of which are linked from this great post, called "How Lisa came to Israel".

I come from a split household. I want to see the movie, but my husband does not. I want to get a better sense of what those passengers and the ATC's experienced but it's as much morbid curiosity as anything (what I really should see is the documentary; fictionalizing it at all seems wrong...it cheapens whatever effect the movie has, I think). I don't think I will ever forget watching the 2nd plane fly into the WTC and the unfolding of events after that. I wasn't living in a target city, but my dad was on a plane headed for Chicago that morning, when they began talking about the Sears Tower as a possible target. So I'll probably wait until it's available on dvd.

David, you raise an excellent point. Those outside the US might well find the reminders and lessons presented in Flight 93 to be more valuable than even those of us living in America. I hadn't considered that.

I'll have to check out Michael Totten's post; thanks for providing the link.

Gwynne, we may find that when all is said and done that the true value of Flight 93 was in the stimulation of conversations like this...shared anecdotes of our individual memories and feelings.

I see nothing but good in that scenario.

I'm not going to see it. I really don't even want to listen to conversations about it, to be honest. Like you, Eric, I applaud the effort. But for me, and I'm speaking from a strictly personal perspective here, the idea of a movie about these events feels like some kind of intrusion on sacred (psychological) space.

I am glad the movie seems to have turned out well and that will have to be as far as I go with it.

I have seen United 93 and I personally think it is one of the best movies of the year thus far. I plan on blogging my thoughts soon.

I tried to get myself ready before seeing it. It didn't work. The story is an extremely emotional one no matter where you live.

I understand why people would not want to see the movie, it is not going on my repeat view list to say the least.

For those who feel as though they are ready to see the movie, please do. The film makers do so many things right with its depiction of the events of 9/11. However if you aren't ready... I wouldn't recommend it.

Christopher, thanks for your input.

You know, it occurs to me that this movie is similar in some ways to "The Passion of the Christ." I know people who still have never seen the latter movie (my wife is one of them) because it's just too intense. I saw it twice during the week it was released (once to accompany my niece) but have not rented, bought or viewed the DVD.

Jim, your comment about intruding on sacred space was actually the main basis for my initial reservations about the movie, but those have eased considerably as I've read more about the support for making it provided by the families of the passengers. That's not to say that we can't each carve out our own "holy ground" in terms of how we personally were affected by 9/11, but I'm muc less concerned now about whether the movie exploits the story from the families' perspectives.

I probably will see the movie, but I absolutely agree that it's not a movie that it's de rigeur for all Americans, as if some sort of high school civics class assignment.

In my opinion, if we're handing out movies as homework, Crash stands to do us all a lot more good as a nation.

I wish I could agree about the lack of exploitation you speak of Eric. While I may not be troubled about the motivations of the filmmakers, the publicity about the film: the ceaseless TV ads and a couple of newsmagazine features I happened to catch make me less sanguine about that aspect of it. The hollywood machinery seems to be doing its usual butchery job of promotion... and I think in the case of this film, that's rather sad.

Not that I have any useful alternatives to offer.

Jim, I hear you. Obviously, Flight 93 is not a nonprofit, charitable endeavor, and someone is hoping to make a lot of money from it -- the studio in particular. That reality can make it hard to square with the stated goal of providing a tribute to those who deserve it.

What might make it more palatable? Well, for me, it would be if the studio would pledge that all profits from the film in excess of a return on investment of, say, 10% would go to 9/11 victims foundations or memorials. And perhaps they're doing something like that and I've just missed it.

Part of me says that it's their money and they can do what they want with it. The other part replies, yeah, but it's our story...