Amy sounds off on the 9-11 films United 93 and World Trade Center,

How can you say that a movie like United 93 or World Trade Center be worthy of an oscar? I think movies that capitalize on other people’s loss are disgusting and morally wrong. How dare anyone try to make a buck off of someone else’s tragedy… and how awful that anyone support these people in their pursuits!

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I’m not sure that I would characterize these films as capitalizing on other people’s loss.  I don’t think that was their mission.  United 93 was influenced by the celluar phone calls from the plane before it went down.  World Trade Center is based on a true story and the two officers portrayed in the film were intimately involved in its development.  I never wrote that they would be “worthy of an Oscar.”  Rather, I wrote that they had Oscar potential.  Many films that will win Oscars this year will not by worthy.  The opposite is also true, of course.  Nevertheless, in evaluating the landscape United 93 received a lot of critical acclaim, moreso than WTC.  But WTC was directed by Oliver Stone and he has a lot of clout with the Academy.  He also seems to be getting  unusually  strong praise for  tempering his view of the events of that day.

I’m not sure what you mean when you write “how dare anyone support these people in their pursuits.”  Nevertheless, I think these films, based on their subject matter, and the way they handled the events of September 11th, will receive significant consideration.  Whether that amounts to any nominations, well, it’s way too early for that.

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