World Trade Center (film)

This article is about the Oliver Stone film. For the building complex destroyed by terrorists in 11 September 2001, see World Trade Center.

World Trade Center
"World Trade Center" Promotional Poster
Directed by	Oliver Stone
Written by	Andrea Berloff
Produced by	Moritz Borman Debra Hill Michael Shamberg Stacey Sher
Starring	Nicolas Cage Michael Peña Maggie Gyllenhaal Maria Bello Stephen Dorff Jay Hernandez Michael Shannon Morgan Flynn Connor Paolo Anthony Piccininni Alexa Gerasimovich
Cinematography	Seamus McGarvey
Edited by	David Brenner Julie Monroe
Music by	Craig Armstrong Tim Robbins
Distributed by	USA Theatrical and Worldwide DVD/Video Paramount Pictures Non-USA Theatrical United International Pictures
Release dates	August 9 2006 (in U.S.) September 29 2006 (in UK)
Running time	129 minutes
Language	English
Budget	$65,000,000

World Trade Center is a 2006 disaster film, directed by Oliver Stone and based on the September 11, 2001 attacks on the same-titled towers of New York City. The film stars Nicolas Cage, Michael Peña, Maria Bello, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Michael Shannon. The movie was shot from 19 October 2005 - 10 February 2006.

Synopsis

The true story of Port Authority police officers John McLoughlin and Will Jimeno, who, while patrolling the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan, see a plane fly dangerously low overhead.

As all of the police officers return to the station, they took a glimpse the TV, and find that the North Tower of the World Trade Center has been hit by a plane. Sergeant McLoughlin assigns many of the officers to assist in an evacuation attempt of the (still undamaged) South Tower, and they board a commandeered Metropolitan Transit Authority bus. On the bus they hear reports that the South Tower has also been hit.

When they arrive at the site of the World Trade Center, they see many disturbing things, including one of the first victims jumping out of the tower to their death. As Jimeno drops off their police equipment in 5 World Trade Center, officers proceed to get safety equipment and walk into the concourse of the towers. The group consists of McLoughlin, Jimeno, Dominick Pezzulo, and Antonio Rodrigues.

An officer, named Chris Amoroso, runs along to tell them of the other events such as the Pentagon being hit by what they believed to be a missile, and the South Tower being hit by another plane. The group does not believe that the South Tower has been hit. (Along with these stories, which the men did not believe at first, he also told them Israel was gone. This turned out not to be true.) As the group prepares to enter the North Tower, the buildings begin to rumble. Looking around, McLoughlin realizes that the South Tower is collapsing onto them, and their only chance of survival is to run into the service elevator shaft. Chris trips and doesn't have time to get up. Rodrigues isn't able to get to the shaft in time. McLoughlin, Jimeno and Pezzulo manage to escape the huge amounts of dust and rubble flying down from the South Tower. But as the rubble continues to crush the elevator shaft, the three are traumatized.

As the group wakes up, Pezzulo realizes he can free himself, and manages to go nearer to Jimeno in the rubble, who, along with McLoughlin, have survived the collapse of the South Tower. As Pezzulo becomes optimistic that they will live, the rumbling starts up again, as the North Tower is now collapsing as well. Although Jimeno and McLoughlin are unharmed, Pezzulo is fatally wounded and, after firing his gun up through a gap in the rubble to try to alert rescuers to their position, dies.

After Jimeno and McLoughlin spend hours under the rubble, two United States Marines, Dave Karnes and Jason Thomas, who are searching for survivors of the tower collapse, find Jimeno and McLoughlin and call for help to dig them out.

Their families are called and told that their husbands have walked out of the rubble in perfect health, but this is wrong; in fact, they are both in danger of dying. When the wives arrive, they are told that their husbands are in the garage and rush to meet them. McLoughlin's family manages to find him just before he is pulled into the operating room to be put in a medically induced coma.

Two years later, as they attend a celebration to receive an award for courage, the families are happy again that the two officers, McLoughlin and Jimeno, survived the biggest terrorist attack in US history.

Box office and critical reception

On opening weekend it gained approximately $18,730,762 in the U.S. and Canada. As of October 25, 2006 the film has made $70,278,893 at the North American Box-Office. Worldwide the film has taken in over $162,000,000.

The film garnered moderate critical acclaim, with a 70% "Fresh" approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 66% metascore at Metacritic.

Awards

• Best Picture - Online Film Fans Awards, October 23, 2006
• Best Director, Oliver Stone - Online Film Fans Awards

Criticism

Participation of those involved

Jeanette Pezzulo, the widow of Port Authority police officer Dominick Pezzulo (who died on 9/11 and is played by Jay Hernandez in this film), has expressed anger with the film, criticizing McLoughlin and Jimeno's participation in its production. She's quoted as saying, "My thing is: this man died for you. How do you do this to his family?" Staten Island resident Jamie Amoroso, whose husband also died during the rescue operation, has also expressed her anger over the film and said she did "not need a movie" to tell her "what a hero" her husband was. Baltimore detective Ken Nacke, whose brother Louis died on Flight 93, the fourth plane to be hijacked on 9/11, said he would not be going to see the film. He criticized its producers for not involving enough of the survivors' families in its production, something he said did happen with United 93 director Paul Greengrass, who collected the blessings of all the victims' families before shooting his controversial film (although it has been reported that the widow of United 93 victim Christian Adams refused to cooperate in the making of that film. See United 93 Controversy). He added: "I met a couple of people who lost relatives and had approached the producers and weren't allowed to be involved, and I think it would be disrespectful to them if I went to see it." Despite the fact that some of the film's profits were to be donated, Stone has been accused of profiteering by some.

The Port Authority police officers who are played by Cage and Peña, John McLoughlin and Will Jimeno, and their wives, played by Bello and Gyllenhaal, were involved with the production and continue to support the film. McLoughlin's wife Donna has said: "We got involved because we felt it needed to be done accurately. We wanted to do the right thing and I think the filmmakers wanted to do the right thing too." Both John McLoughlin and William Jimeno appear at the end of the film during the barbecue scene.

9/11 conspiracy theories

There were initial concerns this film would examine 9/11 conspiracy theories because director Oliver Stone is known for examining similar theories in his films (JFK in particular), and some 9/11 conspiracy websites are promoting the idea that the film does contain hints of the conspiracy. Stone and the producers, however, have said the film is a simple dedication to the heroism and sadness of the day with little-to-no political themes.

The Los Angeles Times reported that 9/11 conspiracy theorists were boycotting the film and were disappointed Stone didn't make a JFK style conspiracy film. "Was Stone used by the Illuminati as an unknowing pawn to whitewash the 9/11 conspiracy theories to the masses?" wondered author John Conner. Syndicated radio hosts Jack Blood and Alex Jones also expressed similar views that many in the 9/11 Truth Movement were expecting Stone to give them a voice and felt let down.

Factual inaccuracies

This is a view (due north, looking south) of the smoking twin towers of the World Trade Center as seen from a bus full of police officers heading to the burning buildings. The RCN van represents the company's image in 2004, not in 2001. Also, the sunlight shines on the twin towers' west side, not on their east and (less directly) north sides, as it actually did on the morning of September 11, 2001. This inaccuracy suggests that it is afternoon.

Commentators have pointed out a number of factual inaccuracies in the film, particularly concerning the rescue effort. The film has been accused of not providing a fair portrayal of the character and motives of rescuer Dave Karnes, a pivotal character in the film who did not cooperate in the making of the film. The film also inaccurately portrayed Jason Thomas, who joined Dave Karnes in the rescue, as white when he was really African-American. The film's producers realized the mistake only after production began, and apologized to Thomas, whose identity had not been widely known for years after September 11. Also, on the DVD commentary, Oliver Stone refers to Jason Thomas as Mike Thomas.

Critics of WTC say that the film inaccurately identified the rescuers who worked to free Jimeno and McLouglin, failed to accurately convey the time required to dig the men out, and understated the dangers posed to the rescuers. Among other things, the film failed to properly acknowledge the role of paramedic Chuck Sereika. Contrary to that which is depicted in the film, Sereika began treating and extricating Jimeno a full 20 minutes before officers from the New York City Police Department's Emergency Services Unit arrived.

Media releases

DVD format

The Region 1 DVD was released on Tuesday, December 12 2006 with the Region 2 release following on January 29 2007. A special 2-disc set was also released, which includes the following bonus features:

• Disc one
  • Commentary by Oliver Stone
  • Commentary by Will Jimeno and rescuers Scott Strauss, John Busching and Paddy McGee
  • Nine deleted/extended scenes with optional audio commentary

• Disc two
  • The Making of World Trade Center
  • Common Sacrifices
  • Building Ground Zero
  • Visual and Special Effects
  • Oliver Stone's New York
  • Q+A with Oliver Stone
  • Theatrical Trailer
  • 5 TV Spots
  • Photo Gallery

A 3-Disc Deluxe Edition was produced exclusively for Target stores. The third disc came with "In Their Own Words," a 75 minute series of interviews, including survivors John McLoughlin and Will Jimeno, their spouses, and other survivors and rescuers.

Blu-ray and HD DVD versions

• Disc one
  • Commentary by Oliver Stone
  • Commentary by Will Jimeno and rescuers Scott Strauss, John Busching and Paddy McGee
  • Nine deleted/extended scenes with optional audio commentary.

• Disc Two
  • The Making of World Trade Center HD
  • Common Sacrifices HD
  • Building Ground Zero HD
  • Visual and Special Effects HD
  • Oliver Stone's New York HD
  • Q+A with Oliver Stone
  • Theatrical Trailer
  • 5 TV Spots
  • Photo Gallery

Although Paramount initially dropped its support of the Blu-ray format, it is now supporting Blu-ray again with HD DVD's demise. This movie will re-appear on Blu-ray in May 2008.

The 2-disc HD DVD and 2-disc Blu-ray sets have the same bonuses as the 2-disc DVD set. The Target 3-disc Deluxe Edition has more extras than any other release, including the HD DVD and Blu-ray versions.

See also

• List of artistic depictions of September 11 and its aftermath
• World Trade Center
• September 11, 2001 Attacks
• Collapse of the World Trade Center
• Will Jimeno
• Dave Karnes
• John McLoughlin
• Dominick Pezzulo
• Jason Thomas
• United 93
• List of firefighting films

References

• World Trade Center official site
• World Trade Center at IMDb
• Article in truTV Crime Library
• Craig Armstrong - Movie Score Composer
• 'World Trade Center' Movie Leaves Real Heroes Awestruck
• September 11th Remembered
• Images from the film
• Tribute to Will Jimeno

External links

• World Trade Center at IMDb
• World Trade Center at AllMovie
• World Trade Center at Rotten Tomatoes
• World Trade Center at Metacritic
• World Trade Center at Box Office Mojo
• Interview with Oliver Stone & the cast of World Trade Center