United 93

from the mom

We watched United 93 this weekend. I slipped out and looked away at a few parts because it was very hard to watch. The reality of this day in our history is still unbelievable to me and watching this movie took me back to the events of that day in my life.

This movie honors the amazing story of the people who died on the plane that crashed into a Pennsylvania field. It is faithful to the characters of the people and the information we have about that day. It is worth seeing just to face those inner questions of "What would I have done if it were me?"

Has there ever been another time in history where so many people called loved ones and spoke to them and answering machines as they faced traumatic death? What would it have been like to receive a call from someone you knew would die within a few minutes? (The moment I most identified with was when a pregnant passenger calls and leaves a message for her husband.)

Why was there such dignified heroism exhibited on that plane when our culture lacks that very quality? You realize the bravery of these people who knew they faced physical injury in attempting to take over the cockpit and probable death. They thought they had a chance of survival, but it is evident that they knew that it was a slim one.