My wife and I finally got around to seeing World Trade Center last night. I didn't think it was a great movie (maybe because I knew how it would end), although I thought it was extremely well done. I also didn't think Nicolas Cage, who I like, did a very good job becuase I kept thinking thorught the movie - That's Nicolas Cage in a PA cop suit - instead of feeling liek he was a real Joe new York. While some of the images of NY seemed like obvious computer renderings that added the Twin Towers, there were a lot fo filmed scenes where I couldn't believe how realistic they looked down to the individual broken windows in the buildings across the street from Ground Zero.

I was a little worried about how watching the film would effect me physically and I did start to feel a little nervous before it started when an ad ran for buildthememorial.org, but after that I didn't really have any visceral reaction - the actual attacks happen off screen or via the rumors that the characters hear about. In fact, the one group of scenes tha probably impacted me the most were the first few minutes showing a typical NYC morning from various points in the suburbs and the city which made me think - Hey, that's where I was! I was driving into work downtown at that exact time! I was on that bridge that morning! There was one scene that takes place during the afternoon of 9/11 that shows my office building a few blocks away from where one of the rescuers was walking and I couldn't help but point excitedly as if it confirmed for me that eveything really did happen.

I was also reminded never take it for granted when my daughters scream "Daddy's Home!" when I come home from work.

Anyhow, I would still recommend the film because I think any reminder of the sacrifices made that day and how people came together afterwards is a good thing.

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Speaking of daughters, today is my youngest's third bithday. She was born duing a planned c-section almost to the minute of the first attacks on the Twin Towers, albeit the day before the anniversary. I had thought of asking that she be born on 9/11 as a sign of rebirth and renewal but then I thought better of it as I can't imagine anyone would really want that for a birthday. In any case, it is still a reminder of hope and happiness in what will probably always be a general time of refelction.