True story of the United Flight 93 that was taken over by terrorists and the passengers along with crew tried to take back control of the aircraft.
True story of the United Flight 93 that was taken over by terrorists and the passengers along with crew tried to take back control of the aircraft.
On a bright September morning in 2001, four commercial airliners were hijacked by Arab terrorists. Three of them were deliberately crashed into buildings; two into the World Trade Center and one into the Pentagon. The fourth airliner, United Airlines flight 93, was also scheduled to be flown into a building, possibly the White House or the Capitol building, but the heroic passengers aboard this flight fought back against the terrorists. Despite knowing that they were all going to die, these brave people banded together and managed to thwart the efforts of the terrorists.
The movie is shown through the eyes of the passengers of flight 93. Their flight begins normally, but once airborne, four Arab terrorists, who claim to have a bomb, succeed in breaking into the cockpit and taking control of the aircraft. The plane, originally bound for San Francisco, is turned around and is now heading east. The terrorists, armed whitn box cutters, have already killed one of the passengers and wounded several others. Some of the passengers, including Tom Burnett (Jeffrey Nordling) have begun making cell phone calls to their loved ones. It is during one of these that Burnett learns from his wife that the World Trade Center has been struck. Tom deduces that his plane is also intended to be used as a suicide plane to be flown into another building.
Some of the other passengers, including Mark Bingham (Ty Olsson), Todd Beamer (Brennan Elliott), and Jeremy Glick (Colin Glazer) develop a plan to charge the cockpit and overthrow the terrorists. In the meantime, Todd Beamer has called the Verizon center. The call is answered by Lisa Jefferson (Monnae Michaell). The conversation that transpires between the two strangers is both poignant and frightening, as Lisa is able to hear everything that is happening on the plane. Todd finally asks Lisa to recite the Lord's Prayer with him. Afterward, Todd utters the words that have become so famous to many; "Let's Roll".
Despite their heroic efforts, flight 93 crashed in a rural area in Pennsylvania, just 20 minutes away from the nation's capitol. The actions of these valiant passengers likely prevented the plane from reaching its intended target, widely thought to be the White House or the Capitol Building.
This excellent movie is a fitting tribute to those heroic passengers aboard flight 93. The acting is very good, and the story is retold with complete historical accuracy. Ty Olsson, Brennan Elliott, Colin Glazer, Jeffrey Nordling, Laura Mennell (Elizabeth Wainio), and April Telek (Lyz Glick) all give powerful and moving performances as the passengers and loved ones of flight 93. Also included in the film are actual communications between the passengers and their loved ones on the ground.
This is a heartbreaking and true story. Despite the numerous casualties suffered during the attacks of September 11, 2001, the toll would have undoubtedly been much higher if not for the efforts of these brave and unselfish people. This movie serves as a glowing tribute to those aboard the plane and their loved ones. Their selfless sacrifice will never be forgotten.