What exactly made them heroes?

Rating: 5/10 (4 July 2007)

With all due respect to McLoughlin and Jimeno, my questions begin with the portrayals of them in the movie that do not quite resemble that of a "hero". For nearly 2 hours, we see the two in the dark, buried, supported each other by telling his family stories. I can see McLoughlin a hero to Jimeno, and Jimeno a hero to McLoughlin, but what else have they done to attract the title of "heroes" to themselves and deserve a celebration at the end that tells me nothing? Okay, they are heroes by profession. PAPD, fine. Every cop is a hero, basically, as any 5-year-old can tell you about. But what exactly did McLoughlin and Jimeno do, at least in the movie, to deserve a 2-hour retelling of their stories while some 2,700 others are buried behind? They tried to save, right, they "tried", then boom, the lobby collapsed and the rest of the movie was about their melodramatic love stories that I could care less. The stories were over-dramatic, and at times I began to suspect the accuracies in them. A carpenter? A good father? Alexys and Olivia?? Look, we're talking about a tragedy that involved some 2,700 deaths and of which 37 PAPD officers, what impact do these long and boring "love stories" make to let us know the real stories about LOVE AND SURVIVAL? Oh my god, he's trapped! I have a baby in my womb and her father is missing! Oh no... *cry* I have to take a walk *come home* Any news? *shook heads* The idea of this movie is a mistake. It focuses too much on the 2 men and their families which I could've spent 2 hours watching something better, and the accuracies of their stories are in doubt as all those people I mentioned participated in the construction of the story of the movie. I saw way too much "heroism" in them which in reality doesn't make any sense - being buried for 12 hours and survived doesn't automatically make you a hero. Your loving family won't make you a hero, your stories involving your beautiful wife and son won't make you a hero. Who indeed are the heroes? Drastically reduced to minor characters - Karnes and Thomas, the two who walked into the ruins to save them, are. Yet, both of them were reported inaccurately portrayed in the movie, especially Thomas who was in fact a black man.
The term hero may apply to how great a man you are when you love your family, but in the context of WTC, serving and saving others are the principles of becoming a hero. (in the movie) McLoughlin and Jimeno saved nobody else, yet they received a whole 2-hour glorification of their 15-minute heroic act. The ending celebration of their survivals has nothing to do with the destruction of WTC and the deaths left behind. I can't help but think that this portrayal of the WTC attack was a wasted effort.