Films create more awareness and more interest. While dramas will create fictional awareness, they stimulate people to know about an event and to read about it later. To some members of the audience, Pearl Harbor is ancient history. But by seeing this movie they may become interested in it and start to read actual accounts and find out exactly who Franklin Roosevelt was, who Jimmy Doolittle was, exactly what happened. I don't feel that we do a disservice and certainly the idea is to honor the people and not take advantage of them by using their stories.
Nobody sets out saying they want to distort the story.
I certainly understand the feelings of the families of those who fought and feel that they want to get the exact details of their ancestor's lives or what happened to them. That is an honest and fair desire. The only thing we can ask them to do is to look at the final product and judge us fairly. It's a question dear to my heart. I think that's important for people to remember.