Flight 93
Tags: tragedy, melodrama

Plot synopsis:
On the morning of September 11, 2001, passengers board United Airlines Flight 93 at Newark Liberty International Airport, including Tom Burnett, Jeremy Glick, Todd Beamer, Mark Bingham, Lauren Grandcolas, Donald Greene, Nicole Miller, and Honor Elizabeth Wainio. Four al-Qaeda terrorists Ziad Jarrah, Saeed al-Ghamdi, Ahmed al-Haznawi and Ahmed al-Nami, also board the flight. The plane takes off, bound for San Francisco, California.
In the air, the hijackers make their move; after a passenger is fatally stabbed and the "bomb" is revealed causing mass panic among passengers, the hijackers stab a flight attendant knocking her unconscious before wrestling their way into the cockpit and attack the pilots. Both pilots take actions to interfere with the hijackers, First officer LeRoy Homer Jr. courageously sending out a mayday call and Captain Jason Dahl switching the output of the pilots' microphones from the cabin address speakers to the radio transmitter so that Jarrah's attempts to communicate with the passengers would instead be heard by air traffic controllers and deliberately kicking his foot against the plane's yoke, putting the plane on autopilot. Both pilots are knocked unconscious and dragged from the cockpit. Flight 77 crashes into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia.
Aboard United 93, the passengers learn from family members via airphone of the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon; they decide to take action organizing a revolt against the hijackers. Their plan is empowered with the knowledge that passenger Don Greene has experience in flying.
Learning that passenger Donald Freeman Greene had experience in flying, the group pin their hopes on his being able at least to control the plane. After passengers arm themselves, pray, and make final phone calls to loved ones, Todd Beamer says, "Let's Roll!". They start their counter-attack, running down the aisle with a food cart. Jarrah shakes the plane violently to throw the passengers off balance, but nonetheless they continue their assault, overpowering Ahmed al-Nami, who is outside the cockpit. After boiling water is thrown at him, al-Nami is killed by Mark Bingham with a blow to the head with the hot water container. Seeing the passengers getting nearer, al-Ghamdi, Ziad and al-Haznawi prepare to crash the plane, knowing they'll never reach their intended target. The passengers manage to breach the cockpit with the food cart. As the passengers wrestle with al-Haznawi and al-Ghamdi to get in the cockpit, al-Haznawi and al-Ghamdi tell Jarrah to crash the plane. Jarrah puts the plane into a nosedive as the passengers finally gain entrance into the cockpit. The plane goes upside down, crashing into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania and killing everyone on board.
As the years pass, the scar from the crash site is filled in, cutting to what is presumably a present day shot of the site. A title card discusses the pivotal role of those on United 93, as the screen fades to black.

Review: "Flight" felt detached, poorly-acted and strangely 'calm', whereas "United" portrayed well the sense of in-credulousness of the situation as it unfolded and brought back the sick feeling we all had that day when it was realized what was actually going on.
And when one of the hijacked passengers uses his cell phone to give a sad farewell to his wife, she hangs up without even saying so much as "I love you".Perhaps though my main problem with "Flight" is that it merely recreates what (is believed) to have happened, while "United" does the same while reminding us that procedures, organization & interaction on the ground were inexcusably poor, and that there are valuable lessons to be learned from this tragedy.
I am truly sorry that people feel that they need to do this and this movie has made me feel awful, but it did a very good job of making you feel the way you should feel when you think about these types of things..
THe poster before me criticised the movie for being faulty in dialogue, effects, etc., but without any first-hand accounts to go on concerning what happened on the plane, I think this film was excellent.
The film "United 93" is quite good but that is told in close to real time and includes several air traffic controllers where as this movie mainly comes from the communications the people on board had with people on the ground.I have read some reviews that were based on the politics of the situation, I won't comment on those.
It's a shame that far fewer people have actually seen this TV version of the story.As I've said, both are good "films", but Flight 93, which is technically not a film because it was shot on HD Video instead of 35mm Film like United 93, has more dynamic camera work.
For example, within the first few minutes of the film we know the names of the hijackers, and most of the key passengers, thanks to the great idea to include a series of tight shots on the boarding passes as passengers boarded the plane.Flight 93 also includes lots of details throughout that weren't shown in United 93, including some that were perhaps whitewashed from United (whether this was intentional to avoid controversy, lawsuit, for creative reasons, or to lionize all the innocents, or just an accident of choice in the editing room, it still has an impact) for example, the fact that the pilots of the commercial aircraft had received a warning against possible cockpit intrusion, but chose to open the door anyway.While none of these little things – a shot here, a detail there – makes much of a difference on it's own, taken together, they add up to a more dramatic story.If you're the type that views only movies shot on film as "quality", and eschew anything video – yeah, you'll probably like United 93 better.
I think that it is comparable to United 93, the other film about the same subject, and I liked both movies about the same.
This film captured the obvious fear the passengers felt on that day, and goes into more detail with the phone calls they made to their loved ones telling them what was happening.
If you wish to learn the truth about what really happened that day, view the documentary LOOSE CHANGE about the whole 911 catastrophe.It really is a shame that movies like this are being made to create a history that never happened while glamorizing the events just to sell advertising.
I had never even heard of Pennsylvania where the plane I was supposed to have hijacked." No people, it's a shame that this movie has been made.Think it's time to make a movie with the title: 9/11 and the search for the real terrorists..
It was so much better than the theatrical film "United 93" there were no over the top kills like in that one (ex the neck breaking scene i always felt was a tad overdone) and the conversations with the victims and their families make the film even more emotional.
Surely Paul Greengrass directed it, "perhaps Greengrass was just Producer" I thought.At no point in the entire movie did I think back and question that this was not the Cinematic version.From the outset with the moving introduction of the passengers by means of the ticket machine showing us their names I was in tears.
The film never lets up it's emotional hold on the viewer.After I watched the movie I spoke to my girlfriend and told her I had finally watched "United 93" and that we were right when we had watched the pile of "emotion by the numbers" with the heroic uplifting ending that is "World Trade Center" and thought that is not the story of 9/11, THIS FILM IS.Now today I log onto here to see what others thought of this movie and to remind myself of what on earth had beaten this to Best Picture at the Oscars and discover Whoa!
Regardless of your beliefs about what happened that day (disclaimer: I am one of the sizable - and growing - minority that believes the official story is nonsense), this film is overly sentimental and jingoistic at best, and distasteful propaganda at worst.To wit: Why must every scene of the families of the stricken passengers include young children or babies?
We, if we are to claim the moral high ground, must realise that life is not so black and white.) Judging by the comments on this website, it is rather unfashionable to criticise this film, as though to do so would be to insult the memory of the people aboard flight 93.
I felt sorry for what happened on flight 93 watching this movie, but was constantly distracted by the focus on the loving family side (children included)and the references to Iranians.
I'm sorry to say that this film highlights the problem with trying to recount "true" stories on the screen.Whilst the events of that tragic day need to be told, I'm not sure that this film does the passengers and crew of that flight any service at all.The following comments about this film may appear controversial, but please remember I am comment in the FILM and not the people involved in the real events.The film itself is little more than a montage of people making phone calls to say goodbye to people.
The terrorists who hijacked the plane appeared unconvincing and didn't seem to make much of an attempt to stop the passengers from calling people and getting themselves organised.The plane is hijacked quite early in the film and even after the passengers decide that they must act they spent another half hour making calls, you can't help but think that if they had organised themselves earlier that they might have had more success retaking the plane.The passengers never really seem to be in direct personal jeopardy, particularly with odds of about 1:10 (including the terrorist flying the plane) and yet they seem too paralysed with fear to do anything.
this made for TV movie is definitely a touching tribute to those heroes on united 93 who attempted to take control of the plane that was believed to have a target in Washington DC (capitol building or the white house).even though all of us know what is going to happened at the end of this movie, it still keeps you at the end of your seat hoping and praying for these people.
all of the memories of that dreadful day started to come back to me.overall, this film was a touching look at what those aboard this plane were feeling as what their family and friends at home were going through..
IF I had very little time and I actually got along with my mom, you'd think you would reflect on actually memories instead of looking out the window and telling me what you see...c'mon!The son calling family in the Family room(?)..."Who are these people" "Who are these men that did this" ...I had the impression, that she was going spring out on a Bounty Mission and kick there Ass!Jeremy calling wife on airfone..I cant believe this happened, Cant believe this is happening too me...I don't know...Just the way he said it...and wife sounded more like a goof ball.We all know we will never know exactly all the details, but if we were going to make them up...the writers could have done better..
I do wonder what was going through some of the families minds if they did indeed choose to watch this film and saw this actors attempting to capture their emotion.
The scene of them yelling like mad when they stormed the cockpit was priceless (and again great dramatization since we have no way of knowing if they in fact actually reached the cockpit.) But I ask myself was there really even a point in banding together to do all that when the plane still crashed and killed them all anyway?
Flight 93 is a great film I thought it was a truthful recreation of the events that happened on that dreadful day..
The movie left me feeling many emotions;anger,sadness,hope,just to name a few.Its a very moving picture leaving me to wonder what would I have done and felt if placed in these peoples shoes?
How they must have felt and how utterly painful to see the reactions of their families upon learning of their outcome.Although a great tragedy and loss these people are true heroes and deserve any recognition they may receive.I highly recommend this movie.
Neither actress tries to overdo the scene and you get a true sense of what it might have been like for the real people as they dealt with an unimaginably horrible and terrifying moment.This is the first film to really deals with the events of Sept.
I know writer-director Paul Greengrass is shooting in the U.K. a version of what happened on Flight 93 and there are other films coming out dealing with the event either directly or peripherally.I suppose we'll see whether the national psyche has healed enough that American audiences are willing to give films like this a go.
We impeached a president for lying about having sex; but apparently it's quite alright to concoct false reasons for going to war so long as you say you're doing it to protect us."Flight 93" is a brave attempt to tell the story of what happened on that plane.
The entire time I was watching I kept wondering why this movie looked so different than the one I saw on DVD-United 93.
How all American people can believe all of these shits and watch this movie like a heroic thing.
With a cast of virtual "unknowns" (Gynneth Walsh being the only one of the cast members of whom I am familiar), the movie seems almost documentary-like, especially with frequent cuts back and forth between the on-board passengers and their family members on land.It is a taut production and although the ending is known by all Americans, this "supposition," based on actual transcripts, is riveting from the opening calm to the frenzy that occurred when the passengers took control, thwarting the efforts of the terrorists and their intended target.The producers of this movie have effectively crafted a film that is a fitting salute to the heroic passengers, as well as not painting the terrorists as uncaring villains, just zealots with a misguided mission..
I know this was done at the request of the families, so as not to single anyone out (not that this stopped the film makers from unjustly stigmatizing the German passenger as a wimp!).I admit that Flight 93 perhaps goes too far in its depiction of endless phone calls.
I accidentally rented out United 93 when I wanted to watch this movie for the fourth time with my friends, and serioulsly every second I was noticing places where Flight 93 did it better.
I almost cried with this movie, since it really brings you into the lives of the people who were involved - both on the plane and off, as in the families and all the tearful conversations and goodbyes.
The thing is, it probably is possible for people to like United 93, because maybe it could be good, but just not after Flight 93, which I feel may give you an even better grasp of what actually happened that day, and it really makes you cry.
I don't know, but if anyone wants to use the fact that Flight 93 had no famous actors in it as a reason to prove it's not big - I bought the DVD, and in the behind the scenes thing they explained that although they totally could have had all the famous actors play in the movie, they specifically chose the unknown ones so that it would look more real and it would look more like actual people were dying and not just some actor in another movie.
I don't know what people expect when they sit down to watch a movie like this.
The film depicts the entire sequence of events (on the flight and off) faithfully and accurately, with great respect for the victims and their families.
For those thinking people who are interested in the subject, see "United 93," a professionally-made film that leaves out the melodrama, and presents the hard facts, while giving at least some insight to the mindset of Islamic Extremists, (and please remember that these extremists only account for about 10 percent of the Islamic World, as the majority of Muslims are deeply saddened and ashamed by these violent events.)Lastly, this ridiculous film perpetuates the myth that the passengers of Flight 93 were heroes.
Though having said that, United 93 focused more on the event and Flight 93 spends more time with the passengers and families.Even in post-production copious jokes were made about a son giving his full name to his mother, but that in and of itself is a testament to the desire of the producer and directors to stay as true-to-life as possible.
i rented flight 93 without knowing it is a (tv) film, i was thinking it is actually 'united 93' i am about to watch, the very promising and talked about film that earned a spot on IMDb's top 250 list.i got home and put the DVD on play and what i saw was a very touching and realistic films that tells us a little about the flight passengers and how they dealt with the situation,we see them having the last conversations with their relatives and also the relatives reaction to what happens and the tension they go through all this time when the only thing they can do is hope.for me it was very moving!
the first time i found out there are two different films about United 93 and i watched the one that is less good is when entering this site, i was surprised cause i really felt 'Flight 93' was very good.i didn't watch 'United 93' yet but I'm intending to soon.it is understandable that most people wont like to watch two movies that talk about the exact same thing, no matter what that thing is and for this i feel bad for 'Flight 93' because there was a great effort making it, an effort that is worth remarking..
It's about a real life event that changed our lives forever, and they have told the story, based on what few facts we know, brilliantly.I watched United 93 several days before I watch Flight 93.
United 93 is also an excellent movie, but it is different from Flight 93, in that it does not deal as much with the families of those aboard the plane, and what they were going through.
Note to director Peter Markle: if you're going to create a tribute to nobodies who become somebodies due to an airline tragedy, if you're going to grease the wheels of racism and jingoism with agitprop, if you're hoping to effectively manipulate and exploit the charged emotions of your audience - don't use a toy plane for your exterior shots!Chronicling the events that might have occurred onboard United Airlines Flight 93 on September 11, 2001 (the flight that Al Qaeda probably refer to as "the one that got away"), the television movie *Flight 93*, written by Nevin Schreiner, has all the earmarks of media created for inserting aspirin ads between: television actors vying at Oscar nods for their crying scenes, unnecessarily unsteady hand-held camera-work to compensate for the small-screen lack of verve, all the characters from upper middle class neighborhoods, cherishing their idyllic lives of whimsy  car commercial  *Flight 93* is a far cry from the distanced objectivity and smooth tension of Paul Greengrass' theatrically-released *United 93* (Apr 2006).
Frankly I 'm getting sick of both parties.I'm looking forward to seeing UNITED 93, the big-screen movie version that was signed off on by ALL the families who lost loved ones on Flight 93.
You share your emotions with the family members in this great movie.My Rating for "Flight 93" 5 Stars.
This TV movie is about United Flight 93 that was the fourth plane hijacked on Sepember 11th 2001 and the passengers fight to take the plane back over and stop it from hitting its target.
This is the first movie based on the tragedy, the another film based on this is called United 93 which is due out some time this year.Peter Markle shot Flight 93 in High Definition and it looks great.
While watching this movie I actually felt like I was on the plane with them.
I would not recommend that people under the age of 13 see this movie because it is very emotional and has some graphic scenes such as when the terrorists stab some of the passengers.This movie was done very well, everything from the actors to the filming was done perfectly and the audience walked away from the movie with a feeling of what happened on Flight 93.
The terrorists eventually take over the plane and in a very emotional scene, the passengers start calling their families to tell them what has happened, and they find out that three other planes have been crashed into The World Trade Centers and the pentagon.