From Let's Roll to Abu Ghraib

This week, the pundits continue to knash their teeth and rent their garments over whether to see "Flight 193" a movie depicting the hijacking, un-hijacking and crash of United Airlines flight 93 on September 11, 2001. On one side are those who argue that the movie comes "too soon" after such an emotional event. On the other side are those who praise the filmmaker for "getting it right" and recognizing the heroics of those passengers who retook the cabin from Al Queda terrorists. Critics aside, no one can deny the film's commercial success. According to one critic, the filmmakers owe it all to President Bush: " The fight to retake the cockpit was really the first salvo in the war on terrorism. That war has since diminished into the quagmire that is Iraq. The contrast between the simple heroism of the passengers and the arrogant militarism of the Bush administration could not be more complete. In a sense, the latter sells the former because people need to believe there is something ennobling about this conflict."