 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Flight 93: The Movie
- Review Date: May 29, 2006
- PG-13
- Genre: Drama
- 2006
Common Sense Media says
Tense made-for-TV movie about Sept.11 skyjacking.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this is not the theatrical United 93 motion picture but a less-hyped cable-TV movie telling the same story of the ill-fated but heroic passengers of a September 11 plane commandeered by terrorists. Unlike the other film, this does not drop F-bombs of mass destruction, but there is still considerable intensity and tragedy, especially in the passengers and their families realizing that death is inevitable. There is some violence, as the terrorists take over the aircraft with knives and threats of a bomb.
What's the story?
FLIGHT 93: THE MOVIE follows events in the air and on the ground during 9/11 with an emphasis (initially) on the mundane chores of passengers and flight crew getting ready for the transcontinental flight, while their families begin the day at home. Also on board Flight 93 are the Islamic suicide terrorists, more or less led by Ziad Jarrah (Amin Nazemzadeh). By the time the terrorists take control of the plane and cockpit by force and sharply altered its course, the passengers have already gotten word via their own cellular phones of three other airliners made to go kamikaze. Some of them tearfully say goodbye to their families, some pray. The soon-to-be famous Todd Beamer (Brennan Elliott) stays on his hookup with a shocked Verizon Wireless operator (Monnae Michaell), giving her updates right up until the end -- when several of the hostages vote to rush the terrorist-occupied cabin. The plane crashes (offscreen, but a farmer watches it wheeling overhead) in a Pennsylvania field rather than hitting an intended target, almost certainly one in Washington D.C.
Is it any good?
No, this is NOT the United 93 theatrical movie about the hijacked Sept. 11 passenger airline that gave the USA Todd Beamer's alleged words "Let's roll" as an anti-terrorist rallying cry. It's actually a made-for-TV drama on exactly the same subject, released to home video at the same time United 93 was in wide release. The two features are mirror-images of each other, both laudable and honorably non-sensationalized attempts to dramatize the incomprehensible horror of the day. Flight 93 (produced for the A&E cable network) is, arguably, a little more family-friendly because it eschews profanity. Viewers who didn't think Hollywood had much business making money retelling this raw-wound story probably won't be convinced by either film.
Viewers with the benefit of the DVD commentary track can hear the filmmakers discuss how much of what you are seeing is speculation based on the cellular phone calls and control-tower transmissions, and how much is true -- like the order going out to US military fighter-interceptors to blow the hostage flight out of the air if it gets near victims on the ground. Tweens and younger kids could be inclined to concoct fanciful solutions in which the flight might have been brought down safely. You can use that as a springboard for many serious concepts, about heroism, hopelessness, and sacrifice.
Explore, discuss, enjoy
Families can talk about the way that the passengers, even in the dawning realization that there was no escape, rallied and thwarted the terrorists' goal of dropping Flight 93 on Washington D.C. This is a complex and loaded topic, dealing with self-sacrifice and mortality; expect kids to have a lot of questions. Ask teens with memories of September 11 and the wall-to-wall news coverage whether they thought this story needed to be told, and whether it satisfied anything they did not know or feel before. With older and more movie-savvy kids, you can talk about how the movie compared with other, vintage movies about real-life military attacks on the innocent, from flag-waving propaganda movies after Pearl Harbor to a spate of celebratory TV movies in the '70s after Israeli troops successfully freed terrorist hostages at Entebbe Airport. On another level, this movie and its theatrical twin are not like those at all. Does that make them more successful as tributes, or just another form of propaganda?
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Teen, 14 years old
August 9, 2009
AGE
one of the saddest movies ive ever seen
this movie is very hard to watch and is not for entertainment porpeses there for i fell it shold not be ratted
there is death vilolence and very stressfull moments i do not recomend to anyone 13 and under
What other families should know:
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Adult
April 9, 2008
AGE
Startling
I thought this was surprisingly good. Tense, Sad, and very, very scary. Not in a horror movie way; you have to think about what's going on and the fact that this really happened. Although the DVD version was rated PG13, {this movie was made for A&E}when they played it on tv as TVPGV (violence). strange that a MADE-FOR-TV-MOVIE would have a different rating then that on tv. Overall:Great,not excellent, but great. worth the short time it takes up.
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Teen, 16 years old
April 9, 2008
AGE
Some great parts, and others where you can tell it's made for tv
But despite its faults that it suffers from being made directly for tv, it still manages to impact you and make you just sit in quiet at the end of the film. Acting was alright, but the black-haired girl did the best job, and her conversations with her mom were the most moving of the calls to family. While I certainly can't suggest this over WTC or United 93, I still must say that for those who want a less intense memory of 9/11, this is the one to go with.
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Kid, 11 years old
April 9, 2008
AGE
Great Movie
This is the greatest movie about 9/11
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Teen, 13 years old
September 30, 2011
AGE
Adriannah is awesome+ i am a comedian!!!!!!!! LOL
the movie Flight 93 is a good movie to show young adults, around the age of 13+. There are positive messges in this movie that young kids could here but some parents are picky about what they let there kids watch. There are many good role models and i am only 13 years old and i am writing this after i watched this movie in health class, my teacher said it was ok to cry and alot of us cried because of the sadness in this movie i though it was just a wonderful movie it is very touching and will just tovh your heart. There is actualy some violence which includes mahamadd bin laden or how ever you spell his name well he stabs one of the guys on the plane because he was going to call te police and he didnt want that to happen so he stabbed him so no one would think that they were dangerous! well thats all i have to say and this is me adriannah a girl that is 13 saying that this is a good movie for everyone that is between the ages of 13+ well thats all i have to say! BYE LOVE YOU ALL
JK btw that means jsut kidding for all the adults taht dont speak us teens language! lol and that means laugh out loud gosh guys get you facts right i am also a comedian please leave me some comments and tel me what i could do to be funnier and i have a website called leave me alone im a comedian.org its funny
What other families should know:
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Teen, 14 years old
April 9, 2008
AGE
A must see movie about nobility and doing whats right at any cost
I dont care about the content. This is an emotional re-account of the terrible events that took place on 9-11. After learning what has happened already, and their soon to be fate, they all decide to take action to stop the terrorists. Its emotional watching them making final calls to their loved ones. They break into the co** pit. Their is terroristic threateing which a kid will either not understand, or take it in a way where they get freaked out (so make sure your kid knows and understands what happened and why. In the end, they succede in making the plane miss the target by stalling the terrorists long enough and they crash into the feild (the crash is not shown thank goodnes.) It is a good way to remember the many lives lost on 9-11.
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| Studio: | Sterling Entertainment |
| Director: | Peter Markle |
| Cast: | Brennan Elliott, Jeffrey Nordling, Ty Olsson |
| Genre: | Drama |
| Run time: | 90 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | January 30, 2006 |
| DVD release date: | May 3, 2006 |
| MPAA rating: | PG-13 |
| MPAA explanation: | violence and emotional intensity |
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