This is NOT my review of the movie. Just my opinion on the 9/11 controversy.
So, like most of you I saw "Remember Me" over the weekend. First on Friday afternoon. Then again on Saturday evening. I had not seen any spoilers beforehand. I did, however, notice the date and had it registered in the back of my head. I was not expecting what happened, to happen.
I originally commented on the discussion over on Twitarded and the more I thought about it the more I had to say.
Did the filmmakers manipulate us by using 9/11 at the last minute?
I say no.
While I find myself being very cynical with anything or anyone using 9/11 to make a buck, get a vote, start a war, etc. I don’t think this did that. And not just because I am rooting for R-Patz and this movie.
Could they have killed off Tyler and gotten the same effect. No way. Sure he could be killed in a car wreck, plane crash or whatever, but we are so immune to those things happening everyday, it would be entirely forgettable. And that’s the point.
9/11 impacted not just New Yorkers, not just Americans, but the entire world! Even if you didn’t know someone personally who died that day, everyone felt loss.
What I seem to notice is when discussing 9/11, everyone and I mean EVERYONE has a story about that day. If they were there, if they knew someone who made it home, where they where when they found out, if they knew someone who died, how they felt and continue to feel afterward. You feel like you are the ONLY one with those feelings. You are not the only one still on anxiety medication.
Tyler was one of the many random faces of the “missing” posted on the side of the Armory Building. All of those random people had a story and their lives were significant and made an impact on someone. Tyler was just your average, pessimistic, 20-something, college student you see everywhere you go. But he had a family and friends who loved him and were touched by him. It’s as if we are part of his family and circle of friends whom he left his fingerprints on.
The same effect would not be felt if they had him get hit by a bus. We would have said, “Oh that sucks. No happy ending for Tyler and Ally.” Then it’s just another Nicholas Sparks movie. And go on our merry way talking about hot sex scenes and how to go about actually marketing Aidan’s S.L.U.T. idea. But now we are “Remembering” everyone and all the innocence that we lost that day.
I really don’t think they wrote this movie as just a tragic love story and thought to themselves at the last minute, “how can we kill this guy off in a big way?’ Ohh, people really cry when they are reminded about 9/11, let’s do that!”
No.
I’m pretty sure the writer, Will Fetters realized that so many faceless people died and gave one of them a back-story. Was 9/11 the theme of that person’s life. No, how could it be? The theme of Tyler’s life was his brother’s suicide. His strained relationship with his father. Protecting his sister. Meeting and falling in love with Ally. Not 9/11. Therefore, it is not a movie about that, but about Tyler. While Tyler was literally watching his life pass before his eyes on his Dad’s computer screen, there we know he has found redemption.
Why didn’t they promote it as such, or throw the year 2001 in our faces at the beginning? If you paid attention to the clues, you should have known when it was. But who pays attention to those details?
If summer of 2001 was made clearly obvious to us, then we would have known what was coming. The monster at the end of the book. Think back to that summer in real life. We had no idea how our world was going to be rocked. If you watched it a second time, knowing what was coming, how did it change your perception of his life?
The fact of the matter is, we don’t know when things like this will happen. They just do.
That being said, when I get the DVD I will most likely stop watching after Dad bails Tyler out for the vandalism. I like happy endings. Sue Me.
What did you think of the movie?
WOW what a great posting. I think the shock factor of 9/11 is what really tied the movie together. I saw it for the first time on Fri when it came out. I feel like at first it kind of started slow and I was trying to figure to much out, I was thinking maybe something was going to happen to Ally or even Tylor was going to kill himself "on his dads watch". As soon as the date was on the board my heart dropped, and I then knew. I
ReplyDeleteI think the way they sent out the message was VERY tasteful, if they would have shown any sign of a plane I think that would have killed it for me and I would have hated the movie. But they did it with so much class.
To me a great movie is one that you feel the emotions, wether it is happy, sad, hurt, ect. And for them to get us so happy and joyful at the direction his father was going and Ally and Tyler and getting together, then BOOM you are hit with such a powerful thing, and you get those feeling from the tragedy of that event, that is a GOOD movie. I felt numb hours after the movie, and I had to see it again, not only to wrap my head around what had happen but to look for clues, and there werent any. The only things I saw, (which are not enough to give away the ending unless you know) When Tyler sees Ally in class the first time, they discussion is on terrorism, Then at the end when Tyler is in his dads office, sitting on the desk are 2 figurines of what look like they can be the twin towers, and last Tyler made a reference that is nice up here on the 80th floor... knowing that is the floor the planes hit.
Great Movie and I love your point of view on it. Thanks so much for sharing.
My wife dragged me to see this movie, and while I'm mad at her for making me live through this movie, I still have to say that this was a GREAT movie.
ReplyDeleteI know it's been said before, but could they have had him die in a car wreck, or mugging, or some other horrific way at that exact moment in his life when it all started to get "better"? NO. none of those things would have had the same impact as when that camera pans out to show that he's there in the building and EVERYONE in the audience knowing exactly what was coming.
I agree with Allycin when she said that if they'd even shown a hint of the plane (which I was afraid they would) I would have hated this movie and never considered seeing it again. the entire scene was done with taste and class in a way that draws the maximum emotion with out making it exploitive.
I have a co-worker who's daughter was on one of those planes and while I would tell him to NEVER see this movie, i would tell anyone else I would strongly recommend this film. the message of don't live your life hating and holding grudges is made all the more meaningful by this take no prisoners ending. anyone saying that they shouldn't have used that ending, clearly didn't get the message that the film makers where trying to send.
I "remember" when this movie was being filmed this past summer. It was almost a love story to NY, filming (with girls stalking) all over town. I felt a little reminiscent of my college days in NY, I loved Don Hills. But as a New Yorker, I hated this ending. It made me angry, it made me well up and it made me want to kick the movie chair in front of me. I got the message way before (with help from my friend, Lindsay) that stupid chalkboard scene or the overly dramatic pull back of him in the window. Life is short, live life to the fullest, "if you don't stop to look around once and awhile life will pass you by" ala Ferris Bueller...we have heard it all before. Do a bunch of European actors with bad American accents really need to tell me how I felt on that terrible day? The one thing I will give the writer/director is that retrospect of looking back of going about your normal life before a tragedy. Going to the beach, going to the movies etc., that I will give some credit too. But I am sorry, maybe it is still just too soon for me but that was an unnecessary ending.
ReplyDelete