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Hollywood rarely gets it right. Movies that depict historical events always end up with a twist one way or the other whether it be intentionally or accidentally. The unintentional ones usually occur from editing or from using a composite character or composite event to sum up a series of facts. In the movie Blackhawk Down, for instance, the viewer is lead to believe that the Somalies were firing RPGs right off the bat. The first casualty occurred when a rookie RANGER miscalculated his fast-rope jump and literally fell out of the helicopter down to the ground. The intentional ones, obviously, come from directors who want to spin the event in a certain direction. Oliver Stone comes to mind with JFK, for example, with his conspiracy theories about the JFK assassination. Then there's the omission of details or surrender to stereotype. The shootout at the OK Corral, for example, always depict Wyatt Earp and his brothers with Doc Holiday wearing holsters or in typical western wear. In fact, they were dressed in urban wear (coats and ties) and had their weapons either tucked inside the waistband or inside coat pockets. No one had holsters except for the McLaurys and Clantons. My point here is that Hollywood depictions of historical events will always contain, for one reason or another, inaccuracies or distortions, be they intentional or unintentional.
United 93 seems to be an effort to use as much documented data as possible to portray an event inwhich all of the eyewitnesses are dead. In virtually all other historical events, there were always survivor or eyewitness accounts. The only data available here are from flight recording data, phone calls made to families and friends, interviews with FAA and NEADs officials but no actual first hand eyewitness accounts. It's the next best thing to an eyewitness account but it is not a first hand account. There will ALWAYS be room for speculation. Still, it seems that Universal Studios tried to stick to documented facts as much as possible.
As for the use of the term "hero," we love to use that word a lot. A ball player who hits the winning home run at the bottom of the ninth inning is often described as a hero. A philanthropist who donates a generous amount of money to a worthy charity is often described as a hero. Teachers who inspire students to succeed and work their way out of troubled neighborhoods are also described as heroes. I'm not complaining about the use of the term, I'm just pointing out how that term is used in so many different ways.
Passengers who stop a plane commandeered by terrorists who, by all indications, intended to fly it into the Capitol in Washington DC certainly qualify as heroes. While their intent was to re-take the plane, I think they clearly understood that the odds of their survival were clearly stacked against them either way (doing nothing or doing something). It takes a special courage to take an action that will most likely result in your own death. Yeah, the passengers and crew of United 93 are heroes in my book.
This isn't propaganda. It's Hollywood's attempt to tell the story of what happened on United 93 that adds human emotion and feeling where documentaries do not.
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