…and the towers fall around us

Penny and I had an “us” day starting at lunchtime today. It was sort of a late anniversary celebration.


We began with lunch at Olive Garden. Penny had her usual soup salad and breadsticks with raspberry lemonade. She had both the pasta fagiole (sp?) and sausage soups. I had Asiago Tortelloni with sliced beef rib and Portobello mushrooms. I couldn’t finish it but it was good. Then we made a Target run to use the time between lunch and the start time for the movie we went to see.


We saw “World Trade Center”. We both liked it. I was surprised at both the non-political nature of the film and the spirituality that was portrayed in it. The film centers upon 2 New York Port Authority police officers who survive the collapse of the towers but are trapped under 20 to 30 feet of debris. The plight of the officers, their family and the rescue workers is all portrayed from their viewpoints. You only know what they know. There is no narrative to clue you in or to hint whether these two will live or die.


A good example of the film’s style is the fact that all the time they are in the towers before the collapse there are periodic loud impacts that make the characters flintch and wonder what they are. The main characters are never told and neither is the audience that those are the bodies of people who jumped hitting the building.


This film moves slowly at times, but it is not boring. The interchange between the trapped officers is realistic. The nature and spirit of the American people, especially those that serve us in the police, fire and the military units are captured well. If you are a crier, bring some tissue because this movie will get you. The movie reminds you once again, as we were on 9/11, about just how precious each and every loved one is and how easily they can be lost.

So give that special person next to you a big hug and let them know how you feel. Be thankful that we have these type of folks in America and pray that the terrorists don’t destroy our way of life.