Friday, August 04, 2006
Un-Hollywood Premiere for WTC film
By Justin Rocket Silverman amNewYork Staff Writer
Posted August 4 2006
For a movie premiere, plastic smiles were in uncommonly short supply at the screening of Oliver Stone's "World Trade Center," a film that has won critical acclaim for its starkly honest portrayal of the day that changed everything."This kind of heroism has to be told, people have to know what these men did," said John McLoughlin, the Port Authority cop played by Nicholas Cage, before the premiere at the Ziegfeld Theater."You can't just say it's not time for a film yet and let that story disappear."Cage and co-star Michael Peña were joined Thursday night by 50 police officers, firefighters and other rescue personnel who were on 9/11's front lines and were hired by Stone to work as consultants to increase the film's accuracy."This film doesn't change the facts," said Terry Quinn, a firefighter who responded on 9/11. "People need to see what really happened that day."Unlike 'JFK' or 'Nixon,' this film is not a political thriller of conspiracy theories. Unlike 'Natural Born Killers,' it is not a stark portrayal of violence--Stone does not even show the planes hitting the Twin Towers.Instead, 'World Trade Center' is a rescue story told through the eyes of people who lived it. McLoughlin and another cop, Will Jimeno, played by Peña, spend much of the movie trapped beneath the rubble.The lack of conspiracy theories in Stone's film was evidenced Thursday night by the presence of GOP leaders--including Gov. George Pataki--who have often been quick to criticize the director."I had concerns when I heard that Oliver Stone was directing the movie," said Rep. Peter King (R-Long Island) chairman of the House homeland security committee. "But he has captured the spirit of that day and I commend him for it."Paramount Pictures has also been trying to demonstrate the non-political nature of the film with advance screenings for conservative groups in D.C.The fact that Stone did not write 'World Trade Center' himself has also been widely publicized.In another rarity among New York movie premiers, Thursday's screening at the Ziegfeld Theater was not followed by a gala reception of cocktails and gift bags. The mood just didn¹t call for it.
Posted August 4 2006
For a movie premiere, plastic smiles were in uncommonly short supply at the screening of Oliver Stone's "World Trade Center," a film that has won critical acclaim for its starkly honest portrayal of the day that changed everything."This kind of heroism has to be told, people have to know what these men did," said John McLoughlin, the Port Authority cop played by Nicholas Cage, before the premiere at the Ziegfeld Theater."You can't just say it's not time for a film yet and let that story disappear."Cage and co-star Michael Peña were joined Thursday night by 50 police officers, firefighters and other rescue personnel who were on 9/11's front lines and were hired by Stone to work as consultants to increase the film's accuracy."This film doesn't change the facts," said Terry Quinn, a firefighter who responded on 9/11. "People need to see what really happened that day."Unlike 'JFK' or 'Nixon,' this film is not a political thriller of conspiracy theories. Unlike 'Natural Born Killers,' it is not a stark portrayal of violence--Stone does not even show the planes hitting the Twin Towers.Instead, 'World Trade Center' is a rescue story told through the eyes of people who lived it. McLoughlin and another cop, Will Jimeno, played by Peña, spend much of the movie trapped beneath the rubble.The lack of conspiracy theories in Stone's film was evidenced Thursday night by the presence of GOP leaders--including Gov. George Pataki--who have often been quick to criticize the director."I had concerns when I heard that Oliver Stone was directing the movie," said Rep. Peter King (R-Long Island) chairman of the House homeland security committee. "But he has captured the spirit of that day and I commend him for it."Paramount Pictures has also been trying to demonstrate the non-political nature of the film with advance screenings for conservative groups in D.C.The fact that Stone did not write 'World Trade Center' himself has also been widely publicized.In another rarity among New York movie premiers, Thursday's screening at the Ziegfeld Theater was not followed by a gala reception of cocktails and gift bags. The mood just didn¹t call for it.
# posted by "Faces of the Brave" @ 4:05 PM 
