A real-time account of the events on United Flight 93, one of the planes hijacked on September 11th, 2001 that crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania when passengers foiled the terrorist plo... Read allA real-time account of the events on United Flight 93, one of the planes hijacked on September 11th, 2001 that crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania when passengers foiled the terrorist plot.A real-time account of the events on United Flight 93, one of the planes hijacked on September 11th, 2001 that crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania when passengers foiled the terrorist plot.
- Nominated for 2 Oscars
- 29 wins & 57 nominations total
- Waleska Martinez
- (as Liza Colon-Zayas)
- Deora Frances Bodley
- (as Trieste Dunn)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaTo make the movie as authentic as possible, director Paul Greengrass cast a number of real-life participants in the events of September 11, 2001, to play themselves. The principal "real-life role" in the movie is Ben Sliney, the FAA's National Operations Manager, who made the decision on 9/11 to shut down all air traffic operations in the United States. Sliney had just been promoted to the National Operations Manager position, and September 11, 2001 was his first day on the job. That explains the applause from the FAA flight monitors when he walks into the control center in Herndon, VA, at the beginning of the movie. Several officials who were with Sliney in the FAA control room on 9/11 play themselves, including Tobin Miller, Rich Sullivan, and Tony Smith. In the scenes at Newark Airport, several air traffic controllers who were in the Newark control tower on 9/11, and who witnessed the air attacks on the World Trade Center, play themselves. At the air traffic monitoring centers in Boston, New York, and Cleveland, the air traffic monitors are all played by real-life air traffic controllers, including several who were at these locations on 9/11, and who monitored the hijacked flights. At the Northeast Air Defense Command Center (NEADS) in Rome, NY, most of the military personnel are played by real-life military air traffic controllers, including several people, notably Major James Fox, who were at NEADS on 9/11. Also, on United Flight 93, the actors playing the pilots in the movie are real-life airline pilots, and the flight attendants are played by real-life flight attendants, some of whom work for United Airlines.
- GoofsAt the start of the movie, passengers arriving at the gate at Newark Airport are clearly at the domestic departure gates at Stansted Airport, Essex, UK. The scene includes BAA signage, seating at the gate (17), the rail link to the international departure gates (seen through the glass at the security checkpoint) and a "2 for £25" advertisement on the passenger walkway towards the gates.
- Quotes
Honor Elizabeth Wainio: Hi, Mom, it's me. I'm on the plane that's been hijacked. I'm just calling to tell you that I love you, and goodbye. This really kind woman handed me the phone and she said to call you.
- Crazy creditsThe very last line of closing credits states that the movie was "not sponsored by, or in any way affiliated with, United Airlines."
- ConnectionsFeatured in Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: The Best Films of 2006 (2006)
This eerie docudrama was written and directed by Paul Greengrass, a young Englishman certainly well suited for the task. For several years, Greengrass had successfully dramatized historical events for British television. His international breakthrough came with the film "Bloody Sunday" - a story of the "troubles" in Northern Ireland that won the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival in 2002.
"United 93" was the first feature that directly depicted what happened during the 9/11 attacks. So, for Greengrass, it was essential to achieve the highest possible realism. The passengers were therefore played by unknown actors. But that came at a price. During the difficult shoot, some of them were injured, so the blood visible on their faces as they attacked the terrorists is authentic.
Filming took place during the fall of 2005, onboard an old Boing 757 outside London. The location was chosen to shield the people in the movie team from the public scrutiny they might have received in the United States. And as usual Paul Greengrass shot the action scenes with a hand-held camera to create a higher sense of immediacy.
"United 93" had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City. To Paul Greengrass' relief, it received a positive reception from most critics. But above all, the director was happy that so many family members of the United 93's passengers attended the screening to show their support for his movie.
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Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official site
- Languages
- Also known as
- Flight 93
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $15,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $31,483,450
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $11,478,360
- Apr 30, 2006
- Gross worldwide
- $76,700,659
- Runtime1 hour 51 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.39 : 1