LARSONRD Review of DC 9/11: Time of Crisis

DC 9/11: Time of Crisis (2003 TV Movie)

Politics Aside, this is a good historical drama

[8/10 · 4 July 2005]

Reading the other reviews of this film are telling - and I think the posting by dromasca told it all - most viewers are unable to shed their political leanings concerning films like this, and most reviews (positive and negative) seem to be borne from one's personal leanings in that regard. It would be interested to note if this film had been released before the end of 2001, would it have garnered more positive reviews? But now in the wake of FAHRENHEIT 9/11 (and by the way if you have seen that film you owe it to yourself to also see FAHREN-HYPE 9/11 just to get a balanced report - before making up your mind), this film seems to add more fuel to the Bushfires. I found it to be a compelling Showtime TV movie, focusing on the perspective of President George W. Bush in the week following the Sept 11th attacks on the USA. While the focus and timing (released on DVD just in time for the 2004 presidential election; although the film itself debuted on TV on Sep 7 2003) may suggest propaganda (and there may be just a bit of heavy handed pro-Bush emphasis; but then, the film is told from his perspective); however the film is excellently put together and was written by respected historical writer Lionel Chetwynd (who wrote the terrific IKE: COUNTDOWN TO D-DAY, and who reportedly had unprecedented access to the key White House personnel, including GW, to ensure the comprehensiveness and relative accuracy of his script). As a result, the film seems reasonably credible. It's fascinating to discover some of the innerworkings of our government on that dark day, and to depict the human side of GW, even while resurrecting strong emotions over the events of that day – events which many Americans seem to have forgotten in their rush to criticize foreign policy… Timothy Bottoms is outstanding in his portrayal of GW, resembling him as he does physically (ironically, he played GW on TV's irreverent THERE'S MY BUSH) many of the other cast members bear a striking resemblance to the people they play also (Ashcroft, Rice, Rumsfeld, Cheney).