I echo Daren’s review, but have this to add: ‘World Trade Center’ is probably one of the most pro-family films ever.
Some of the reviews I have read were critical of the emphasis of too many scenes in which family members are shown fretting over the fate of their trapped loved ones. They likened it to nothing more than another made-for-TV “Movie of the Week.” But Stone uses those scenes to build to the most important message he delivers in the film: That family commitment, support and unity can save lives. That may sound hokey to some, but I defy anyone to not be moved when Nicholas Cage’s character sees his wife (played by Maria Bello) for the first time after he is brought to the hospital.
Add to that the demands made by the Cage character’s youngest son to his mother, and a number of flashback scenes that alone don’t seem significant but together are meaningful, Stone builds a powerful case that by virtue of their commitment to one another, these families were as heroic as those brave souls who were involved in the rescue efforts.
