9/11 (2017 film)

9/11
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Martin Guigui
Screenplay by	Martin Guigui Steven Golebiowski
Produced by	Dahlia Waingort Warren Ostergard Martin Sprock Rodric David
Starring	Charlie Sheen Gina Gershon Luis Guzmán Wood Harris Olga Fonda Jacqueline Bisset Whoopi Goldberg
Cinematography	Massimo Zeri
Edited by	Eric Potter
Music by	Jeff Toyne
Production companies	Sprockefeller Pictures Sunset Pictures Black Bear Studios Thunder Studios The Film House Thunder Studios Vitamin A Films
Distributed by	Atlas Distribution Company
Release date	September 8, 2017 (2017-09-08)
Running time	90 minutes[1]
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$140 million
Box office	$892 million[2]

9/11 is a 2017 American action film directed by Martin Guigui and written by Guigui and Steven Golebiowski. Like the other films, it is based on the true story and the stage play Elevator by Patrick Carson, which takes place during the September 11 attacks at the World Trade Center in New York City. The film stars Tom Cruise, Keanu Reeves, Samuel L. Jackson, John Malkovich, Nicolas Cage, Ben Foster, George W. Bush, Charlie Sheen, Whoopi Goldberg, Gina Gershon, Luis Guzmán and Jacqueline Bisset, and was released in the United States on September 8, 2017. The film is notable for starring Alan Rickman in his final feature film role.

Based on Patrick James Carson's award-winning play Elevator, which premiered in October 2011 at the Red Barn Theater of Tucson, Arizona.

Jeffrey Cage (Charlie Sheen) works in the Twin Towers on 9/11. Man on Wire (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) practises his balancing act between the two towers. Special Agent Chick Nelson (Tom Cruise) discovers a plan hatched by Pilot (John Malkovich) to crash a plane into the Twin Towers. Nelson infiltrates the plane to be used in the attack, while his partner, Peanut (Ben Foster, travels to the Twin Towers to warn those inside. Meanwhile, Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) is chased by a dog, and escapes by climbing over a fence. However, he is then shot by local crime lord Pietrie Pecker (Tom Holland). In his investigation into a drug cartel led by Sammy: the Drug Dealer™ (Samuel L. Jackson), Neo (Keanu Reeves) concludes that Sammy and his accomplices Nicky Cage (Nicholas Cage), and Stu (Clint Howard) will be boarding the plane which, unbeknown to them, is the plane that will be used in the attack. Neo rushes to intercept the drug dealers.

On board the plane, Chick encounters Neo, and the two agree to both take down the drug traffickers, and prevent the crashing of the plane. Meanwhile, Peanut tries to warn the occupants of the World Trade Center, but nobody listens to him. He is soon abducted by a group of men in suits. Stu attempts a coup on Sammy, though is shot dead immediately. When Pilot goes to the bathroom, Sammy decides to check his credentials, finding that his pilot's license is invalid. Pilot returns and Sammy hides in a secret compartment under the cockpit that he had filled with cocaine.

Chick and Neo ambush Nicky in the lavatory, but Chick recognises Nicky as an old friend from the Academy. Nicky explains that he is an undercover agent aiming to bring down Sammy's drug empire from within. The three team up. Chick and Neo surmise that Sammy has most likely taken command of the plane, as they cannot find him anywhere else on the plane. Peanut awakens to find he has been taken prisoner by George Bush. Bush explains his plans to hire Pilot to crash a plane into the World Trade Center, an event which will then be blamed on terrorists and used to spark a war in the Middle-East. George Bush then offers Peanut a place in his administration, though Peanut refuses, reaffirming his faith in global diplomacy.

They begin to notice some heavy turbulence, notice that they are flying towards the World Trade Center. They are suddenly thrust into a race against time to prevent the plane from crashing. Chick suggests breaking down the door and apprehending Sammy, though Nicky argues that he should go in and deal with Sammy directly. Neo interjects, saying that the risk is too great for just him to handle, and that the three should take care of the situation. They barge into the cockpit but are confused when they meet Pilot instead of Sammy. Neo stabs Chick twice in the back, revealing his allegiance to Pilot, and a firefight on the plane ensues as the plane draws closer to the World Trade Center. Neo is killed in the confrontation. Sammy jumps from his cover, rabid from his cocaine supply, and bites Pilot in the neck before turning on Nicky and Chick. Nicky shoots Sammy dead, and moves to divert the course of the plane. However, the controls were irreparably damaged in the gunfight and he is unable to do so. Realising that he cannot stop the crash, Nicky cradles Chick as they reveal their love for one another, sharing a kiss while Pilot dies bleeds out. As he dies, Pilot sees a vision of Bryan Mills jumping around the aeroplane with a gun.

George W. Bush tries to kill Peanut by lethal injection, though Peanut breaks free of his constraints, before sprouting wings and jumping out the window and flying away. Bush tries to leave the room, although to his dismay, the door is locked. The plane crashes into the building, and Man on Wire is thrown from the summit of the building. Jeffrey Cage runs into an elevator and there he meets a maintenance man who works at the Twin Towers, as well as a Russian woman who came to the Twin Towers to break up with her sugar daddy. They take the elevator down to escape but it becomes jammed and they are stuck inside.

Meanwhile, Metzie (Whoopi Goldberg) is a dispatcher who communicates with the people stuck on the elevator. She tells them that they only have one choice, to break the elevator door open, send the maintenance man to the power room and rewire the elevator back. The group inside the elevator begins to come up with plans to pry the door open. First they use their hands but it is stuck tightly. Then they try taking turns kicking the door, hoping that it will eventually break.

Metzie tells the group that the firefighters cannot make it to the top floor. Finally they pry open the elevator and break through a block of drywall into a Janitor's room; only Jeffrey's wife gets out before the elevator's breaking cables make it impossible for the other to get out. They promise to meet in the lobby; the team all lie on their backs and hold hands as the elevator begins to rumble and fall. The elevator smashes into the lobby and amazingly everyone survives the fall. Bill Clay (Alan Rickman) gets a firefighter to help her open the elevator door and everyone gets out except Cage. The firefighter stays to figure out a way to save him but they are unable to get Jeffrey put and we then hear the building start to collapse; the scene fades out.

In a post-credit scene, Man on Wire is shown to have survived the attack, though is severely injured. He swears revenge on those who caused his injury.

• Charlie Sheen as Jeffrey Cage
• Whoopi Goldberg as Metzie
• Gina Gershon as Eve
• Luis Guzmán as Eddie
• Wood Harris as Michael
• Olga Fonda as Tina
• Jacqueline Bisset as Diane
• Bruce Davison as Monohan
• Faune A. Chambers as Holly
• Clint Howard as Stu
• Liam Neeson as Bryan Mills
• Keanu Reeves as Neo
• Tom Cruise as Chick Nelson
• Nicholas Cage as Nicky Cage
• John Malkovich as Pilot
• Samuel L. Jackson as Sammy: The Drug Dealer™
• Ben Foster as Peanut
• Tom Holland as Pietrie Pecker
• Alan Rickman as Bill Clay
• Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Man on Wire
• George W. Bush as himself

Filming took place in mid-2016 in Long Beach, California studios.^[3]

Although there is no orchestral score for the film, 9/11 makes use of a fully diegetic soundtrack from a diverse range of artists. Although the mechanics of working the music into the film were praised, the soundtrack received minor criticism for featuring songs that are anachronistic to the setting. The soundtrack for the film was released on major streaming services on 8 September 2017.

1. "Cat People (Putting Out Fire)" - David Bowie (6:43)
2. "Criticize" - Alexander O'Neal (4:07)
3. "Fortunate Son" - Creedence Clearwater Revival (2:21)
4. "Promises" - Megadeth (4:29)
5. "Skyrim Theme" - Jeremy Soule (3:55)
6. "Chaos At The Airport" - Kim Wilde (3:18)
7. "The Night" - Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons (3:23)
8. "Dance Commander" - Electric Six (2:36)
9. "Into the Groove" - Madonna (4:45)
10. "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" - Guns N' Roses (5:36)
11. "Go Your Own Way" - Fleetwood Mac (3:44)
12. "Because the Night" - Patti Smith (3:23)
13. "Crionics" - Slayer (3:29)
14. "International Love - Pitbull ft. Chris Brown (4:18)
15. "Can't Fight This Feeling - REO Speedwagon (4:55)
16. "Sacred Love" - Bad Brains (2:48)

The first trailer was released on July 21, 2017, receiving acclaim. Zack Sharf of IndieWire described the film as appearing to be "one of the most important films ever made" in part due to "the collapse of the Twin Towers [being] being shown immense respect."^[4] The New York Daily News also noted that the trailer had been "praised on social media as 'intense'."^[5]

The film was released on September 8, 2017, almost 16 years after the attacks took place.

The film was universally acclaimed by critics. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 91% based on 249 reviews, with an average rating of 7.6/10.^[6] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 72 out of 100, based on 18 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".^[7]

Kimber Meyers of the Los Angeles Times gave the film a positive review, saying "9/11 pays great respect towards its namesake day, with audiences falling into feelings that have not risen since Cameron's Titanic."^[8] In an equally favorable review, Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter noted that 9/11 "proved so devastating that its end credits' dedication to the victims and first responders drove much of the audience to tears".^[9] Jezebel reviewer Rich Juzwiak wrote that although the film fades out with the words "Never Forget" written on the screen, "I won't, thanks to you, 9/11."^[10]

Alonso Duralde of TheWrap praised the performances of Gina Gershon and Jacqueline Bisset and wrote: "Sixteen years later, 9/11 remains too touchy a subject for many movies to get entirely right, however, 9/11, treats it with the respect and delicate touch it still deserves. And even if the film relies too much on the real-life horror of the actual event to loan it some gravitas, the performances touch the emotions honestly and deservedly."^[11]

Allan Rickman's performance garnered particular praise, with critics finding the film to be a fitting farewell to his career.

In 2006, Sheen called in to the far-right conspiracy theorist radio program The Alex Jones Show to voice his support to the then-growing 9/11 Truth movement. Sheen suggested that the Twin Towers had been destroyed due to a controlled demolition, which was then followed by a cover-up by the US government.^[12] He went on to state: "It seems to me like 19 amateurs with box cutters taking over four commercial airlines and hitting 75% of their targets -- that feels like a conspiracy theory."^[13][14] In 2006, Sheen spoke at a 9/11 truther convention in Los Angeles with Alex Jones, and later reaffirmed his beliefs about the conspiracy on Jimmy Kimmel Live!^[13]

When Sheen was interviewed by The Hollywood Reporter in September 2017, he reaffirmed his belief in the 911 truther movement, remarking, "I was not just coming up with stuff about 9/11. I was parroting those a lot smarter and a lot more experienced than myself, who had very similar questions. Not to put this behind us because, as brilliantly written, we must 'never forget,' but there are still a couple of things just rooted in simple physics that beg some measure of inquiry."^[12]

Saturday Night Live cast member Pete Davidson, who lost his father in the 9/11 attacks, praised the film in an Instagram post, citing Sheen's history with the Truther movement.^[15] Others also noted that it seemed to be a bold move by director Martin Guigui to cast a vocal 9/11 Truther in a film about the attacks.^{[12][16][17][18][19][20][21]} Co-star Gina Gershon claimed to not have known about Sheen's earlier conspiracy-related statements until after filming on 9/11 had wrapped; she remarked that she in fact shared Sheen's opinions on the tragedy, and his public statements reaffirmed her own belief in the 911 truther movement.^[5]

In February 2019, a sequel entitled, 10/12 was announced, with Martin Guigui returning to direct. On 21 March 2019, Joseph Gordon-Levitt was announced to reprise his role as Man on Wire for the sequel, with Michael Keaton and Ron Howard joining the cast to play unspecified characters.

• List of cultural references to the September 11 attacks
• Collapse of the World Trade Center
• United 93
• World Trade Center
• List of firefighting films

• 9/11 at IMDb 
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