So there's been some discussion about Bush using the 9/11 footage in his campaign ads. Having seen it, (living in a battleground state) I don't think its that bad. Its quick and tastefully done. I also have very little qualms about the President using a tragedy as a rallying cry (FDR and Pearl Harbor) so long as its tasteful and appropriate. If Bush I had used Pan Am 103 in a campaign ad, I think he would have been stoned to death within minutes.
But this got me thinking about another comment I had made in an earlier post about tragedy as a backdrop for movies. Two of the most recent big budget movies have centered on tragic romances set in a horrible backdrop. Titanic was hailed as a great movie (despite the fact that the dialog was about as piss poor as I have ever heard) and it went on to win 11 Oscars. People came to their senses a little bit sooner when Pearl Harbor came around. It was generally regarded as a bomb although it made back its production costs.
We must also remember our penchant for "made for TV" movies of personal tragedies: the Peterson murder case, the Branch-Davidian fiasco, Tanya Harding/Nancy Kerrigan, and I'm sure I'm forgetting a bunch of others. These are generally a bit more lowbrow and very low budget. They feed sensationalism and then die a quick death.
But, given what we have already done, how long will it be before some filmmaker decides it would be a good idea to create a tragic romance surrounding either Oklahoma City or 9/11? Think about it. We have a nice story build up where the couple has this happy getting together. Maybe the woman ends a "no-love" romance with someone involved in the tragedy (the financier of the attacks) and then they happily set about they're day. Then, the terror attack happens. One of them is trapped on the floors above the impact zone. The other tries to get there to rescue them but he/she is pulled by the firefighters right before collapse. Later he/she finds a special token among the rubble - end of movie. If you feel like throwing up, I congratulate you, you're human. Which is better than most of Hollywood. Give us a little time. I'm sure someone is already working on a script to suit this little story. People will call it a great memorial to the victims and when it gets aired on TV, you can have it broken up every 20 minutes by reminders to buy Ford, Campbells, or Huggies.
You are free to mock me if you like, but I think it will happen. I'm just cynical like that.
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