Stone to make 9/11 movie

Recently the movie industry has been complaining about falling ticket sales. As an example of a movie that did really badly, I give you Alexander, directed by Oliver "I love Castro" Stone and starring the talentless bum Colin Farrell. Big movie with big stars made by a director who seems to be out of touch with what the world cinema-going public want. Surely the sort of guy you want to keep as far away as possible from a big budget movie about 9/11? Can you even begin to imagine the scrutiny this film is going to be subject to?

Starring Nicolas Cage the film tells the story of two men trapped in the rubble of the collapsed towers who were rescued by "a crazy-brave patriotic super-Christian ex-Marine who drove down from Connecticut in his Porsche and walked out onto the burning rubble when the official rescue workers had been ordered off the pile for safety reasons." Somehow I can't see Stone doing Dave Karnes justice-

When the second plane hit, Karnes told his colleagues, "We're at war." He had spent 23 years in the Marine Corps infantry and felt it was his duty to help. Karnes told his boss he might not see him for a while.

Then he went to get a haircut.

The small barbershop in Stamford, Conn., near his home, was deserted. "Give me a good Marine Corps squared-off haircut," he told the barber. When it was done, he drove home to put on his uniform. Karnes always kept two sets of Marine fatigues hanging in his closet, pressed and starched. "It's kind of weird to do, but it comes in handy," he says. Next Karnes stopped by the storage facility where he kept his equipment—he'd need rappelling gear, ropes, canteens of water, his Marine Corps K-Bar knife, and a flashlight, at least. Then he drove to church. He asked the pastor and parishioners to say a prayer that God would lead him to survivors. A devout Christian, Karnes often turned to God when faced with decisions.

Finally, Karnes lowered the convertible top on his Porsche. This would make it easier for the authorities to look in and see a Marine, he reasoned. If they could see who he was, he'd be able to zip past checkpoints and more easily gain access to the site. For Karnes, it was a "God thing" that he was in the Porsche—a Porsche 911—that day. He'd only purchased it a month earlier—... But he decided to buy it after his pastor suggested that he "pray on it." ... Driving the Porsche at speeds of up to 120 miles per hour, he reached Manhattan—after stopping at McDonald's for a hamburger—in the late afternoon. (Go read it all)

Somehow I can't see Stone telling the story that way. In fact, given that he seems obsessed with conspiracy theories and doesn't exactly strike me as the type of man who would make a film that celebrates American patriotism and bravery, I find it hard to conceive how he was picked for this project. What qualities does he bring to the first big budget effort to tell the story of 9/11? Is he going to make a film that will make Americans feel good? Because that's the only why that American audiences are going to go see this film- they do not want a film about such an outrage that will portray the heroes of that day in anything other than an exemplary light. Stone does not seem to be the man who will do that.

If it were up to me, I'd make this a Jerry Bruckheimer production. No, he's not subtle but he's a genius when it comes to big budget summer smashes. He's also the sort of man that doesn't seem to have a problem with creating heroes on screen. This material seems tailor made for him and I for one would love to see what he could do with it. Stone's movie? Somehow I just cannot imagine how it will- in any way, shape or form- be true to the facts of the day.