Barnes & Noble

The impact of 9/11 has manifested itself in a variety of unexpected ways. For filmmaker Oliver Stone -- he of the grandiose conspiracy theories and often blunt directorial flourishes -- it released a stylistic clarity and emotional directness that fits this straightforward story of heroism and sacrifice. Based on the true story of Port Authority Police Department officers John McLoughlin and William J. Jimeno (played by Nicolas Cage and Michael Pena, respectively), this deeply moving film is a tribute to all those dedicated men and women who labored in the face of unspeakable tragedy to rescue survivors from the wreckage of the World Trade Center. Although Stone expertly blends staged re-creations with documentary footage, the collapse of the Twin Towers is not the plot’s focal story. Most of the film unfolds in the dank, dark pit where McLoughlin and Jimeno found themselves pinned after entering the tower’s ruins. Their reassuring talk of family and friends is set off by cutaways and flashbacks to their anxious spouses, played with subtle intensity by Maria Bello and Maggie Gyllenhaal. Stone directs in lean, muscular fashion, eschewing bombast in favor of restraint. The result is an unusually expressive film -- wistful, tragic, and yet ultimately uplifting -- that contributes to the slow healing process following a national tragedy. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

Director Oliver Stone once again offers a powerful and provocative story based on real-life events in this drama. Sergeant John McLoughlin (Nicolas Cage) and William J. Jimeno (Michael Peña) were two officers assigned to New York City's Port Authority who were working their beats on a quiet day in early fall when they received an emergency call. The day was September 11, 2001, and McLoughlin and Jimeno were among the policemen who attempted to evacuate the World Trade Center towers after they were struck by airliners piloted by terrorists. Both McLoughlin and Jimeno were inside the fifth building of the World Trade Center when the towers fell, and were two of the last people found alive amidst the wreckage. As McLoughlin and Jimeno struggled to hold on to their lives as rescuers sifted through the rubble, their spouses -- Donna McLoughlin (Maria Bello) and Allison Jimeno (Maggie Gyllenhaal) -- clung to the desperate hope that their husbands would survive and be found. As the McLoughlin and Jimeno families waited for word on the fate of the two men, they watched as a city and a nation came together with strength and compassion in the face of a tragedy. World Trade Center was based on the true story of John McLoughlin and William J. Jimeno, both of whom cooperated with producers in the making of this film. Producer Debra Hill died during production -- hence the posthumous credit. Mark Deming

Product Details

• UPC: 097361199528
• Source: PARAMOUNT
• Region Code: 1
• Presentation: Pan & Scan
• Sound: Dolby AC-3 Surround Sound
• Language: English
• Editions: Subtitled
• Time: 2:08:00
• Sales Rank: 67,005

This DVD is also available as part of a box set:

• Nicolas Cage Collection