Actually, the TV movie was well done - was pretty void of a liberal political agenda and caused the Lord's Prayer to be recited on prime-time television. Not something that happens everyday.
Of all the things that created the most poignant tears and reflection on that horrible day and the days that immediately followed was a television interview with the telephone operator who recited the Lord's Prayer with Todd Beamer. It was ... beautiful, tragic, moving, and REAL. The woman was a lovely, classy, well-spoken black lady, who talked about her conversation with Beamer. She was so very ... classy, is the first word that comes to mind, but more than that, she was supremely human and beautiful, compassionate yet in the telling of the story she made it so much more poignant because she resisted the impulse to be maudlin or emotional about it.
She told of the conversation in a very straight-forward manner. When she started talking about how he asked her to recite the Lord's Prayer with her over the phone .. well, I still weep when I think about it. These are tears not only of sadness, but of pride, of wonder, of gratitude, of gladness that I share this world with and am of the same human family as this woman and Todd Beamer. It was a quintessential American story -- of two strangers, a black woman and a white man, sharing such a powerful moment and giving each other -- and our nation -- strength and love.
Some people, when asked what are the most lovely creatures on the planet, will say "dolphins," or "eagles," or "butterflies," or some such. I say that hands down, the most beautiful creatures on earth are human beings. Yes, we're capable of great evil -- but we're capable of even greater love and magnificence, as United 93 proves.
I plan on seeing the movie in the theater because I want to show my support for such a project.