When You're Bored

Today I thought it would be most appropriate, in honor of the memory of all those who lost their lives at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, to talk about a movie that I saw this past weekend. Although its merit was questioned by many critics, it was nominated for two Academy Awards last year. It is a thoughtful, heartbreaking tribute to those who didn’t go home that day, and a reminder that the loss of lives was amplified across all of the lives that continued.

It’s hard to fathom the scope of this terrible tragedy. The victims had family, friends, and acquaintances, and all of those people had friends, family, and acquaintances. It’s hard to find someone above a certain age who doesn’t feel a connection of some kind.

I remember where I was, driving to work that morning on the other side of the continent, listening to what didn’t seem real on the radio. Although my husband has family in New York, no one was in harm’s way. His brother served at Ground Zero in the weeks that followed, as a member of the police department.

The film Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, based on the 2005 novel by Jonathan Safran Foer, is powerful and well-acted. The cast is outstanding. Viewing this film is one of many ways to remember. I highly recommend it.