When the trailer for "United 93," one of two 2006 films dealing with the subject of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, was shown in New York-area theaters in January, it was met with choruses of boos, as well as cries of "Too soon! Too soon!"
When the film was finally released in April, it was met with positive critical reviews but a less-than-stellar $11 million opening weekend. And its total earnings of some $31 million seemed to lend some credence to those early complaints.
Maybe it was too soon for a 9/11 movie.
Four months after the release of "United 93," along came Oliver Stone's "World Trade Center," which opened Aug. 9 with an opening-weekend take of $18 million. So far the film has earned $65 million — but since it cost the same amount to make (still tip money by Hollywood standards), there is some question about whether it will go into profit, and it certainly won't reach blockbuster status. On the other hand, because the production costs for "United 93" weren't much by Hollywood standards — $15 million — it will make money and won't be considered a failure. Still, it didn't bring in the audience that was expected.
The numbers for both films call into question whether audiences want to see movies about terrorism and tragedy only five years later.
It should also be noted, however, that "World Trade Center," which drew the larger audience, is quite uplifting, while "United 93" is more downbeat.
"There's no real trend on these (types of) movies doing well or not," said Gitesh Pandya, editor of the Box Office Guru Web site at www.boxofficeguru.com, which tracks movie-ticket sales.
Historically, however, releasing films within a few years of a tragic event is nothing new. According to local film historians, movies about the bombing of Pearl Harbor, for example, started showing up within five months of that event.
The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was in December 1941 and led to the United States entering World War II. The first movie about that event was "Remember Pearl Harbor," released in May 1942.
For the most part, films about World War II were not critical of U.S. foreign policy. Hollywood's portrayal of wartime events, especially when the war was still going on, were uplifting and "patriotic."
It probably wasn't until a decade later that mainstream movies took a more jaded view of war, with such films as "One Minute to Zero" (1952), starring Robert Mitchum, which offered a jaundiced look at the Korean War.
"That one didn't go over well at all," recalled Art Proctor, the retired former owner of the Avalon Theater and a veteran of 43 years in film and home-video exhibition.
The Vietnam War was more divisive, as were films on the subject. John Wayne's 1968 vehicle "The Green Berets" was seen as pro-war propaganda, released while the war was still raging and dividing the country. Two years later, the satire "MASH" lampooned Vietnam, albeit under the radar, as the film is actually set during the Korean War.
The 1971 television movie "The Forgotten Man," with Dennis Weaver as a returning POW whose personal life is tattered, was probably the first film to specifically criticize the Vietnam War while the conflict was under way.
Post-Vietnam War films, such as the Oscar-winning 1978 dramas "Coming Home" and "The Deer Hunter," as well as 1979's "Apocalypse Now," were, of course, extremely critical.
And as Tom Sobchack points out, it took several years for those films to appear. "Hollywood was loath to put viewers off with either a pro-Vietnam or an anti-Vietnam movie." Sobchack, film professor emeritus at the University of Utah, added, "Vietnam did have half of the country against it."
As for Sept. 11, "United 93" and "World Trade Center" were not the first films to broach the subject. Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11" was released in 2004 and grossed $119 million, becoming the highest-grossing documentary in U.S. box-office history.
A few smaller fictional films have touched on 9/11 themes, such as "The Guys" (2002), starring Sigourney Weaver and Anthony LaPaglia, and "Sorry, Haters" (2005), with Robin Wright Penn.
But this year's two fictionalized "true-story" films dealt with specific Sept. 11 incidents. "United 93" explores the ill-fated flight that crashed after passengers revolted against their kidnappers. "World Trade Center" follows two New York/New Jersey Transit Authority officers who were rescued from the rubble of the collapsed towers.
"The 'feel-good' angle certainly helped ('World Trade Center')," said Pandya, "as it makes the film easier to digest, given the subject matter." He projected "World Trade Center" would make $75 million before finishing its U.S. theatrical run.
And Regency Theaters' Trolley Square Mall location saw some of its best business this year with "United 93." "The film was very well received by the people who saw it, and we did not hear any negative feedback, only appreciation for showing it," said Lyndon Golin, a manager for the theater.
The Regency also has plans to open another Sept.11-related film, the ensemble drama "The Great New Wonderful," this weekend.
E-mail: jeff@desnews.com