World Trade Center is a 2006 American docudrama disaster film directed by Oliver Stone that depicts two Port Authority officers, John McLoughlin and Will Jimeno, who become trapped in the rubble of the collapsed Twin Towers after the September 11 attacks and struggle to survive long enough to be rescued.
The film stars Nicolas Cage, Michael Peña, Maria Bello, and Maggie Gyllenhaal.
It was released on August 9, 2006, almost five years after the actual September 11 attacks.
World Trade Center provides examples of:
- Based on a True Story: About two survivors rescued from the rubble of the World Trade Center.
- Dropped a Bridge on Him: Antonio Rodrigues and Christopher Amoroso are killed in the South Tower's collapse when the debris flies through the concourse, being unable to make it to the elevator shaft.
- From Bad to Worse: First, a plane hits the World Trade Center. Then a second one. Then the towers collapse. Then two port cops get trapped in the rubble of the World Trade Center, stuck beneath it. Then John's knees get crushed. Then another cop's gun starts going off. Then they get burned by jet fuel. Once John and Will are rescued from the rubble, it's only then that they learn that the towers are gone.
- Heroic Willpower: It's only through this that John and Will survive. John credits his wife with giving him the will to go on in spite of being trapped, saying "You kept me alive" once he makes it to the hospital.
- Historical Domain Character: Officers John McLoughlin and Will Jimeno are the names of two real port authority cops who were on duty during 9/11.
- Oh, Crap!: When the rumbling of Tower 2's collapse occurs, everyone starts panicking, but it isn't until they can see flaming debris dropping outside does McLoughlin order everyone to the elevator shaft.
- Honor Thy Parent: When McLoughlin's wife Donna is informed that he is trapped somewhere within the site of WTC terrorist attacks, she is about to leave for somewhere closer to the scene. Donna tells her roughly 12-year-old son to stay put. He reacts with a resolute "No!" and demands to go with her. Donna is taken aback by his defiance, and attempts to make her son comply; however, he won't back down and angrily protests. Finally, Donna reluctantly agrees to take him with her, but you can see that she is still angry at having been so blatantly contradicted by her son. This example shows how shocking an instance of outright defiance by a child can still seem even today to a 21st-century parent (and in this case, the son is just acting under duress due to his father being missing in action).
- Present-Day Past: Since the film is set during the events of 9/11, there are a few post-2001 cars that appear such as a few Saturn Ions, Chevrolet Trailblazer and a 2004 Dodge Durango in one scene.
- Poor Communication Kills: Just like the actual incident, a lot of the problems stem from people not believing what has happened. As well, communications were either down or very spotty, leading to the officers getting trapped in the collapsing tower.
- Real-Person Cameo: The actual Will Jimeno appeared as a Port Authority Police officer.
- Spiritual Antithesis: To JFK. Both are Oliver Stone films about real-life tragedies that have since become fodder for conspiracy theories, and as a result, many critics feared that this film would become a platform for Stone to promote crackpot ideas about who was really behind 9/11. Instead of a Conspiracy Thriller, however, World Trade Center was a Based on a True Story Disaster Movie that stuck to the facts of what had happened that day.
