I've heard from many people that this film is not worth watching, both because it deals with the sensitive topic of 9/11, and because it features a bitter alcoholic as one of the main characters. Look, I get it, 9/11 was a horrible ordeal and is certainly nothing to joke about. When I was four years old, many businessmen who my uncle had known in 2001 were tragically killed, and it is not an event to be taken lightly. But I was both surprised and amazed at how well 'The Space Between' handled the subject matter. We get no cruel jokes, no gory death shots, no conspiracy theories, just two people whose lives were touched by this tragedy, and the way in which they support each other in the aftermath.
As for Montine, played with cynical aplomb by Melissa Leo, she is indeed every bit a caustic and sarcastic drunk of a flight attendant, who at first cares nothing for Omar, the little Pakistani child prodigy being shipped off to boarding school on her plane. But when the Twin Towers go down, she is just as confused and horrified as anybody else, and when Omar tearfully breaks the news that his beloved father works up on the top floor of one of the Towers, Montine's change of heart displays a much deeper side to her character than meets the eye. Like Omar, she is grieving a loss, that of her own husband who was killed in the mid-1990's in a disaster that she feels nobody cares about, least of all her own estranged family and dying mother. Speaking of Montine's family, we get a terrific supporting cast of Annasophia Robb (Montine's edgy goth niece) and Brad Henke (Montine's frustrated but sympathetic brother).
Some of my friends have cautioned me that 'The Space Between' "sympathizes with terrorists", but it really doesn't. Instead it draws attention to the blatant hatred and racism that 9/11 inspired, showing that it was a senseless act that not only killed 2,000 innocent people, but an act that also caused America to harbour more prejudice towards its own Muslim community. Omar gets a bitter taste of this when Montine's niece takes him out for a neighbourhood walk, whereupon he is mocked and bullied by a group of redneck teenagers who wholeheartedly believe that Omar is going to attack them. This is an ugly yet true type of problem which America faced in 9/11's aftermath, and yes, it is a very touchy subject, and prejudice toward Muslims in the aftermath is something which film companies have tiptoed around for the most part. 'The Space Between' does an excellent job of dealing with heavy topics in a considerate way, without being crass, offensive or sappy about it.
I should also point out of course that 'The Space Between' is not really much of a 9/11 film. 9/11 is used as a plot device, but this is actually more like a psychological road trip embarked on by two troubled souls mourning their loved ones and fearing the future. Omar faces life as an orphan and forced enrolment into a Muslim school. Montine faces a lawsuit for removing Omar from the airport, and the possibility that once she's located, she'll never see this little boy who she's become a mother figure to, ever again. This is a deep, powerful and evocative drama, and a film that everyone should see at least once.
As for Montine, played with cynical aplomb by Melissa Leo, she is indeed every bit a caustic and sarcastic drunk of a flight attendant, who at first cares nothing for Omar, the little Pakistani child prodigy being shipped off to boarding school on her plane. But when the Twin Towers go down, she is just as confused and horrified as anybody else, and when Omar tearfully breaks the news that his beloved father works up on the top floor of one of the Towers, Montine's change of heart displays a much deeper side to her character than meets the eye. Like Omar, she is grieving a loss, that of her own husband who was killed in the mid-1990's in a disaster that she feels nobody cares about, least of all her own estranged family and dying mother. Speaking of Montine's family, we get a terrific supporting cast of Annasophia Robb (Montine's edgy goth niece) and Brad Henke (Montine's frustrated but sympathetic brother).
Some of my friends have cautioned me that 'The Space Between' "sympathizes with terrorists", but it really doesn't. Instead it draws attention to the blatant hatred and racism that 9/11 inspired, showing that it was a senseless act that not only killed 2,000 innocent people, but an act that also caused America to harbour more prejudice towards its own Muslim community. Omar gets a bitter taste of this when Montine's niece takes him out for a neighbourhood walk, whereupon he is mocked and bullied by a group of redneck teenagers who wholeheartedly believe that Omar is going to attack them. This is an ugly yet true type of problem which America faced in 9/11's aftermath, and yes, it is a very touchy subject, and prejudice toward Muslims in the aftermath is something which film companies have tiptoed around for the most part. 'The Space Between' does an excellent job of dealing with heavy topics in a considerate way, without being crass, offensive or sappy about it.
I should also point out of course that 'The Space Between' is not really much of a 9/11 film. 9/11 is used as a plot device, but this is actually more like a psychological road trip embarked on by two troubled souls mourning their loved ones and fearing the future. Omar faces life as an orphan and forced enrolment into a Muslim school. Montine faces a lawsuit for removing Omar from the airport, and the possibility that once she's located, she'll never see this little boy who she's become a mother figure to, ever again. This is a deep, powerful and evocative drama, and a film that everyone should see at least once.