My Local "Snippy" TV Critic Gives Path to 9-11 a Bad Review

[RamboLiberal]

I called him snippy in the headline because Wed he got that way in an email exchange with me when I asked him if he knew about the controversy on the internet and in NY Times article. At least he mentions in his review that there are charges of inaccuracies. BTW, this is not the Scaife rag - some DU'ers get the two Pittsburgh Papers confused.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06250/719494-237.stm

ABC's "The Path to 9/11" (8 p.m. Sunday and Monday, WTAE), attempts to communicate the results of the 9/11 Commission report in a dramatic, relatable way for viewers. This isn't entertainment per se, but a way to tell the story of events that led up to that terrible day. At almost five hours and with no commercial interruptions, the miniseries asks a lot of patience on the part of viewers and gives too little in return.

<snip>

Is it really necessary to see Condoleezza Rice (Penny Johnson Jerald, playing Condi for a second time following her premiere as the character in Showtime's 2003 movie "DC 9/11: Time of Crisis") demoting counter-terrorism adviser Richard Clarke (Stephen Root, "NewsRadio") -- she calls it a "restructuring" -- only to turn to him for advice on 9/11? It's a nice tidbit that adds to the preponderance of evidence that bureaucratic bungling and political turf wars played a role in allowing 9/11 to happen, but it's also an unnecessary shift in focus given plenty of other evidence to support that premise.

After the bombing of the U.S.S. Cole, O'Neil butts heads with an amazingly antagonistic ambassador to Yemen, Betty Bodine, played like a woman off her meds by Patricia Heaton ("Everybody Loves Raymond"). It's a riveting scene, but it's just that: One scene. If there was more to her role in pre-9/11 mismanagement, I'd like to have seen it portrayed. If not, was the scene needlessly sensational?

(The movie is also provoking some controversy as some liberal organizations charge the miniseries contains inaccuracies about the Clinton administration while soft-pedaling Bush administration blunders.)

As the number of filmed dramatic projects related to 9/11 continues to grow, there's undoubtedly a greater need to offer context, which "Path to 9/11" attempts, but it does so in such a ham-fisted manner, it fails to tell an inherently dramatic story well.

[roguevalley]

1. I HATE it when they use liberal like a club. I'm pissed because its

a lie. That should cross party lines.

[RamboLiberal]

2. Hey, I figure he's going to have egg on his face when

he doesn't report what is turning in to a big news story. I was just trying to inform him of our concerns and that this was the equivalent of what the wingnuts did to Dan Rather. Except we have truth on our side.