Television's turn to remember

Over the past six months, several films chronicling the events of Sept. 11, 2001 have been released for the big screen. The first was Paul Greengrass' United 93, followed by Oliver Stone's World Trade Center, which co-stared Maggie Gyllenhaal-who also appears in indie flick The Great New Wonderful, an ensemble drama about post-9/11 Manhattanites.

As the five-year anniversary of 9/11 approaches, it's now the small screen's turn to dramatize the events leading up to the tragedy. ABC is the first with The Path to 9/11. The four-and-a-half hour epic miniseries is based on The 9/11 Commission Report and airs with limited commercial interruptions on Sept. 10 and 11. The Path directed by David Cunningham follows the successes and failures of the United States' fight against terrorism after the first World Trade Center bombing in 1993.

The cast includes Oscar nominee Harvey Keitel as FBI agent John O'Neill, an al-Qaeda expert who anticipated the attacks and died in the World Trade Center, and Donnie Wahlberg as an undercover operative in Afghanistan working with anti-bin Laden leader Ahmed Shah Massoud. Stephen Root-famous for his comedic roles as Milton in Office Space and Bill on King of The Hill-also stars as counter-terrorism advisor Richard Clarke.

The mini-series uses real news footage and photos to tie together actual events with drama. Former New Jersey Governor Thomas Kean, who served as chairperson for the 9/11 Commission and as senior consultant to The Path to 9/11, said the show will "be enormously helpful to those of us who have been working so hard to get the Commission's recommendations implemented."

While the comprehensive mini-series may receive criticism for being anti-terror propaganda, the script penned by Into the West's Cyrus Nowrasteh attempts to show American intelligence at its best and worst without lionizing anti-administration officials like Clarke. The Path to 9/11 will be the first of many television events to highlight the personal stories behind the Trade Center tragedy.