I wasn't sure what to expect when I began watching this movie. I didn’t have high hopes, even though it deals with the September 11th attacks, features actors I respect, and is generally something I would want to see. The film intentionally starts slowly and heavily, making it difficult to get past the first thirty minutes or so. However, the film improves considerably as we become acquainted with the main character—a boy grappling with his father’s death in the attacks and trying to cope with this loss. Losing a parent is always devastating, regardless of age or circumstances. I have to admit, dear reader, that my perspective may be colored by recent personal experience; I lost my mother recently, and it's impacted how much I identified with the boy and his emotional journey through grief and absence. He believes his father left him a final "treasure hunt" involving a mysterious key, which is his way of trying to find some meaning in his father’s death. It seems simple, but I confess that I too, during times of suffering, have felt compelled to search for a reason or order amidst the chaos. Perhaps we humans simply can't accept that those we love… just disappear. And maybe we are justified in resisting that acceptance. I am not suggesting that the tragedy in New York had some inherent purpose; evil is senseless on its own terms. But I refuse to believe that all those lives were lost for nothing. It seems to me that Americans, and Western society as a whole, try to find meaning in events like this, seeing those who died as victims of unimaginable cruelty—a stark reminder of how vulnerable we are to the actions of a determined and deranged mind. I imagine each family member who experienced such a loss found their own personal way to make sense of it, and I hope that helped them cope with what happened. Despite his youth, Thomas Horn’s performance was quite good; he brought a genuine innocence to his character that wasn't childish or lacking in intelligence—quite the opposite. Tom Hanks, as is often the case, delivered an impeccable performance, giving the boy’s father a sense of familiarity and warmth that he uses skillfully. Sandra Bullock also did interesting work portraying the mother. While she received an Oscar nomination, I think Max Von Sydow gave a more substantial and impressive portrayal. Even so, I appreciated how he conveyed emotion without speaking. Zoe Caldwell was good as well, though her performance felt more restrained than others. I thought John Goodman, Viola Davis, and Jeffrey Wright were all underutilized. The film showcases several locations in New York City, and you don’t need to have visited the city to recognize them or appreciate how beautifully they are used. The cinematography was a significant asset, with carefully considered lighting, color, and brightness, as well as effective post-editing of the images.

Source on TMDB