Diverted

Admittedly a feel-good story is left open many interesting personalities of the passengers and the people in Gander. It is so much like a pilot that I can't believe it wasn't intended that way. I love the story I would watch more.

I enjoyed this made-for-TV movie. Its along the lines of something from Lifetime but is actually a CBC (Canadian) production. There's nothing fancy here but it's still a heartwarming story as the viewer follows various story lines about the passengers and friendships developed over a 4 day period (starting on September 11th, 2001) when 38 planes headed to New York were diverted to Gander Newfoundland, Canada. A town of 9,000 which took in 7,000 passengers until American airspace reopened.

The plot itself is compelling and there's some decent acting which makes up for the slow pace. I enjoyed (Shawn Ashmore) as the Air Traffic Controller; meeting and falling in love with British passenger Alia. (David Suchet) was a big surprise here, playing an obnoxious American, desperate for news of his son who worked in the World Trade Center. Another sweet romance develops between a middle aged pair of lonely travellers, and a Muslim American man immediately sees his world changed forever as he is racially profiled, raising suspicions based on his skin colour alone.

We also follow several Gander locals; a hotel manager, the Mayor as they try to accommodate anxious and scared passengers who aren't even sure where they are. Friendships remain to this day between the Canadian hosts and stranded British, European and American travellers. 4/12/15

So what took so long? Right after 9/11, I said the story of Canada accepting hundreds of diverted flights would make a great movie. Finally after eight years, it's happened. This is well done, not "great", but well done. A couple of plausible love stories are effectively worked in. The film seems true to the facts and it captures the wonderful realities of Newfoundland right down to some great "down east" music, the awesome scenery, the legendary hospitality of "Newfies" and even the touristy rite of "kissin' the cod." I hope this film gets some offshore exposure. It was a tragic time but also one in which Canada played a proud role.

Having lived virtually my entire life in the big city of Toronto, I then had the chance to live for three years in the mid 90's in a small outport in Central Newfoundland, about a 2 hour drive west of Gander. Everything I had heard about Newfoundlanders I found to be true. They were welcoming, hospitable, friendly, funny - a truly unique and wonderful culture. That Gander was able to rise to the challenge of feeding and housing almost 7,000 stranded airline passengers whose flights had been diverted to the city after the closure of US airspace on that terrible day of September 11, 2001 was no surprise to me. This movie attempts to tell that story by offering a fictionalized account focusing largely on the experiences of the people of a particular flight who found themselves in Gander on that day.

For the most part, I enjoyed the movie. It had a real "Newfoundland feel" to it, some spectacular scenery shots and tried valiantly (and successfully to a large extent) to portray both the bewilderment and sometimes anger of the passengers who found themselves trapped in this insanity, as well as the struggle of the city and its officials to come to terms with the role they had been given. The performances weren't great, but they were decent enough, and it was nice to see a Canadian- made movie that was unapologetically Canadian. The movie did have two major flaws, though. First was the decision to introduce two potential romances to the mix (one between passengers, and one between a passenger and a resident.) Frankly, that just didn't fit. I can't think of a better way to put it. The other mistake was to focus so heavily on the passengers, when the real story was the absolute logistical miracle as this small city came together to meet a herculean challenge. There was little sense of what the city was up against, and of how incredible their efforts were. The people of Gander came across here as nice, but not valiant. That was a real weakness.

If you're truly interested in what happened on and after 9/11 in Gander, you really should read the book "The Day The World Came To Town." Author Jim DeFede did a brilliant job of weaving the passengers' stories into those of the folks of Gander, and gave a real feel for the effort that went into pulling this off. As to the movie? As entertainment it was OK, but not great. I was never tempted to change the channel. As to history? It could have been a lot better. The people of Gander deserved a better tribute. Still, I'd give it a 6/10

A well done and well deserved film, celebrating our fine Newfoundlanders.

David Suchet portrays the role of Samuel Stern with such conviction that you have no choice but to go through his emotional journey with him. Joanne Whalley played her role with a lot passion and understanding. Lisa Repo-Martell gave one of the most memorable performances during the film with lots of control and presence. One of the most interesting subplots was the story of Jamal Hassani, played by Anousha Alamian and his struggle as a minority, which felt real and honest and gave the film such humanity, that it was thrilling to watch.

Well worth watching again and again.