This year marks the 15th anniversary of 9/11. The tragic day is still fresh in the mind of America, as it serves as a memory of those we loved and lost in during that horrific span of time.
Everything felt somewhat innocent back then. But since September 11th, 2001, the world did change. Airport security got stricter, more cell phones were bought, and people worried more about well, everything. It was understandable. It was a scary time.
This real life event became the focal point for many elements of pop culture. There were comic books devoted to idolizing the police officers, firefighters, and volunteers who gave their all to help in any way they could. Cartoons and videos were created for children to understand what happened that day, as it became part of our history. It would be taught in schools. When it became appropriate, movies were released based on the events that took place, specifically Oliver Stone's "World Trade Center."
With all this imagery surrounding us, it was good to see the importance of the heroes that made a difference on September 11th. However, for those that needed escapism from the surrounding world, films always offered a helping hand. In the summer of 2002, less than a year after 9/11/2015, Marvel Comics' poster boy swung into theaters, and it couldn't have been a better time. "Spider-Man" finally hit the big screen, and the collective world needed him like you wouldn't believe.
Peter Parker served as the epitome of what America was going through at the time. Young, confused, but ever so determined, the teenage superhero donned a suit of red, white (maybe a stretch here, but his eye lenses are primarily that color) and blue. He went out and battled the bad guys, no matter the odds stacked against him.
The good people of New York City even got a shout out during the movie. When the final battle between Green Goblin and Spider-Man happens, citizens on a bridge begin tossing debris at Green Goblin to throw him off course of bringing Spidey to his end. They begin to shout at the green baddie, saying the quintessential lines that echoed back to 9/11:
"You mess with Spidey, you mess with New York!!"
"You mess with one of us, you mess with all of us!"
I remember hearing that line in the theater when I watched the film on opening night. People in the audience went nuts. This moment probably even had a bigger reception because I was viewing it in Staten Island, a borough of New York City. I was a Freshmen at Wagner College in Staten Island, NY back then. In any case, I may not be a New Yorker (NJ born and raised), but that night, I was.
The last few frames of the film had Spidey swinging through the city of New York and the final, last shot is the wallcrawler landing on a flagpole before he swings off and the end credits roll. There's no better way to conclude a film that America needed than this. Director Sam Raimi definitely knew what the world needed, and "Spider-Man" gave it to us.
Whether you argue that the movie itself is good or not doesn't really matter here. Sure, "Spider-Man" may not have been your cup of tea, even as a fan of the character, or just a general member of the audience However, back then, America needed a good guy, and Spider-Man delivered during those troubled times. I mean, it features a New York City-based hero fought the good fight. You couldn't ask for a better film to be released in the aftermath of September 11th. Thank you, "Spider-Man," for everything.
