The Guys (2002)

72% of critics liked it
(61 reviews)
51% of users liked it
(1,276 ratings)

In the wake of the terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington D.C., of September 11, 2001, Jim Simpson, the creative director of New York City's Flea Theater Company, wanted to stage a theater piece which would deal with the human impact of this tragedy. When Simpson met journalist Anne… More In the wake of the terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington D.C., of September 11, 2001, Jim Simpson, the creative director of New York City's Flea Theater Company, wanted to stage a theater piece which would deal with the human impact of this tragedy. When Simpson met journalist Anne Nelson, he discovered a true life story which dealt with the September 11 incidents in an intimate but affecting manner, and he encouraged her to adapt her story into a play; the drama quickly became a major critical success, and Simpson made his screen directorial debut with this film adaptation. Joan (Sigourney Weaver) is a veteran journalist who through a friend finds herself taking on an unusual assignment: Nick is a captain in the New York Fire Department who lost eight of the 12 men in his company while attempting to evacuate the World Trade Center towers following the terrorist attacks. Nick has been given the responsibility of delivering their eulogies at a series of memorial services, but Nick has no experience with such things and isn't sure of what to say. Joan volunteers to help, and over the course of several days she interviews Nick, finding out how much (or how little) he knew about the men under his command, and together they try to find the words to honor each man's memory, and pay tribute to their sacrifices in the larger picture of a national tragedy. Sigourney Weaver, who appeared in the initial Flea Theater Company production of The Guys, is also the wife of director Jim Simpson; Bill Murray, Tim Robbins, Susan Sarandon, and Amy Irving are among the actors who have also lent their talents to the show. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Play Trailer

Rating, Runtime: PG, 1 hr. 38 min.
Directed By: Jim Simpson
Written By: Jim Simpson
Genres: Drama

In Theaters: Apr 25, 2003 Limited
On DVD: Sep 9, 2003
Studio: Focus Features

Critic Reviews

Randy Cordova, Arizona Republic
A well-intentioned misfire that doesn't work in the way it intended.
Eleanor Ringel Gillespie, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A noble attempt, but not much more.
Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press
Weaver, LaPaglia and director Simpson have little problem keeping us involved as they grapple with conflicting feelings in the ways nearly all Americans did.
Rex Reed, New York Observer
One of those rare and exemplary motion pictures that is likely to make audiences of strangers want to hold hands.
Jack Mathews, New York Daily News
If anyone needs reminding of those profound post-9/11 feelings, now or later, The Guys will be there to do it.
Andrew Sarris, New York Observer
The sobriety of the play has been preserved at the expense of the movie.
Michael Dequina, TheMovieReport.com
The occasional intercut of fire department surveillance camera footage isn't exactly making the most of the cinema medium.
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
Painfully earnest but sporadically quite moving...
Jordan Hiller, Bangitout.com
The Guys accurately reflects all the helplessness and directionless determination of those unreal days.
MaryAnn Johanson, Flick Filosopher
If you want an idea of what New York was like in the immediate days after 9/11, here you go.
Timothy Knight, Reel.com
A quietly moving character study, The Guys pays eloquent tribute to the heroic New York City firefighters who died on 9/11.
Walter Chaw, Film Freak Central
[An example of our instinct to] moderate collective tragedies into easily-digested cud for bovine mastication on the Oprah show.
Jean Lowerison, San Diego Metropolitan
Do not miss this film.
David Elliott, San Diego Union-Tribune
A modest masterpiece.
Greg Dean Schmitz, Greg's Previews at Yahoo! Movies
Besides the fact that it's about 9/11, it's also an effective film because you learn something about the lives of the firemen who are willing to lay down their lives for our safety, which was true long before the year 2001
Philip Martin, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
What makes the movie work - to an admittedly limited extent - is the commitment of two genuinely engaging performers. Weaver and LaPaglia are both excellent, in the kind of low-key way that allows us to forget that they are actually movie folk.

Read all 16 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Film C

This is a tough movie to comment on, because i want to like it as i love Anthony Lapaglia and Sigourney weaver is amazing in this but it is a slow movie, really emotional and depressing and just not very much going on, i think they could of added a bit moreto this movie but it was… More
This is a tough movie to comment on, because i want to like it as i love Anthony Lapaglia and Sigourney weaver is amazing in this but it is a slow movie, really emotional and depressing and just not very much going on, i think they could of added a bit moreto this movie but it was nice to see a different view from what happened on 9/11! This movie reminds me of Flight 93 also known as United 93 although not very much going on a bit slow and you could say boring but its harsh to say this when its based on real events and is truly sad. Like Flight 93 at the end it made me blubber it dedicated the movie to the fallen firefighters and listed every single one of there names and it got really emotional and sad! Anthony Lapaglia plays a chief fireman who is ment to write something for memorials of his fallen men but cant think of anything to write so he asks for a journalist played by sigourney weaver for her help and between them they write speeches! This movie is majority set in weavers house with just te two of them talking! If you want excitement then this isnt the movie for you! Really this film isnt predictable becuase its hard to see where this movie is going because you sort expect more from this movie but it just doesnt cut it! i guess its worth a watch because it is a short movie and does get emotional!
Bobby H

Not the best as far as a MOVIE goes, but the theme behind it was real good. It's def. a good tribute too the men, and I respected that - but not a good "Movie", as far as that sense goes. Rather, a good documentary, I'd say, though. Sigourney Weaver, didnt do that… More
Not the best as far as a MOVIE goes, but the theme behind it was real good. It's def. a good tribute too the men, and I respected that - but not a good "Movie", as far as that sense goes. Rather, a good documentary, I'd say, though. Sigourney Weaver, didnt do that great of a job, I didnt think either, personally. Anthony LaPaglia does great though.
Sunil J

A good movie but a really odd choice of a movie to make.