Logo
Sound journalism, grounded in facts and Biblical truth | Donate

A town called Gander

Broadway-based film Come From Away tells the little-known story of a Canadian town that welcomed stranded air travelers on 9/11


Apple TV+ via AP

A town called Gander
You have {{ remainingArticles }} free {{ counterWords }} remaining. You've read all of your free articles.

Full access isn’t far.

We can’t release more of our sound journalism without a subscription, but we can make it easy for you to come aboard.

Get started for as low as $3.99 per month.

Current WORLD subscribers can log in to access content. Just go to "SIGN IN" at the top right.

LET'S GO

Already a member? Sign in.

Come From Away, streaming from Apple TV, is a filmed version of the Tony-winning musical that tells the remarkable true story of a 9/11 emergency operation in Gander, Newfoundland. Twenty years ago, the people of Gander welcomed to their town 38 diverted planes and nearly 7,000 passengers and crew. Lying between Europe and the United States, Gander International Airport is an emergency landing location and became part of Canada’s Operation Yellow Ribbon on Sept. 11, 2001.

It’s strange to imagine singing in a 9/11 story—until you see it actually works. Lyrics are clear, even with the purposefully strong Canadian accents and phrases like “come from aways”—what Newfies call people not from the island. The fast-paced tale is full of mostly endearing characters who bend over backward to help, opening hearts and homes to stranded air travelers for five days following the terror attacks.

Stage scenes change rapidly, drawing the audience into the frenzy: We feel the stress of passengers, some of whom sat in planes on a runway for 30 hours, unsure of what had happened on American soil. The townspeople offer quick-thinking solutions, opening homes, churches, gyms, and hotel rooms to shelter passengers. Residents donate diapers, medicine, clothes, and toiletries and cook up a storm of casseroles.

Viewers get caught up in the personal stories—like Hannah who’s longing to hear from her firefighter son in New York City, and the nervous foreigners who speak no English but understand when a Newfie points to Philippians 4:6, “Be anxious for nothing.” We wonder if the relationship between the London executive and Texas divorcée, seated next to each other on a plane, will blossom.

We smile when one man, worried a stranger would steal his wallet in Gander, learns to trust. In answer to his dad’s question of whether he was OK in Newfoundland, he thinks aloud, “How do I tell him I wasn’t just OK, I was better?”

The film, rated TV-14, does have some drawbacks. One subplot follows a gay couple and the way the town affirms their lifestyle. The story also includes salty language that makes it unsuitable for younger viewers.

It’s a shame, because Come From Away can help us remember both the horror and grace of that heart-wrenching day. It’s emotional watching stranded passengers try to reach loved ones by phone. It’s hard to hear suspicions over whether any passengers disembarking in Gander might be security risks. And ever-looming are the deaths of almost 3,000 Americans by terrorists.

But Come From Away ultimately reminds us even the darkest days can provide reasons to sing.


Sharon Dierberger

Sharon is a senior writer for WORLD. She is a World Journalism Institute and Northwestern University graduate and holds two master’s degrees. She has served as university teacher, businesswoman, clinical exercise physiologist, homeschooling mom, and Division 1 athlete. Sharon resides in Stillwater, Minn., with her husband, Bill.

COMMENT BELOW

Please wait while we load the latest comments...

Comments