When Does the Film "25th Hour" (2002) Take Place?
"25th Hour" is a crime film written by David Benioff [adapting "The 25th Hour" (2001) by David Benioff] and released December 19th, 2002.
It takes place in the year:
We know this because references to the famous and tragic September 11th terrorist attacks (including during the famous 'fuck New York' monologue) pepper the script. Most intensely, when Monty Brogan's friends Jacob Elinsky and Frank Xavier Slaugherty look out the window of Frank's apartment onto the former World Trade Center buildings site known as "Ground Zero" in Lower Manhattan. Clean-up efforts are shown, which were occurring on an ongoing basis from September of 2001 AD to late May of 2002 AD, so we know an earliest and latest possible point for the story. Considering the nearly flat and very organized state of the once horrifically chaotic site, it's most likely early-to-mid-2002 AD.
2002 AD
We know this because references to the famous and tragic September 11th terrorist attacks (including during the famous 'fuck New York' monologue) pepper the script. Most intensely, when Monty Brogan's friends Jacob Elinsky and Frank Xavier Slaugherty look out the window of Frank's apartment onto the former World Trade Center buildings site known as "Ground Zero" in Lower Manhattan. Clean-up efforts are shown, which were occurring on an ongoing basis from September of 2001 AD to late May of 2002 AD, so we know an earliest and latest possible point for the story. Considering the nearly flat and very organized state of the once horrifically chaotic site, it's most likely early-to-mid-2002 AD.
The main action of the plot takes place over one day, entirely within the calendar year of late 2001 AD or early-to-mid-2002 AD.
Additionally, the movie opens with a prologue that takes place before the main action but it's unclear how long before it. In the novel, the prologue DOES take place specifically 4 years previous to the main action. Assuming a close adaptation, that puts the prologue in 1998 AD.
There is also a set of flashbacks about halfway through the narrative that take place sometime in the weeks or months before the main action, so they are also set within the calendar year of 2001 AD or 2002 AD. Another flashback shows the audience how Monty met his girlfriend Naturelle.
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