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The most cynical viewers will have a hard time hiding the lumps in their throats watching the enormously moving football drama 'We Are Marshall'. If it feels like Hollywood's gone to the mat one too many times with inspirational sports stories, this latest entry is distinct and well-made enough to separate it from the pack. And if the movie unabashedly wears its heart on its jersey sleeve, it's so sincere and honest that it rightfully earns its tears. This is the True Story of one of the worst disasters in American Sports History: 1970 plane crash that wiped out most of Marshall University's Football Team, along with its coaches and boosters. A total of 75 people died that fateful night, leaving the football-crazy steel town of Huntington, West Virginia, grieving and heartbroken. The big question then was whether or not to continue the college football program, which would mean starting over from scratch and testing the emotional strength of the devastated community. Not surprisingly, residents and students spoke up and the difficult decision was made to get back to the gridiron. Led by University President Donald Dedmon (David Strathairn), surviving Team Captain Nate Ruffin (Anthony Mackie), newly recruited Coach Jack Lengyel (Matthew McConaughey), and Assistant Coach Red Dawson (Matthew Fox), a spotty replacement team was assembled and, against massive emotional and physical odds, the new team helped the town overcome the tragedy. What makes the story less formulaic is the drive and creativity the characters use to achieve their thorny goals. Also, the film is charged with so much vivid emotion and urgency it's impossible not to get swept up in it all. Most importantly, it won't take a sports fan to appreciate the movie's vast merits, which is not always the case with this sub-genre. While it's heart is squarely in the right place, it's not as complete a success as, say, the similarly themed 'Friday Night Lights'. First-timer Jamie Linden's screenplay packs an emotional wallop, for sure though. He's created a strong surface picture of the key figures, and we certainly know where everyone's coming from. The only problem is McConaughey's uneven performance, which doesn't quite zero in on the real Lengyel. At first, the actor plays him as a gung-ho eccentric, but by the end he turns into, well, Matthew McConaughey, honey-dripping voice and all. While "McC" seems right on paper and definitely commits to the part, he's just not versatile enough to fully inhabit the role of the colorful coach. The rest of the cast, however, is uniformly excellent, with Strathairn, Mackie, and Fox all turning in award-caliber work. Fox (Party of Five, Lost), as the intensely conflicted assistant coach, is a particular revelation, and his success here could bring him leading-man status beyond the small screen. Kate Mara, as a young waitress (and the film's narrator) whose fiancé dies in the accident, and Ian McShane as the boy's shattered father, are also superb. The early 1970s setting is nicely recreated without overdoing the period trappings, which include an effective array of Top 40 tunes. 'We Are Marshall' (named after the team's stirring chant) is a memorable, deeply felt tribute that scores serious points. Don't Miss This !!!!Read full review
The movie is based on a true to life catastrophe where a plane crash claimed the lives of nearly every Marshall University football player as well as coaches and football boosers. The incident left the community devastated and without direction temporarily. Enter a new coach, Jack Lengyel who took the team to win only two games the first season at Marshall and with an overwhelming record of losses, departed Marshall in 1974. The movie has an extremely powerful plot and message overall but fails to deliver the knock-out punch. The script writing was lacking substance and many times left an audience puzzled as to why there was a build up to power punch emotional drama, only to be left weary forced to move on to the next sequence of events. Very few scenes delivered appropriately, the true raw emotion necessary to deliver a message as overwhelmingly powerful as Marshall University. Sad to say, this movie could have been one of the most memorable movies of the decade had the writing and directing been more substantial. Matthew McConaughey, an excellent actor is surrounded by a cast of average actors at best. I looked forward to this movie only to be left disappointed that it was slightly above average. The memories left in Huntington remain to this day. The devastating loss to the team, families, university and community deserved a better package than was delivered. Nevertheless, despite the average acting, average writing, average production and direction, the powerful true story makes it worth seeing more than once simply because they are MARSHALL! Whether you buy it, rent it or wait for a television edited version, just make sure you see this movie. Despite it's failures, the movie provies great historical significance to football, Marshall University, West Virginia and most of all...mankind. eadRead full review
FOOTBALL IS A GAME THATS KNOCKS YOU DOWN, THEN EXPECTS YOU TO GET BACK UP.LIFE HIT THE WEST VIRGINIA TOWN OF HUNTINGTON AND ITS MARSHALL UNIVERSITY EVEN HARDER. WHEN IT DID, JACK LENGYEL CAME BY TO HELP PULL THEM ONTO THEIR FEET BY TAKING THE JOB NO ONE WANTED;REBULIDING THE MARSHALL FOOTBALL PROGRAM ONLY MONTHS AFTER A PLANE CRASH WIPED OUT MARSHALL'S BELOVED THUNDERING HERD. MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY PORTRAYS LENGYEL,THE ENERGETIC COMPASSIONATE COACH OF INEXPERIENCED PLAYERS WHOSE CHANCES OF VICTORY ARE SLIM AND NONE. THEY'LL GO WITH THE SLIM. AND AS THEY DO, THEIR TRUE-LIFE STORY OF HEART,HEALING AND FOOTBALL WILL TRILL AND INSPIRE YOU.IT'S GAME DAY. TIME TO PLAY TILL THE WHISTLE BLOWS.
Actually bought as a Christmas gift for a marshal fan that hasn't seen it. So, still hoping it plays well. By looking at it, it is a really good DVD. Didn't see any scratches. She will love it
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
This film will never be nominated for any kind of award, because Mathew McGhonaghy does not get nominated. The story is a very moving depiction of events following a plane crash which killed virtually the entire football team of Marshall University in West Virginia. People I have talked with about this film have objected to Matt's tacky wardrobe, but if nothing else, it is true to the style of the time. I'm probably more prone to blubbering than most, but I'd bet there are few dry eyes during several key passages. I loved the film enough to buy it after I had seen it.
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