We Are Marshall

Sports dramas that are based on inspiring true stories are not hard to come by. In fact, there is probably a rule somewhere that says one of these films must be released every couple of months. Some of the past year’s offerings include Invincible, Gridiron Gang and Glory Road (still the best one of 2006). Now we have We Are Marshall, a less traditional entry in the genre in that it deals less with the sport of football than it does with the small town that embraces it. In 1970, the town of Huntington, West Virginia, which was home to Marshall University, is devastated by a plane crash that claims the lives of its entire college football team, along with several coaches, parents and fans. It is a disaster that the citizens are unable to cope with, and leaves the college in a quandary about what to do with the football program. Many want to suspend it for the time being out of respect for the fallen players, but a few surviving teammates (who had missed the doomed flight) convince the College Board to hire a new coach and start the program from scratch. Until this point, the film is drowned in an understandably somber mood, which is why the appearance of Matthew McConaughey as Jack Lengyel, the new head coach, is such a breath of fresh air. The actor brings a great deal of much needed charm to an otherwise depressing film. Lengyel’s job is to recruit players from wherever he can, whether they come from basketball courts or soccer fields, in order to get the Marshall team ready for the approaching season. To say he is fighting an uphill battle, both on the field and with members of the Huntington community, is an understatement. But his determination to keep the team moving forward works well as a message for the film. More than anything, however, We Are Marshall proves that director McG—who, until now, has only been known for churning out Charlie’s Angels muck—can actually make a decent film. It’s not Hoosiers, but then again, very little is these days.

Directed by McG.
Written by Jamie Linden and Cory Helms.
Starring Matthew McConaughey, Matthew Fox, David Strathairn, Anthony Mackie, Ian McShane, Kate Mara, Brian Geraghty and Robert Patrick.

Rated PG for emotional thematic material, a crash scene, and mild language. 124 min.

*** so says The Fish