In November 1970 a plane carrying almost the entire Marshall University football team its staff & fans crashed killing 75 people in all & devastating the small town of Huntington West Virginia WE ARE MARSHALL directed by Mc G (THE OC FASTLANE) tells the tragic true story of how the university & the citizens of Huntington rebuilt the football program & dealt with the loss of so many of their own The universitys president Donald Dedmon earnestly portrayed by David Strathairn (GOOD NIGHT & GOOD LUCK) hires the only willing coach to take on such a daunting task Jack Lengyl (Matthew Mc Conaughey) With the help of the lone Marshall football coach Red Dawson (Matthew Fox) & the three remaining players who werent on the plane Coach Lengyl sets out to restructure Marshalls team & spirit But for some in the community its still too soon including Paul Griffen (Ian Mc Shane) who lost his football-star son They fear that moving on so quickly is disrespectful to those who died & to the loved ones who still mourn The film emphasizes this issue illustrating the struggle of that harrowing time at Marshall & in college football history Although WE ARE MARSHALL contains a similar theme to other sports movies rising from adversity the tragedy of so many lives lost in a small community & the painful recovery sets this film apart Strong performances by Mc Conaughey (FAILURE TO LAUNCH)
- whose wit & energy adds much needed doses of comic relief
- Fox (LOST) & Mc Shane (DEADWOOD) successfully help bring the historical & inspiring story of Marshall University to the big screen a must-see for all sports fans