In November, 1970, virtually the entire football team and coaches of Marshall University (Huntington, W.V.) die in a plane crash. That spring, led by Nate Ruffin, a player who was ill and missed the fatal flight, students rally to convince the board of governors to play the 1971 season. The college president, Don Dedman, must find a coach, who then must find players. They petition the NCAA to allow freshmen to play, and coach Jack Lengyel motivates and leads young players at the same time that he reexamines the Lombardi creed that winning is the only thing. The father and the fiancée of a player who died find strength to move on. Can Marshall win even one game in 1971?
Genre(s): Drama, Sport
Runtime: 131 minutes
Rating: 7.1/10 (13,191 votes)
Release Date: 12 December 2006
Country: USA
Languages: English
Company: Warner Bros. Pictures
Sound: DTS, SDDS, Dolby Digital
MPAA: Rated PG for emotional thematic material, a crash scene, and mild language.
Director(s): McG
Producer(s):
Jeanne Allgood – executive producer
William Fay – executive producer
Basil Iwanyk – producer
Jamie Linden – co-producer
Adolfo Martínez Pérez – associate producer (as Adolfo Martinez)
Trumaine McBride – executive producer
Scott Mednick – executive producer
Brent O'Connor – executive producer
Thomas Tull – executive producer
Mary Viola – co-producer
Writer(s):
Jamie Linden – (screenplay)
Cory Helms – (story) &
Jamie Linden – (story)
Cast:
Matthew McConaughey – Jack Lengyel
Matthew Fox – Red Dawson
Anthony Mackie – Nate Ruffin
David Strathairn – President Dedmon
Ian McShane – Paul Griffen
Kate Mara – Annie Cantrell
January Jones – Carole Dawson
Kimberly Williams-Paisley – Sandy Lengyel
Arlen Escarpeta – Reggie Oliver
Brian Geraghty – Tom Bogdan
Music: Christophe Beck
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This movie could of been really good because of the subject matter.This was a slow moving, brutal movie to watch. Every cliché you couldcome up was in this movie. The acting was brutal. Anyone who says thismovie was good is on the movie studio's payroll.
It's on cable now – so at least I didn't get suckered into paying forit. You want a good sports movie – get your old DVD of VHS of Rudi.This movie couldn't shine Rudi's shoes. Gut awful.
I'd rather go watch my old high school football team up in northwestNew Jersey then watch this movie again. I can't really think ofanything good to say about this movie. I love sports and inspirationalmovies – this movie leaves a lot on the table for both.
To me, this movie just didn't have much happen in it; hence, it wasboring. An hour long documentary on the plane crash and what happenedat the university would have been more interesting. I don't buy MatthewMcConaughey as a football coach. He looks too much like a surfer dude,and dying his hair dark isn't going to change that. Also, this movie atover 2 hours is way too long for so little action. The crash takesplace in the first 10 minutes or so, so we barely learn anything aboutthose who died. Therefore; it doesn't make that great of an emotionalimpact later in the film when the team is trying to come together forits fallen teammates.
FINAL VERDICT: I like sports and sports movies. But this one justdidn't do it for me. I don't recommend it.
An outstanding testament to the human spirit's resilience. Whether ornot you're a football fan, you'll love this powerful film of how thelives of an entire town are literally shredded as most of the town'spopulation, and the most popular members at that, are all suddenlydestroyed in an airplane crash. Teenagers, parents, friends, all gone.The beginning of the film alone up to and the immediate aftermath ofthe crash make watching the film worthwhile, though they are tough totake. Even macho men will find it hard not to shed a tear. Ironically,that is what makes it a great movie for both men and women (though itmight be too rough for children because of the subject matter of suddendeath and loss).
Ironically, too, you actually feel a sense of loss as a viewer becausesome of the best acting is during that first part of the film. CoachTolley (Robert Patrick) is such a powerful presence and so well acted,that you literally miss him and wish he were the surviving actor.Though those that remain are great as well.
Schmaltzy, yes, and if it were not a true story I might say to avoidit. But as a nearly factual account of great strength in the face ofgreat loss, I highly recommend it for men and women, and as a datemovie. You will have a renewed sense of the preciousness of life, yoursand those around you, as well as those who are not with you, and of thegoodness of God who permits that loss but only for a short time. Forlife, and love, go on if we will only accept them, cherish them, andpass them along.
While a sports fan by no means (and I have a sister who's worked foryears for the Cincinnati Reds), I try to keep an open mind about sportsin general. For some folks, sports, and football in particular trumpeverything else in life. "We Are Marshall" presents the horrifictragedy of one small town and turns the triumph of those same folksinto a terrible movie. No cliché is left untouched, as the real truthin the lives of those who lived the events are twisted, composited, anddragged out in yet another cookie-cutter Hollywood "revisiting". Theend result of messing around with facts is "We Are Marshall", a moviethat is absolutely unassailable to criticism since it's based on a truestory. This doesn't mean it's a good movie. It's uber-calculated tomake grown men cry and seems to go on forever. Matthew McConaughey'sbizarre performance is more annoying than endearing and Matthew Fox'ssideburns (as well as everyone else's) in this slice of 70s folliclefashion change shape and size in nearly every shot. One suspects theyspent all the continuity money on the football adviser and nothingelse. I do give it five out of ten for reminding us of the humanability to rise above adversity, but it loses five out of ten for beingshamelessly manipulative in the way that only sports movies can be.Pass the Cheetos, it's halftime.