We Are Marshall

Reviewed by:
Pete Hammond

In November 1970, a plane returning from a game carrying virtually the entire Marshall University football team, its coaches and several community boosters crashed near their hometown airport in Huntington, West Virginia. All 75 on board were killed and the small college town they represented was devastated. 36 years later a film detailing what happened after that tragedy has finally been made. This is not a movie about the fateful flight but instead a moving chronicle of how the surviving family members and citizens carried on despite the huge emotional weight they were under. In particular, this unforgettable and incredible true story of tragedy and triumph in the face of overwhelming odds is a striking testament to the power of the human spirit. Matthew McConaughey is at his best as the new coach who must rebuild the Marshall football program enlisting as his reluctant assistant, one of the original coaching staff, a guilt-ridden man (Matthew Fox, a revelation in the role) who had narrowly missed the plane. The highly dramatic story is really centered on these two along with the beleaguered University President (David Strathairn) and their superhuman efforts to paste a new team together, keeping hope alive for a community of people who had really been to hell and back. Among the players, Anthony Mackie as a spirited original team member who also cheated death by missing the plane is a standout. There have been many inspirational football movies, but We Are Marshall is really much more than that. Don't be fooled thinking you have seen this all before. Trust us, this remarkably fine and moving film is one you won't want to miss.

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