We Are Marshall (2006)

It's a great movie really. I am suprised the overall rating is below 8. But I see the movie has many 10/10 reviews. Watch this movie, guaranteed it'll be 2 hrs well spent

Every movie has some truth behind its story line. The movies that really emphasize it although are the movies based off of true stories. These movies are usually inspirational and overly dramatic about passing over the message of the story. The movie We are Marhsall is based around a tragedy that occurs in a small town of Huntington at the University of Marshall. Seventy-five lives are claimed at a horrific plane crash killing football players, coaches, staff, and sponsors of the team. It is the story of how the town dealt with the tragedy.The small town of Huntington takes pride in the college football team at Marshall University. The town has sons, fathers, and husbands within the football community. On one evening though, everything would change when the football plane crashed killing everyone inside. Nate Ruffin, an injured player who didn't join the team on the plane, and Red Dawson, the assistant coach who decided to stay back and catch the next plane, are all that remains of the deceased football team. Reggie Oliver bought a sixteen pack of beer when he heard about the plane crash, his brother was part of the team. Reggie carried the pack around wherever he went since the plane crash. Gene Morehouse, the announcer for the thundering herd, also died that night. His son loved to listen to his father announce the games on the radio, striving to be just like his dad. The mayor of the town, Paul Griffen, lost his son that night as well. President Dedmon was unable to cope with losing so many dear friends and family, optioning to close the football program for the time being. A year later, Ruffin speaks out to the town jury about keeping the football program. He and the rest of the school wanted to keep the program alive and start to rebuild. President Dedmon obliged allowing the football team continue, but listed a great number of problems in order for it to happen. Ruffin did not care although, stating that he could start with a football coach. Name after name, Dedmon called various coaches asking if they would come coach the team. One after another, Dedmon was turned down and hope was being lost. It isn't until a man named Jack Legynel calls the principal for the job. His reason for coaching the team, was sort of an unusual response. He did not choose to coach the team because he wanted to win, he wanted to coach them because it didn't matter if he won or not. Stated in the movie, this was the first time that winning doesn't matter, all that matters is that they play the game. Jack went over to Dawsons house to ask him to be the assistant coach. He accepted after refusing to be the head coach for the school. Something about Jack drawer coaches to him. Even the their division rivals in Michigan allowed them to look at play books and strategies. It was the first time Michigan ever helped Marshall with football. Jack even convinced Principal Dedmon to personally ask the directors of the NCAA to allow them to play football. After being rejected to play football several times by the NCAA, he went over in person to ask them to allow the school to play. After being allowed to play, Jack unsuccessfully attempted to recruit players around the state. He failed though, losing to West Virginia in multiple positions. Dawson and him then thought outside the box, recruiting players in a unique aspect. He created an all freshman team through words and persuasion. He convinced players that going to Marshall, it would mean promised playing time on the field. Although Jack was able to put a team together and on the field, he only one game out of the several years there. It was just as he said though, the town didn't need a winning football team, they just needed a team to show up every game and play. The Marshall movie is more inspiring based off recovery from the tragedy and doesn't seem so cliché. Recovering from a sever plane crash that devastated the whole town is something else. The Marshall movie is something no one can compare to because of how they recovered and rebuilt the community while honoring the deceased people. It was truly a miracle how a couple of people rebuilt the Marshall community and brought it back to life through playing football.

Based on the infamous 1970 plane crash, in which over 40 members of the Marshall University football team were killed, "We Are Marshall" is a historical biopic by director McG. Opening with the aforementioned calamity, the film charts the attempts of Marshall Univerity to hire a new coach and put together a new team. Other scenes chronicle the difficulties locals have in coming to terms with the deaths of friends and loved ones.Despite some fine cinematography, and a cute performance by Kate Mara, "We Are Marshall" is mostly inept. Actor Matthew McConaughey mistakes exuberance/gimmickry for acting, McG overplays every emotion, the film's overly sappy, and its themes of loss and healing are wholly superficial.4/10 - Worth no viewings. Similar films: "The Sweet Hereafter, "Shadowlands", "Imaginary Heroes", "Ordinary People" and "Cries and Whispers".

You know the story very well. You know its end from the start. Heck, you have seen the movie before, hundreds of times too. Actually, you have seen all the movies before, since they all feed on the same ideas. So what's the different thing that might make you watch? It's the script's treatment; being a key player in that game of "making the different thing" which is called movies.This time there are a true story, some emotionality involved, many characters, and the meaning about the importance of playing more than importance of winning, as if playing is winning itself; if only you can do it.The movie's feelings are clear. It has many artistic merits, topped by the acting, the cinematography, and the directing (who though that Mc.G, can do movies else Charlie's Angels 1 and 2 ?!). But eventually it doesn't hold to that spirit of "different" much.Save (President Dedmon), played by (David Strathairn), the characters aren't interesting enough. Take for instance the lead character. That full-of-life man seems perfect, throwing pieces of wisdom to everybody, making jokes all the time, his only mistake is not knowing how to change a diaper; which he even did anyway. That, as a whole, is the interpretation of BORING ! You can say the same about the situations. There is no scene where I felt how the lead character affected the team in a deep way, not preachy way. We hear about him having dinner with the remaining-alive members of the old team, and never see anything ! Why the dead team is out of the picture ?! They are like "Them" all along. Not relating them to the present characters took a lot of the movie's drama. The angry father and the young waitress's case was good, but what about the rest, especially when you don't have, a la the comic version of the same movie, the funny players to utilize and fill the movie with their various antics.The third act is disappointing : Everything is predictable. There is no surprise whatsoever. The scene of the speech is worn-out, with nothing new about it (It's where I was bored to death !). The last match is a farce; now here's a worthless and usual TV work. Not writing the end's narrated information right, underling the meaning of the "importance of playing", caused a laugh in the wrong place (so that *great* coach, with his *great* team, had 9 winnings and 33 loses ???!!!). As you see, with the lack of interesting characters, good situations, smart details, hence saturated story lines the movie suffered from dramatic emptiness (So that's why Matthew Fox and Anthony Mackie spent their time just crying !). Therefore the feelings of hope, determination and beating the grief are there, but not actively achieved. And, as a result, the predictability was allowed to run the matters as another sport movie with "underachievers-go-achievers", so instead of utilizing the trite frame, there was nothing else it, being done a bit poorly too !They tried to use (Matthew McConaughey)'s talent and name to present a distinct lead character, but nothing was thorough about it. And the script tended to a documentary-like trait, which is bad according to the true story's emotional power. See how uneven this movie is ! By traditional and somewhat blank treatment, it didn't get to be the different thing. Hence (We Are Marshall) couldn't rescue itself from falling into the sin of "formulaic". That's the word my title intended, not the other one that sure came to your mind. Nasty word both ways !