These days, it's a struggle to make your sports movie stick out. To make it relevant, it's even harder. We Are Marshall makes it through the first hour before collapsing into sports movie hell, but it's a strong hour that's worthy and notable.
We Are Marshall concerns the Thundering Herd's tragic plane crash in 1970 that killed all aboard, from coaches and players down to fans. The visuals are stunning, and the film wisely avoids showing the crash itself. Shots of the plane taking off are superb, and subsequent efforts as it flies overhead are incredible in their foreshadowing. The chaos on the ground following the inevitable is likewise outstanding.
Emotional impact cannot be denied as the town struggles with the repercussions of this event. Performances are strong, and character development is properly paced. Matthew McConaughey takes over the head coaching job as Jack Lengyel, a quirky yet intelligent coach who must handle the players and lasting memories of November 14.
His introduction is timed perfectly, arriving exactly when the film needed a lighter touch after wearing down its audience beforehand. The transition from deep drama to football movie is handled wonderfully, slowly pulling the audience away from a focus on the crash and into the game.
Unfortunately, it's about football. That means movie fans need to trudge through the countless generic scenes of the coach yelling at his players, the team fights/dissension, and the thrown together on-field squad everyone is counting on. Likewise, you'll end up with the unbearably stereotypical "last play," filled with slow motion, an impossible number of lineman dodged by the quarterback, and quick shots of the coaches staring in awe as the on-field theatrics play out.
It's been done hundreds if not thousands of times. It didn't need to happen again. At a little over two hours, the game sequences could have been mere minutes long and it wouldn't have destroyed any of the emotional pull built in the first hour. This football movie doesn't even need football. There's nothing special in terms of how the games were filmed or presented.
In addition, the players themselves are left completely undeveloped. Only one is given any significant screen time, and it leads to yet another clichéd storyline (true or not). Others are tossed onto the field and it's up to the audience to piece everything together.
![We Are Marshall (Combo HD DVD and Standard DVD) [HD DVD]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51XKkDeGwJL._SL120_.jpg)
![We Are Marshall [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51d7AzwntPL._SL120_.jpg)
Article comments
1 - Woody Woodrum
I agree with most of what you say. Marshall was promised a 45-minute look at the school by producers, but that apparently went away.
But the final play, which they amped up some for effect is basically true - quarterback rolled right with no time left, threw to running back who had just one man to beat for 15 yard touchdown and way is paved by crushing block by tackle. Marshall wins 15-13 on the last play of the first home game following crash, a feat dramatic enough to stand on its own two feet.
2 - mushadd
They are not cliches if they are reality! This IS a movie about a true story. The last second win did happen.
I do agree with the DVD features. I was very disappointed. I just hope maybe they're saving the good stuff for an "extended edition" or "directors cut" in order to help double dip on DVD sales.
3 - Matt Paprocki
Cliches in terms of how it was filmed? Absolutely.
If I have to sit through one more freakin' sports movie where it kicks into slo mo, cuts to a close up of the QB, cuts to the coaches with a nervous look, cuts to the field where linemen make their move, cuts to the ball, cuts to the catch, I'm done with movies.
True or not, it could have been filmed in a way that didn't make it so horribly generic and uninteresting. Better yet, focus on the games they lost and drama/tension that caused. That's a story.
What they filmed is far too generic to care.
4 - Max
Personally and overall, I was disappointed in the finished product of the movie, as well as the DVD. The movie seemed to have lots of holes, lack of continuity, and as I have read repeatedly, lack of enough character development.
While the first 20 to 30 minutes were riveting, the remainder of the movie was scattered. Add to this, as the writer of this article said, the shameless promotion of not only Marshall University, but also the state of West Virginia, made it seem like a cheap advertising ploy to draw people and revenue into the state. This is kind of embarrassing.
Although the director, McG, did a fine job and was lauded repeatedly by locals, I have to wonder if another director would have done a better job of presenting the story. The DVD sales are reportedly doing well, and I am glad to hear this. Although being a life-long Huntingtonian and MU fan, I wish the movie and DVD had been presented differently.
5 - Gary
Since the movie first came out I have had time to reflect on exactly what went wrong with this movie. Don't get me wrong, I am a Huntington native and a huge Marshall fan, but I feel the movie wasn't as emotionally riveting as it could have been. The main reason: the movie "score". It sounded as if done by a stage band, with enough cello to make even Yo Yo Mah pull his hair out. A good movie score is pivotal and crucial for emotional impact, and this movie could have been so much more with a GOOD orchestral score behind it. I hope someday this movie is re-made and a more effort is put into the background score.