We Are Marshall
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We Are Marshall, is based on a well-known university in Huntington, West Virginia; Marshall University. This movie speaks on the tragic plane crash on November 14, 1970, that killed 37 “Thundering Herd” football players along with five football coaches, two athletic trainers, the athletic director, twenty-five booster members and five flight crew. The movie We Are Marshall, is not solely based on only the plane crash, but it does use the tragic crash as a starting baseline. The movie speaks on the aftermath of the crash in Huntington, West Virginia. We Are Marshall, is focused mainly on Marshall University and specifically anyone in the community who was left childless, parentless, husband or wife less. McG made this a movie that was based on a true story, without actually using the real life people. McG hired a cast that consisted of; Matthew McConaughey, Matthew Fox, Anthony Mackie, David Strathairn and Kate Mara. Matthew McConaughey acted as the new Marshall head football coach, Jack Lengyel. Matthew Fox played the role of the Marshall assistant football coach, William “Red” Dawson, that was supposed to have been in the 1970 plane crash with his fellow team. Like Coach “Red”, Nate Ruffin was also supposed to be on the plane but he was injured so didn’t go to the game. Nate Ruffin was played by Anthony Mackie. David Strathairn played the part of Donald Dedmon, Marshall University’s Principal. Kate Mara played the role of the Annie Cantrell, a young lady that was left without a fiance because of the plane crash. The cast that was chosen to fulfill the members in Huntington, WV community was nicely done.
Although this movie is touching on an emotional subject, I still feel McG and his film crew did an amazing job at creating We Are Marshall, all the way down to the last lighting check. The movie created a sense of remembrance for the the deceased. This movie did not only show the negative aftermath but also the positive aftermath that followed. This is a great movie to watch even if you don’t like or understand football, because in the movie football symbolizes the entire community. The way football does this is by how the Marshall football program was stomped to the ground by the crash, like the entire community was torn apart after the event. Then as the movie goes on football has to go through challenges and obstacles of forming and finding a football team, illustrating how the community is grieving and trying to rebuild despite the odds. By the end of the movie the football program is finally coming together and it shows how the community is finally coming back together as one. McG shows this reforming by having the 1971 Marshall University football team win their first game since the plane crash and it has actress Kate Mara, Annie Cantrell, young widow move away from the Huntington,WV to start a new life. We Are Marshall, also represents how even through diversity in a community or a team everyone is in someway family to one another. McG starts off with a tragic story and ends with a happy ending, not many directors I know can do that while still remaining in the storyline. We Are Marshall, is narrated at the beginning and the end to give historical information on the what the movie is about and to tell facts on specific people. Such as; at the end of the movie the narrator stated, “Nate Ruffin moved away after graduation and started a family, in 2001 he died from a prolonged illness but he returned to Huntington WV, for one last time to be buried with his fellow teammates of the Marshall University football team of 1970.” Making this a more personal style of movie. The main thing that I greatly appreciated was that throughout the entire movie, there were actual videos and pictures of the 1970 and 1971 Marshall University football teams. This just touched my heart, and made me feel for the families and the community.
In spite of We Are Marshall being a college sport genre, it holds some reference to the Marshall University education. This movie does not specifically speak on the actual education of Marshall University, but it does speak on some issues that occurred within the university. Sense We Are Marshall, mostly discusses the aftermath of the 1970 plane crash that occurred in Huntington, WV, the main college issues that came about were that the university was torn apart by the crash and that the board of Marshall University was going to suspend the football program until further notice. The board thought they were doing the right thing for the college, but the Marshall student body proved them wrong. The student body all joined together in a peaceful protest to keep the football program to honor their fellow classmates and teammates outside the board meeting window. By the end of the board meeting, the student body got what they wanted and this led to the community became even more divided. Many did not want the football program back because they felt it was disrespectful to play the next year after what had happened. This caused conflict within the community that was finally overcome by the end of the movie. This was illustrated when everyone in Huntington,WV came to Marshall University to watch the first home game since the crash; despite the previous negative opinions about the football program. This showed how the community was becoming one once again.
Although this movie is touching on an emotional subject, I still feel McG and his film crew did an amazing job at creating We Are Marshall, all the way down to the last lighting check. The movie created a sense of remembrance for the the deceased. This movie did not only show the negative aftermath but also the positive aftermath that followed. This is a great movie to watch even if you don’t like or understand football, because in the movie football symbolizes the entire community. The way football does this is by how the Marshall football program was stomped to the ground by the crash, like the entire community was torn apart after the event. Then as the movie goes on football has to go through challenges and obstacles of forming and finding a football team, illustrating how the community is grieving and trying to rebuild despite the odds. By the end of the movie the football program is finally coming together and it shows how the community is finally coming back together as one. McG shows this reforming by having the 1971 Marshall University football team win their first game since the plane crash and it has actress Kate Mara, Annie Cantrell, young widow move away from the Huntington,WV to start a new life. We Are Marshall, also represents how even through diversity in a community or a team everyone is in someway family to one another. McG starts off with a tragic story and ends with a happy ending, not many directors I know can do that while still remaining in the storyline. We Are Marshall, is narrated at the beginning and the end to give historical information on the what the movie is about and to tell facts on specific people. Such as; at the end of the movie the narrator stated, “Nate Ruffin moved away after graduation and started a family, in 2001 he died from a prolonged illness but he returned to Huntington WV, for one last time to be buried with his fellow teammates of the Marshall University football team of 1970.” Making this a more personal style of movie. The main thing that I greatly appreciated was that throughout the entire movie, there were actual videos and pictures of the 1970 and 1971 Marshall University football teams. This just touched my heart, and made me feel for the families and the community.
In spite of We Are Marshall being a college sport genre, it holds some reference to the Marshall University education. This movie does not specifically speak on the actual education of Marshall University, but it does speak on some issues that occurred within the university. Sense We Are Marshall, mostly discusses the aftermath of the 1970 plane crash that occurred in Huntington, WV, the main college issues that came about were that the university was torn apart by the crash and that the board of Marshall University was going to suspend the football program until further notice. The board thought they were doing the right thing for the college, but the Marshall student body proved them wrong. The student body all joined together in a peaceful protest to keep the football program to honor their fellow classmates and teammates outside the board meeting window. By the end of the board meeting, the student body got what they wanted and this led to the community became even more divided. Many did not want the football program back because they felt it was disrespectful to play the next year after what had happened. This caused conflict within the community that was finally overcome by the end of the movie. This was illustrated when everyone in Huntington,WV came to Marshall University to watch the first home game since the crash; despite the previous negative opinions about the football program. This showed how the community was becoming one once again.
Review by: Kailee Champigny