We Are Marshall

[Barb Bouldrey]

We rented and watched this movie today...John's day off.

This is an inspiring true story of the rebuilding of the Marshall University football team after 75 people died in a plane crash near the hometown airport. The team, the coaches and many boosters were on that plane. Only 4 team members and one coach remained.

This is a remarkable story of how they started over with 4 players and built a team in a college and town hurt deeply by the loss from the plane crash.

This equals the Christian film, "Facing the Giants," in its story of victory as a team. Of course, "Facing the Giants" has many spiritual truths in it that makes it a better film for me.

Barb

[Mike Norris]

....I saw the movie the week that it came out. The first part of the movie is well done , although I think that the second half is not . The movie does capture the impact of the airline crash on the Marshall community and the determination on the part of the university and community to rebuild not only the team, but also to rebuild pride and hope entire Marshall community.
I was teaching at Marshall when the airline crash happened. I lost a number of students in the accident . It was a tragic time for Marshall and Huntington. One had to be there to feel the incredible sense of loss that prevailed. Watching the movie revived some deep emotions and stirred my passion that I still hold for Marshall University and the " Thundering Herd "

[Barb Bouldrey]

Wow, Mike,

I am sure watching that movie was a deeply moving experience for you. And I am sure you saw discrepencies and fiction that probably was not correct with what you knew at that time.

It has to be very different for someone who was there to watch this movie than for someone who just know heard of the tragedy through the movie.

But it is an inspiring story.

Last weekend when the real sports news announced a score for a game in which Marshall played, my ears perked up because I am not aware of that school.

What did you teach?

Barb

[Mike Norris]

....I taught in th English department.

A couple of years ago my son and I went to an Ohio State football game ....the opponent was Marshall. Now....I'm suppopse to be an Ohio State fan ( and I am )......but I was the only one in my section of the stadium who rooted for Marshall. I remain a Marshall fan....even though they have had a few very bad football years recently.

[Bruce Carriker]

This is on my list of movies that I own and have watched multiple times.

Mike, I'm curious...what was it about the second half of the movie that you didn't care for? I really enjoyed the whole thing.

[Ryan Scott]

That was a great sports movie. Full of great cinematography and moving scenes all linked to a real story.

I also found it funny, in the scene where Matthew McConaughey is talking to Matthew Fox in the Church, letting him know he's welcome to come back and coach the team, we see his lips say "damn," but we hear "darn." It had been obviously dubbed over after they'd finished making the movie. That means the censors had a problem with it.

That little word is the difference between PG and PG-13. Gotta love our ratings system.

[Mike Norris]

This is on my list of movies that I own and have watched multiple times.

Mike, I'm curious...what was it about the second half of the movie that you didn't care for? I really enjoyed the whole thing.

Bruce:
It isn't that I did not like the second half of the film. It's just that I felt that it " drifted " a bit....and that the intensity was not there. I don't know how real the depection was of the strong alum who lost his son.....and who opposed the president, etc. I do know that the girl depicted in the film as the fiance of the man's son was really a composite of several people. I had a girl in one of my classes who had been married to one of the players for just over a week.....he was injured and should not have gone on the flight. He did......was killed.....
I guess it's those kind of memories that the film evoked early into the movie.......that made me fel that the last half was not as strong as the first half.