We Are Marshall

Director McG, a man with no more promising film credits than Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, makes a smart leap into more sophisticated cinema with We Are Marshall, a better than average inspirational sports drama with a sleek look and easy delivery. The film chronicles the ups and downs of Marshall University and the surrounding town after the tragic 1970 plane crash that killed 75 players, coaches, and supporters of the Marshall Varsity football team. The film sulks in saccharine remorse for a bit too long and often feels buried in the clichés of its overdone and limited genre, but it’s a more fully realized story than most movies of this type. It’s not just about an underdog team that’s destined to win the big game in the end. It’s really about the players, coaches, and townspeople as they move on with their lives after a harrowing tragedy.

The underrated Matthew McConaughey wields a wonderful, good hearted charm as Jack Lengyel, the man who takes the place of the sadly deceased head coach of the team. His pleasant demeanor and undeniably funny antics help establish an enjoyable, fast paced tone for the film. All of the tired plot points here get an extra dose of life from Lengyel’s fun persona and warm humility. The whole film has a great personality which goes along way when working with such redundant and unoriginal material. It has a sweetly humble pride over very meager moments of minor victory. The newly formed Marshall team does not win easily. It doesn’t even win all that much really. The joy is in watching the effort and the determination that gets the remaining players back on the field and the locals back in their stadium seats. We Are Marshall is a funny and sensitive genre film that keeps itself feeling fresh with some nice twists on the common formula. It’s not extraordinary, but it’s an entertaining film with some honest to goodness heart at its core.

Grade: B