Matthew McConaughey, David Strathairn, Anthony Mackie

Based on true events, "We Are Marshall" tells an inspiring story of how a small town in West Virginia, steeped in the rich tradition of college football, struggled to restore their community after one...( read more  read more... ) of the worst disasters in the history of American sports. For decades, players, coaches, fans and families came together in Huntington to cheer on Marshall University's "Thundering Herd." For this team and this community, Marshall football was more than just a sport, it was a way of life. But on a fateful night in 1970, while traveling back to Huntington after a game in North Carolina, 37 members of Marshall's football team, plus coaching staff and team boosters, were killed in a plane crash. As those left behind tried to cope with the loss of their loved ones, they found hope and strength in the leadership of Jack Lengyel, a young coach who was determined to rebuild Marshall's football program and in the process help to heal a community.

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82% liked it

185,446 ratings

Critics

48% liked it

124 critics

PG, 2 hrs. 7 min.

Directed by: McG

Release Date: December 22, 2006

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DVD Release Date: September 18, 2007

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Flixster Reviews (9,327)


  • January 29, 2009
    I LOVE FOOTBALL MOVIES.
  • September 6, 2008
    ''One day, not today, not tomorrow, not this season, probably not next season either but one day, you and I are gonna wake up and suddenly we're gonna be like every other team in every other sport where winning is everything and nothing else matters. And when that day comes, w...( read more)ell thats, thats when we'll honor them.''

    When a plane crash claims the lives of members of the Marshall University football team and some of its fans, the team's new coach (McConaughey) and his surviving players try to keep the football program alive.

    Matthew McConaughey: Jack Lengyel

    We Are Marshall is about inspiration. It starts with a tragedy, in a true story the plane crash which killed nearly the entire Marshall University football team. Then, it deals with the reactions of everybody the tragedy touched.

    Director McG amusingly enough, made Charlie's Angels 1 and 2 which,without being very good at all, resulted in a fun comedy satire and good parodies of action.
    I appreciate that McG made something different though with We Are Marshall, proving that he can do something else besides frantic action laced with comedy.
    But overall, honestly,We Are Marshall did not convince me of much in the way of change or improvement.
    The development is very predictable and the story is told by the most obvious ways.The ending pretends to be emotive but it really does not surprise.

    It's obviously a very captivating story. So why does the movie not quite hit the heights you sense it should? The biggest problem is the movie's pace. Fifteen to twenty minutes easily could have been cut here to help the movie move along. As it is the movie struggles to build the momentum so important in leading to that big payoff at the end. Some characters seem superfluous, most notably that of the girlfriend of one of the dead players, as portrayed by Kate Mara. There's nothing wrong with Mara's performance, it's just that her character seems totally unnecessary and really adds nothing to the film. Any time spent with her character is time which could have been better spent elsewhere or better yet cut out of the film altogether. In the central role of the new coach Matthew McConaughey gives what is at times a frustrating performance. All the offbeat quirks and mannerisms wear thin after a while. Perhaps he was trying too hard to imitate the real Coach Lengyel, but whatever McConaughey was trying to do he never quite manages to convince. And since his character is at the very heart of the story that is a rather glaring problem with the movie. But despite the problems the movie may have it's still well worth seeing. You'll be both inspired and entertained. You just may get the sense you should have been a little bit more inspired and entertained than you actually were.

    If you stick around through the closing moments, though, you will be treated to a truly inspiring epilogue. By keeping the football team going, Lengyel paved the way for a program that would have great success in the future. Kate Mara, recounts this success in a voice over and it's the most inspiring moment of the film. You want to admire Marshall because it's ultimately about the importance of perseverance, but the film is too bathetic to win the hearts of us, hard to please, viewers.
  • July 2, 2008
    that last speech, if you really listen to it, is horrible
  • May 20, 2008
    McG knocked this one out the park. Well written storyline, documented the history well. I enjoyed the film work done in Huntington around the University. The action scenes put you on the field with the players. I loved all of the slo-mo camera work. This was a story that needed t...( read more)o be told properly, with the right touch of compassion. Matt and Matt, good job as Jack and Red, both made it happen. Marshall has come a long way since the 1970 crash and shows what teamwork is all about. If the city and University had not supported the team through thick and thin there would never had been a national championship.

    Watch this if you wanna be inspired.
  • May 14, 2008
    An insipring, uplifting, riveting and powerful film. It's thrilling and pulse pounding. A blisteringly exciting, stunning and deeply moving drama. A wonderful and excellent movie that stands with classics like Remember the Titians and Brians Song. Matthew McConaughey and Matthew ...( read more)Foxx are extroadinary. McConaughey is magnificent, giving the performance of his career. Foxx is outstanding, going from tv star to movie star calibur material. Both these actors do such a good job in this film that you can feel every bit of it. It roars across the screen with emotion.
  • November 6, 2009
    A truly uplifting and inspirational story.
  • November 4, 2009
    Matthew McConaughey is fantastic in this movie. I am a sucker for a good football movie.
  • November 1, 2009
    very sad but amazing
  • October 29, 2009
    !Comercial or Stupid! :|
  • October 27, 2009
    Okay, clearly I'm impartial, but all that aside, McConaughey actually excels in this role and the film captures with excellence the heart of the program and the fall-out from such a disaster, that can only lead the viewer to appreciate the triumph that exists in the midst of such...( read more) darkness

Critic Reviews


December 22, 2006
Pete Hammond, Maxim

This unforgettable and incredible true story of tragedy and triumph in the face of overwhelming odds is a striking testament to the power of the human spirit. full review

December 22, 2006
Claudia Puig, USA Today

This was undeniably a horrific event for the victims' families friends, colleagues as well as for the entire community. But the movie seems to almost exploit this tragedy so it can make audiences weep... full review

December 22, 2006
Kyle Smith, New York Post

A better film would have acknowledged the limits of sport and discovered that when you're in mourning all you can do is distract yourself, either by hard work (on the part of the surviving teammates) ... full review

December 21, 2006
Colin Covert, The Minneapolis Star Tribune

May be noted as the one that flipped McConaughey from underachieving movie idol to terrific character actor. full review

December 16, 2006
Nick Schager, Slant Magazine

"Grief is messy," says McShane's anguished dad. We Are Marshall's disingenuously tidy portrait of it, alas, is not. full review

View more We Are Marshall reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments


  • Shrekandcharlz
    October 31, 2007
    this is truly one of the saddest movies i have ever seen, i have never cried so much in any movie before!!
  • saralhorne
    October 19, 2007
    me and my friend went 2 see this movie on her birthday it was realllllllllllyyyyyyy saddddddddddddddddd it almost kinda made me cry
  • gabrielhortencio
    August 26, 2007
    No esporte não há razão se não forem vitoriosos, pois a essência de um jogo todos sabemos que é vencer... Mas muitas vezes a melhor forma é participar, vestir a camisa e honrar a cada dia de jogo pelos antepassados e história que um dia alguém escreveu. Nunca saberemos exatamente os sentimentos que cercavam o passado, mas somos capazes de ajudar a mudar o presente construindo um futuro melhor. Nunca podemos desistir em hipótese alguma. Mesmo em diversas dificuldades e até mesmo quando não há forças em nenhum lugar, mas quando menos esperar surgirá um poder sem explicação demonstrando a realidade que devemos mudar. Não podemos nos deixar levar pela tristeza e criando arrependimentos se temos a capacidade de olhar para o horizonte com forças para caminhar. Filme lindo com uma homenagem maravilhosa a todos que presenciaram a tragédia que matou praticamente matou a equipe inteira e levou a esperança de uma cidade. Somos Marshall. Pela identificação com minha vida é impossível não avaliar como um filme imperdível. Matthew McConaughey demonstra ser mais uma vez um ator excelente. Sucesso demonstrado também por Matthew Fox e Anthony Mackie.
  • dorell023
    April 25, 2007
    very sad, but matthew = sex.
  • brooke14basketball
    April 22, 2007
    this is my favorite movie! im not really that in to playing football but i love watching them play! this movie is great but sad...i think that the actors did a nice job in their part! when is this coming out on dvd?nice job guys!
    Brooke
  • limegreencate
    January 18, 2007
    That movie gave me CHILLS. I don't cry in movies. As u can see that i put it on my facebook if any of y'all have facebook, i don't cry easily at all. But i was bawling in that movie. it was AWESOME!!! I recommend it to everyone, even if u hate football. But if ur just going 4 MAtthew Mcanoughay, don't. becuz he was nor cute at all in the movie. good actor, but not the sexy beast he usually is. lol.. it's TRUE!! but it was a seriously awesome movie.
  • diamondafc
    December 24, 2006
    Just to many films now seem very similar, very telling story of how a team cameback from disaster. Matt McConaughy doesd my nut in though
  • gdl156
    December 8, 2006
    This looks like an awesome movie.....:-)

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We Are Marshall Trivia


  • In the 2006 movie 'We Are Marshall,' Matthew McConaughey plays Marshall University's new head football coach. What was his character's name?  Answer »
  • Which to actors star in the hit movie on the season...WE ARE MARSHALL???  Answer »
  • "We are Marshall" is a true story that originates from?  Answer »
  • what is the name of the movie that the football team dies  Answer »

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