2 of 3

In a way, it's like the controversy over rebuilding at Ground Zero in the wake of 9/11. In the days and weeks after the attack, many New Yorkers and others hoped and even expected to see the World Trade Center rebuilt as soon as possible—if anything, bigger and better than before. When this was deemed impractical, plans for smaller towers or symbolic framework structures were discussed—but this seemed an unthinkable step backward.

Some, therefore, felt that rebuilding was impossible. There was no going back to the grandeur of the Twin Towers; the site could only become a memorial. Yet what would have been equally demoralizing to both sides, perhaps, would be the prospect of years going by and nothing done. Surely it is necessary to do something, whatever that may be.

We Are Marshall offers engaging glimpses into Lengyel's process of trial and error as he tries to build a team out of thin air. Unable to compete with established teams at other universities for choice recruits, Lengyel is forced to resort to drafting players from other sports, but pins his hopes on inducing Dedmon to petition the NCAA to make an exception for Marshall for what was then a rule prohibiting teams from playing freshmen.

Coach Lengyel confronts a tearful Red Dawson (Matthew Fox)

When familiar plays prove unworkable for the level his players are at, Lengyel determines to adopt a simple but unfamiliar approach called the veer offense—and has the chutzpah to waltz into archrival West Virginia University, where the play is well known, and ask for tips and advice on the veer. After laughing in his face, the rival coaches give him the help he wants; in a touching postscript, we see that the WVU players have adorned the backs of their helmets with small crosses in rival Marshall green and the letters "MU."

Those crosses are one instance of the intersection between faith and football that crops up in the film from time to time. As usual in Hollywood, religious functions are presided over by a clergyman who appears to be a Catholic priest; in another scene, a player blames a missed pass on not having his cross during the game.

McConaughey plays Lengyel with folksy eccentricity, but doesn't necessarily inspire complete confidence; he's no Yoda of football, or even Crocodile Dundee. He's not the one right guy for the job: he's just the one guy willing to do it. Fox is excellent as the conflicted Dawson. And as Ruffin, the team captain, Mackie projects all the unswerving sense of purpose and commitment necessary, culminating in a touching scene in which his character, who has relentlessly sacrificed himself for the team, is prevented from making one final sacrifice.

Lengyel holds a football aloft while giving a pep talk to the young Thundering Herd

There's little for the women on the sidelines to do, though we're aware of the grieving fiancée (Kate Mara) of one of the crash victims, while the wives of Lengyel and Dawson (Kimberly Williams and January Jones) are suitably supportive. Ian McShane brings some complexity in a supporting role as a steel worker and university board member who is also a bereaved father and takes a paternal interest in his late son's fiancée.

Given the kineticism of director McG's over-the-top Charlie's Angels cheesefests as well as his background in music videos, it's not exactly surprising that the action on the field is everything football fans could want. Working with cinematographer Shane Hurlbut, who recently shot one of the most visually original sports movies of recent years, The Greatest Game Ever Played, he creates gridiron action sequences at once heightened and persuasive.

next page... |  2 of 3