We Are Marshall
Encyclopedia
We Are Marshall is a 2006 American drama film
directed by Joseph McGinty Nichol
about the aftermath of the 1970 plane crash that killed 37 football players on the Marshall University
Thundering Herd football team as well as five coaches, two athletic trainers, the athletic director, 25 boosters and a crew of five. It also addresses the rebuilding of the program and the healing that the community undergoes. It stars Matthew McConaughey
as head coach
Jack Lengyel
, Matthew Fox
as assistant coach William "Red" Dawson, David Strathairn
as University President Donald Dedmon
and Robert Patrick
as ill-fated Marshall head coach Rick Tolley
. Former Georgia
governor George "Sonny" Perdue
has a cameo role as an East Carolina University football
coach. The movie is rated PG. The movie was scored by Christophe Beck
and written by Jamie Linden
. Dr. Keith Spears was the Marshall University consultant.
which Huntington
, West Virginia
's Marshall University
chartered to transport the Thundering Herd football team to Greenville, North Carolina
via Stallings Field in Kinston, North Carolina
and back to Huntington, clipped trees on a ridge just one mile short of the runway at Tri-State Airport
in Ceredo, West Virginia
and crashed into a gully. The team was returning from their game against the East Carolina University
Pirates — a 17–14 loss. There were no survivors. In all, 75 people lost their lives. The deceased included the 37 players; head coach Rick Tolley
and five members of his coaching staff; Charles E. Kautz, Marshall's athletics director; team athletic trainer Jim Schroer and his assistant, Donald Tackett; 25 boosters
; and five crew members.
In the wake of the tragedy, President Donald Dedmon
leans towards indefinitely suspending the football program, but he is ultimately persuaded to reconsider by the pleas of the Marshall students and Huntington residents, and especially the few football players who didn't make the flight. Dedmon hires a young new head coach Jack Lengyel
, who with the help of Red Dawson (the sole surviving member of the previous coaching staff), manages to rebuild the team in a relatively short time. They are aided by the NCAA's
waiver of a rule prohibiting freshmen from playing varsity football (a rule which had been abolished in 1968 for all sports except for football and basketball, and would be permanently abolished for those sports in 1972). The new team is composed mostly of the 18 returning players (three varsity, 15 sophomores) and walk-on athletes from other Marshall sports programs. Due to their lack of experience, the "Young Thundering Herd" ends up losing their first game, 29-6 to the Morehead State Eagles. The Herd's first post-crash victory is a heart-stopping 15–13 home win against Xavier University
in the first home game of the season.
, West Virginia
, and was completed in Atlanta
, Georgia
. The premiere for the film was held at the Keith Albee Theater on December 12, 2006, in Huntington; other special screenings were held at Pullman Square
. The movie was released nationwide on December 22, 2006.
Several aspects of the film were changed for dramatic purposes, although the gist of the story was retained.
and Blu-ray in the United States on September 18, 2007.
documentary Marshall University: Ashes to Glory
filed a $40 million lawsuit
in federal court
in California
accusing Warner Bros.
and others associated with the We Are Marshall film of fraud
, copyright infringement
and breach of contract
. Novak, who directed Marshall University: Ashes to Glory, is a Huntington native and Marshall alumnus. On November 19, 2008, a judge ruled in a summary judgment that the case was not built on solid ground and chose to dismiss it.
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
directed by Joseph McGinty Nichol
McG
Joseph McGinty Nichol , better known as McG, is an American director and producer of film and television, as well as a former record producer....
about the aftermath of the 1970 plane crash that killed 37 football players on the Marshall University
Marshall University
Marshall University is a coeducational public research university in Huntington, West Virginia, United States founded in 1837, and named after John Marshall, the fourth Chief Justice of the United States....
Thundering Herd football team as well as five coaches, two athletic trainers, the athletic director, 25 boosters and a crew of five. It also addresses the rebuilding of the program and the healing that the community undergoes. It stars Matthew McConaughey
Matthew McConaughey
Matthew David McConaughey is an American actor.After a series of minor roles in the early 1990s, McConaughey gained notice for his breakout role in Dazed and Confused . He then appeared in films such as A Time to Kill, Contact, U-571, Tiptoes, Sahara, and We Are Marshall...
as head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
Jack Lengyel
Jack Lengyel
Jack Lengyel is a software executive and former American football coach, lacrosse coach, and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at the College of Wooster from 1966 to 1970 and at Marshall University from 1971 until 1974, compiling a career college football...
, Matthew Fox
Matthew Fox (actor)
Matthew Chandler Fox is an American actor. He is mostly known for his role as Charlie Salinger on Party of Five, and for portraying Jack Shephard on the supernatural drama television series Lost.- Early life :...
as assistant coach William "Red" Dawson, David Strathairn
David Strathairn
David Russell Strathairn is an American actor. He was nominated for an Academy Award for portraying journalist Edward R. Murrow in Good Night, and Good Luck...
as University President Donald Dedmon
Donald Dedmon
Donald Newton Dedmon was an American educator.Dedmon was born in Missouri, and received his undergraduate degree at Southwestern Missouri State College, and later, an M.A...
and Robert Patrick
Robert Patrick
Robert Hammond Patrick, Jr. is an American actor, known for his leading and supporting roles in a number of films and television shows....
as ill-fated Marshall head coach Rick Tolley
Rick Tolley
-External links:* *...
. Former Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
governor George "Sonny" Perdue
Sonny Perdue
George Ervin "Sonny" Perdue III, was the 81st Governor of Georgia. Upon his inauguration in January 2003, he became the first Republican governor of Georgia since Benjamin F. Conley served during Reconstruction in the 1870s....
has a cameo role as an East Carolina University football
East Carolina Pirates football
The East Carolina Pirates is a college football team that represents East Carolina University . The team is currently a member of the Conference USA, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association .The Pirates have won seven conference championships and...
coach. The movie is rated PG. The movie was scored by Christophe Beck
Christophe Beck
Christophe Beck , also credited as Chris Beck, is a Canadian television and film score composer....
and written by Jamie Linden
Jamie Linden (writer)
Jamie Linden is an American screenwriter best known as the writer of 2006 film We Are Marshall. Also known as the writer of 2010 film Dear John.-Early life:...
. Dr. Keith Spears was the Marshall University consultant.
Plot
On the evening of November 14 ,1970, Southern Airways Flight 932, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9McDonnell Douglas DC-9
The McDonnell Douglas DC-9 is a twin-engine, single-aisle jet airliner. It was first manufactured in 1965 with its maiden flight later that year. The DC-9 was designed for frequent, short flights. The final DC-9 was delivered in October 1982.The DC-9 was followed in subsequent modified forms by...
which Huntington
Huntington, West Virginia
Huntington is a city in Cabell and Wayne counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia, along the Ohio River. Most of the city is in Cabell County, for which it is the county seat. A small portion of the city, mainly the neighborhood of Westmoreland, is in Wayne County. Its population was 49,138 at...
, West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
's Marshall University
Marshall University
Marshall University is a coeducational public research university in Huntington, West Virginia, United States founded in 1837, and named after John Marshall, the fourth Chief Justice of the United States....
chartered to transport the Thundering Herd football team to Greenville, North Carolina
Greenville, North Carolina
Greenville is the county seat of Pitt County and principal city of the Greenville, North Carolina metropolitan area. Greenville is the health, entertainment, and educational hub of North Carolina's Tidewater and Coastal Plain and in 2008 was listed as the Tenth Largest City in North Carolina...
via Stallings Field in Kinston, North Carolina
Kinston, North Carolina
Kinston is a city in Lenoir County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 23,688 at the 2000 census. The population was estimated at 22,360 in 2008. It has been the county seat of Lenoir County since its formation in 1791 . Kinston is located in North Carolina's Inner Banks...
and back to Huntington, clipped trees on a ridge just one mile short of the runway at Tri-State Airport
Tri-State Airport
Tri-State Airport , also known as Milton J. Ferguson Field, is a public-use airport in Wayne County, West Virginia, United States. The airport is located three nautical miles south of the central business district of Huntington, West Virginia, near the cities of Ceredo and Kenova...
in Ceredo, West Virginia
Ceredo, West Virginia
Ceredo is a city in Wayne County, West Virginia, along the Ohio River. The population was 1,675 at the 2000 census. Ceredo is a part of the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH, Metropolitan Statistical Area . As of the 2000 census, the MSA had a population of 288,649.The city is also near the location of...
and crashed into a gully. The team was returning from their game against the East Carolina University
East Carolina University
East Carolina University is a public, coeducational, engaged doctoral/research university located in Greenville, North Carolina, United States. Named East Carolina University by statute and commonly known as ECU or East Carolina, the university is the largest institution of higher learning in...
Pirates — a 17–14 loss. There were no survivors. In all, 75 people lost their lives. The deceased included the 37 players; head coach Rick Tolley
Rick Tolley
-External links:* *...
and five members of his coaching staff; Charles E. Kautz, Marshall's athletics director; team athletic trainer Jim Schroer and his assistant, Donald Tackett; 25 boosters
Booster club
A booster club is an organization that is formed to support an associated club, sports team, or organization. Booster clubs are popular in American schools at the high school and university level...
; and five crew members.
In the wake of the tragedy, President Donald Dedmon
Donald Dedmon
Donald Newton Dedmon was an American educator.Dedmon was born in Missouri, and received his undergraduate degree at Southwestern Missouri State College, and later, an M.A...
leans towards indefinitely suspending the football program, but he is ultimately persuaded to reconsider by the pleas of the Marshall students and Huntington residents, and especially the few football players who didn't make the flight. Dedmon hires a young new head coach Jack Lengyel
Jack Lengyel
Jack Lengyel is a software executive and former American football coach, lacrosse coach, and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at the College of Wooster from 1966 to 1970 and at Marshall University from 1971 until 1974, compiling a career college football...
, who with the help of Red Dawson (the sole surviving member of the previous coaching staff), manages to rebuild the team in a relatively short time. They are aided by the NCAA's
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
waiver of a rule prohibiting freshmen from playing varsity football (a rule which had been abolished in 1968 for all sports except for football and basketball, and would be permanently abolished for those sports in 1972). The new team is composed mostly of the 18 returning players (three varsity, 15 sophomores) and walk-on athletes from other Marshall sports programs. Due to their lack of experience, the "Young Thundering Herd" ends up losing their first game, 29-6 to the Morehead State Eagles. The Herd's first post-crash victory is a heart-stopping 15–13 home win against Xavier University
Xavier University (Cincinnati)
Xavier University is a co-educational Jesuit university in the United States located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The University is the sixth-oldest Catholic university in the nation and has an undergraduate enrollment of about 4,000 students and graduate enrollment of 2,600 students. Xavier is primarily...
in the first home game of the season.
Cast
- Matthew McConaugheyMatthew McConaugheyMatthew David McConaughey is an American actor.After a series of minor roles in the early 1990s, McConaughey gained notice for his breakout role in Dazed and Confused . He then appeared in films such as A Time to Kill, Contact, U-571, Tiptoes, Sahara, and We Are Marshall...
- Jack LengyelJack LengyelJack Lengyel is a software executive and former American football coach, lacrosse coach, and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at the College of Wooster from 1966 to 1970 and at Marshall University from 1971 until 1974, compiling a career college football... - Matthew FoxMatthew Fox (actor)Matthew Chandler Fox is an American actor. He is mostly known for his role as Charlie Salinger on Party of Five, and for portraying Jack Shephard on the supernatural drama television series Lost.- Early life :...
- William "Red" Dawson - Anthony MackieAnthony MackieAnthony Mackie is an American actor. He has been featured in feature films, television series and Broadway and Off-Broadway plays, including Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Drowning Crow, McReele, A Soldier's Play, and Talk, by Carl Hancock Rux, for which he won an Obie Award in 2002.In 2002 he featured...
- Nate Ruffin - Arlen EscarpetaArlen EscarpetaArlen Alexander Escarpeta is a Belizean actor. He is best known for his roles as Lawrence in the 2009 remake of Friday the 13th and as Mike in the 2010 drama Brotherhood...
- Reggie Oliver - David StrathairnDavid StrathairnDavid Russell Strathairn is an American actor. He was nominated for an Academy Award for portraying journalist Edward R. Murrow in Good Night, and Good Luck...
- Donald DedmonDonald DedmonDonald Newton Dedmon was an American educator.Dedmon was born in Missouri, and received his undergraduate degree at Southwestern Missouri State College, and later, an M.A... - Ian McShaneIan McShaneIan David McShane is an English actor, director, producer, voice artist, and comedian.Despite appearing in numerous films, McShane is best known for his television roles, particularly the BBC's Lovejoy and HBO's Western drama Deadwood...
- Paul Griffen - Kate MaraKate MaraKate Mara is an American television and film actress. Beginning acting in her hometown of Bedford, New York, she moved from the stage to her first film, Random Hearts...
- Annie Cantrell - January JonesJanuary JonesJanuary Kristen Jones is an American actress. She is best known for playing Betty Draper on Mad Men.-Early life:...
- Carole Dawson - Kimberly Williams-Paisley - Sandy Lengyel
- Brian GeraghtyBrian GeraghtyBrian Timothy Geraghty is an American film and television actor, best known for his role in the Academy Award winning film The Hurt Locker.-Early life:Geraghty was born in Toms River Township, New Jersey, and is of Irish ancestry...
- Tom Bogdan - Tommy Cresswell - Gene Morehouse
- Christian Kanupke - Keith Morehouse
- Nina Jones - Mrs. Morehouse
- Robert PatrickRobert PatrickRobert Hammond Patrick, Jr. is an American actor, known for his leading and supporting roles in a number of films and television shows....
- Coach Rick TolleyRick Tolley-External links:* *...
(Uncredited)
Filming
Filming of We Are Marshall commenced on April 3, 2006, in HuntingtonHuntington, West Virginia
Huntington is a city in Cabell and Wayne counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia, along the Ohio River. Most of the city is in Cabell County, for which it is the county seat. A small portion of the city, mainly the neighborhood of Westmoreland, is in Wayne County. Its population was 49,138 at...
, West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
, and was completed in Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. The premiere for the film was held at the Keith Albee Theater on December 12, 2006, in Huntington; other special screenings were held at Pullman Square
Cityscape of Huntington, West Virginia
Huntington's central business district is located to the south of the Ohio River, east of the Robert C. Byrd Bridge, and west of Hal Greer Boulevard. Broad avenues and streets dominate the streetscape, creating for the most part an even grid pattern...
. The movie was released nationwide on December 22, 2006.
Several aspects of the film were changed for dramatic purposes, although the gist of the story was retained.
Home media
We Are Marshall was released on DVD, HD DVDHD DVD
HD DVD is a discontinued high-density optical disc format for storing data and high-definition video.Supported principally by Toshiba, HD DVD was envisioned to be the successor to the standard DVD format...
and Blu-ray in the United States on September 18, 2007.
Lawsuit
Deborah Novak and John Witek, who produced the 20002000 in film
The year 2000 in film involved some significant events.The top grosser worldwide was Mission: Impossible II. Domestically in North America, Gladiator won the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Actor ....
documentary Marshall University: Ashes to Glory
Marshall University: Ashes to Glory
Marshall University: Ashes to Glory is a 2000 documentary about the November 14, 1970 Marshall University plane crash that killed 75 people , and the efforts of new head coach Jack Lengyel and the coaching staff Marshall University: Ashes to Glory is a 2000 documentary about the November 14, 1970...
filed a $40 million lawsuit
Lawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
in federal court
United States federal courts
The United States federal courts make up the judiciary branch of federal government of the United States organized under the United States Constitution and laws of the federal government.-Categories:...
in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
accusing Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
and others associated with the We Are Marshall film of fraud
Fraud
In criminal law, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation...
, copyright infringement
Copyright infringement
Copyright infringement is the unauthorized or prohibited use of works under copyright, infringing the copyright holder's exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to make derivative works.- "Piracy" :...
and breach of contract
Breach of contract
Breach of contract is a legal cause of action in which a binding agreement or bargained-for exchange is not honored by one or more of the parties to the contract by non-performance or interference with the other party's performance....
. Novak, who directed Marshall University: Ashes to Glory, is a Huntington native and Marshall alumnus. On November 19, 2008, a judge ruled in a summary judgment that the case was not built on solid ground and chose to dismiss it.
Allusions
- The name of the movie is based on a cheer performed by students and players at the university, which is also featured prominently in the movie.
- In the movie, newspaper headlines are from the combined Sunday newspaper of the Huntington Herald-Dispatch.
- In the movie, a radio announcer calls Marshall's opponent the "Xavier Pirates." In real life, the school's nickname was, and still is, the Xavier Musketeers.
Cameos
- In the end credits of the movie, clips are shown of some of the more prominent players in Marshall history, such as Miami DolphinsMiami DolphinsThe Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
quarterback Chad PenningtonChad PenningtonJames Chadwick "Chad" Pennington is an American football quarterback who played in the National Football League for ten years. He is currently a football analyst with FOX Sports though he plans to return to playing after recovering from an injury...
, now retired Minnesota VikingsMinnesota VikingsThe Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
, Oakland RaidersOakland RaidersThe Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, New England PatriotsNew England PatriotsThe New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
and Tennessee TitansTennessee TitansThe Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
wide receiver Randy MossRandy MossRandy Gene Moss is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
, and Pittsburgh SteelersPittsburgh SteelersThe Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
quarterback Byron LeftwichByron LeftwichByron Antron Leftwich is an American football quarterback in the National Football League who currently plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars seventh overall in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Marshall University.Leftwich has also played...
. - The real Red Dawson can be seen in the movie as the coach of Morehead State.
- 1971 quarterback Dave Walsh can be seen in the movie as an assistant for Xavier.
- The real Jack Lengyel had a cameo appearance in the movie. Another notable cameo was by Keith Morehouse, the current sports director for WSAZ-TVWSAZ-TVWSAZ-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station for Huntington and Charleston, West Virginia. This area is the second-largest market in terms of area east of the Mississippi River consisting of 61 counties in Central West Virginia, Eastern Kentucky, and Southeastern Ohio. It broadcasts a high...
in Huntington and play-by-play announcer for Marshall broadcasts. He followed in the footsteps of his father Gene Morehouse, who was Marshall's play-by-play announcer when he was killed in the crash. Keith's future wife was one of the 18 children left orphaned by the crash. - Sonny PerdueSonny PerdueGeorge Ervin "Sonny" Perdue III, was the 81st Governor of Georgia. Upon his inauguration in January 2003, he became the first Republican governor of Georgia since Benjamin F. Conley served during Reconstruction in the 1870s....
, Governor of Georgia at the time the movie was filmed, has a cameo role as an East Carolina assistant coach. - Dorsey LevensDorsey LevensHerbert Dorsey Levens is a retired American football running back in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round of the 1994 NFL Draft. He played college football at Notre Dame and later Georgia Tech.In his career, Levens also played for the...
, a former Green Bay Packer running back, has a cameo as the Xavier head coach. - Current Huntington mayor Kim WolfeKim WolfeKim Wolfe is the incumbent Mayor of Huntington, West Virginia and former Sheriff of Cabell County, West Virginia, formerly having been with the Huntington Police Department for 26 years. He was elected sheriff in the elections of 2000 and re-elected in 2004. In 2006, he was the Republican...
appears as a police officer in the scene of the crash aftermath.