We Are Marshall

[RedsBaron]

On November 14, 1970, the airplane transporting the football team of Marshall University back to Huntington, WV following a game at East Carolina crashed, killing all 75 people aboard. The Marshall players and coaches, the flight crew, and many prominent members of the Huntington community all perished.
The following year, Marshall fielded another football team, primarily made up of freshmen and the previous season's freshman squad. In their first home game of the season, Marshall scored a touchdown on the final play of the game to defeat Xavier, 15-13.
Filming is presently ongoing in Huntington upon the film "We Are Marshall," telling the story of the crash and its aftermath, climaxing in the dramatic victory over Xavier. Matthew McConaughey will portray Jack Lengyel, who coached The Young Thundering Herd in that first season following the crash. Matthew Fox will play Red Dawson, an assistant coach on both the 1970 and 1971 teams (he missed the flight on 11/14/70). David Strathairn will play the MU president.
The filming of this movie has been quite the event here. 8 days ago I was in a meeting with my partners when one of their wives phoned to excitedly tell him that she had commented to another patron of "Starbucks" that he had a nice dog, as he was leaving the coffee shop. Only after the patron had left did she realize she had been talking to McConaughey.
One of our legal assistants has vowed that she is skipping work this Tuesday so that she can be in a crowd scene filmed in Huntington for the film. She's crazy about McConaughey. When told that McConaughey reportedly has a relationship with Penelope Cruz, she dismissed Cruz as the "flavor of the month," causing someone else to note that while that might be true, our legal assistant would gladly be "chocolate" for McConaughey.
Jack Lengyel himself had a good line. He noted that McConaughey had been voted the "sexiest man alive" and said that the makeup crew would therefore really have its work cut out for itself making McConaughey look like Lengyel.
Filming has been taking place for the last ten days or so around Marshall and Huntington. The film is scheduled for release later this year.

[reds1869]

I am thrilled about this movie; I hope it does the story justice. Have you been cast as an extra? Lots of people in Huntington have been playing bit parts, including some of Marshall's basketball team (Mark Patton is the one I remember).

[RFS62]

It's going to have to go a long way to top John Sayles' "Matewan" or "October Sky" for quality and authenticity.

RedsBaron, you should get in there as an extra!!

I'll never forget that terrible night when the plane went down.

[RedsBaron]

Originally Posted by Herd Fan

Have you been cast as an extra? Lots of people in Huntington have been playing bit parts, including some of Marshall's basketball team (Mark Patton is the one I remember).

I haven't tried out for any parts in the film. A 50 year old guy probably doesn't make a convincing student.
You're right about Patton. He will play a basketball player whom Lengyel persuades to go out for the football team in 1971.

[Sweetstop]

I would agree with your legal assistant, RB, MM is a beautiful boy. However, as a 50-something lady, I find the incredible David Straithairn much more appealing.

The movie sounds very interesting. Too bad we won't be seeing you in it, though.

[remdog]

I remember that crash quite well. Marshall had been a MAC member while I was at Bowling Green so there were ties to the team/school because of that.

Additionally, in the early 60's, the plane carrying the Cal Poly SLO football team back to California after a loss to BG crashed trying to take off from Toledo Airport. The Marshall tragedy brough back memories of that for a lot of BG people.

Rem

[BoomerSoonerRed]

Originally Posted by remdog

I remember that crash quite well. Marshall had been a MAC member while I was at Bowling Green so there were ties to the team/school because of that.

Additionally, in the early 60's, the plane carrying the Cal Poly SLO football team back to California after a loss to BG crashed trying to take off from Toledo Airport. The Marshall tragedy brough back memories of that for a lot of BG people.

Rem

If I remember correctly, around that same time, Wichita State's football team was involved in a plane crash that also claimed some lives. And didn't the Evansville basketball team suffer a similar fate back in the '70s? Also a few years ago, a bus carrying the Notre Dame swim team skidded on an icy road, killing some members and injuring a few others.
I think the Marshall movie will be very good, but I can't stomach Matthew McConaughey. He's right up there with Tom Cruise and Ben Affleck in the category of actors I'll never pay to see in a motion picture.

[cincy09]

As an alumnist of Marshall I am very proud to hear that my alma mater is going to receive so much recognition in the coming months, however this is a little ridiculous don't you think?

http://cgi.ebay.com/MATTHEW-McCONAUG...7QQssPageNameZ

[WVRed]

The trailer is out.

http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hv&id=1809267427&cf=info

I'm going opening night.

[RedsBaron]

Originally Posted by WVRed

The trailer is out.

http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hv&id=1809267427&cf=info

I'm going opening night.

I watched the trailer earlier today. My wife e-mailed it to me, saying it made her cry.
I'm trying to imagine seeing this film, in Huntington, when it comes out 12/22/06. I expect that I will cry, and I cannot imagine what those who were at Marshall 35+ years ago will feel. I wonder how many of those who lost family or friends in that tragedy will be able to watch it.

[RANDY IN INDY]

Watched the trailer, yesterday morning with my wife, and it brought tears to both of our eyes. I was nine years old, laying in the floor in front of the TV, playing with my miniature NFL football helmets when the news came over the TV of the plane going down. I remember looking at my Mother and Father who were also watching. I remember the look of horror on their faces, and my dad bowing his head and saying a prayer. It was a nasty, rainy night. I remember the Memorial Service at Veterans Memorial Fieldhouse.

I can also remember attending the Memorial Services on Campus each November 14th at the Memorial Fountain as a student in the late 70's and early 80's. It is like nothing else you can ever experience. A whole community in mourning. The tears come every year. Sometimes just walking by the team picture in the student center would make you stop, remember again, and say another prayer.

This movie will be very moving for the people of the area, and those who have connections to the area or the school. I hope the nation can only begin to understand the impact that it has had on so many lives, and to see Marshall now playing the likes of Tennessee, Florida, South Carolina, Clemson, West Virginia and Virginia Tech in recent seasons really makes us, who suffered through the mysery of the plane crash and the seasons that followed, beem with pride.

I really want to go back to Huntington to see the movie. I would love to be able to get tickets for the opening. It will be a special.

We Are......Marshall.

[reds1869]

They are showing the trailer on the scoreboard at the Herd game today; should be a moving experience in a stadium full of Marshall fans. I am really looking forward to this movie.

[creek14]

Sure will be a hard movie to watch.

I was telling some of the young pups at work about the crash just last week. They knew nothing of it.

Of course today they were surprised to find out Ronald Reagan was once Gov of CA.

[vaticanplum]

I had a dream that the Reds' plane crashed on their way back from California last week. I was scared to talk about it, but I can say so now since it's past...can you imagine an entire sports team being wiped out? This Marshall thing was before my time...awful.

In 1961, the plane carrying the US Figure Skating Team crashed on its way to the World Championships in Switzerland (the competition was ultimately cancelled). The best in the country compete at Worlds, so it wiped out not only all the country's best skaters, but pretty much all the top-level coaches as well. That's one reason Peggy Fleming was able to emerge and why she was such a "savior" to the sport in 1968...it was very surprising that the US was able to rebound with a champion in seven years. In all the other disciplines (men's, pairs' and dance) it took a few more years.

[Sean_CaseyRules]

I have heard a lot about the plane crash, because most of my family on my dads side are from WV, and I can't wait to see this movie, I think it will be really good.