REVIEW: WE ARE MARSHALL

We rounded our the testosterone series of movie dates with a sports flick We Are Marshall and I was very eager to check this one out.

Being the sports fanatic that I am I'm always looking for the next best epic to add to my list of All-Time-Greatest-Sports-Movies-Ever and this one looked like it had some potential of stealing one of the Top 3 spots (currently held by Hoosiers, Field of Dreams, and Slap Shot) after seeing the trailer.

Here's the trailer:



HUBBY'S REVIEW

Most sports movies are based on real people, real teams, and real events. This one was no exception. What this "sports movie" had going for it that many of the others didn't was that it told the story of one of the worst collegiate sports tragedies to ever occur in ths country.

We get to see the real meaning of "community" when Marshall University - its faculty, coaches, students, and parents - fight to find common ground and a way back to a life worth living after a tragedy threatens to destroy all that is pure and good about life in general.

Despite the unique side to this drama, I have to mention that I think this is also the reason why this film fails to become a great one. Matthew McConaughey almost runs We Are Marshall to the end zone, but can't stop it from taking the easy, feel-good route in memorializing this historic event in American sports. Instead of We Are Marshall, the film could have easily been titled Inspirational Sports Drama.

A real-life tragedy such as this requires more depth and authenticity, though. In its rush to be inspiring, some things are never explained, and that keeps us at arm’s length emotionally.

Thus, I give this one 2 Ben & Jerry's out of 5.