‘We Are Marshall’ memorable

Friday, Dec. 22, 2006 | 7:11 a.m.

Playing at Century Cinedome 12 Henderson, Century Orleans 18, Century Sam's Town, Century 16 Santa Fe Station, Century 16 South Point, Galaxy Cannery, Galaxy Neonopolis, Las Vegas Drive-In, Regal Cinemas Colonnade 14, Regal Cinemas Red Rock 16, Regal Cinemas Sunset Station, Regal Cinemas Texas Station 18, Regal Cinemas Village Square 18, UA Rainbow Promenade 10, UA Showcase 8

WE ARE ... (clenched first in air) MAR-SHALL!

WE WERE ... (raucous applause) THOROUGHLY MOVED!

I speak of the moviegoers with whom I watched a sneak preview of "We Are Marshall," the movie that recalls the 1970 plane crash that wiped out the Marshall University football team and how the program literally rose from those ashes on a West Virginia hillside.

The Marshall tragedy is the biggest sports-related air disaster in history. Of the 75 people killed, 37 were Marshall players; another 12 were coaches and athletic department personnel. Several major boosters of the program and Huntington civic leaders were among the other 26 victims.

The crash sequence is re-enacted with compassion for the victims' families - there is only a flash of light in the cabin and then the screen goes eerily dark.

The aftermath of the tragedy is seen through the tearful eyes of loved ones left behind - the father and fiancee of the star running back, the injured defensive back who did not make the trip, the conflicted assistant coach who gave up his seat on the plane so an administrator could attend his granddaughter's piano recital. But the movie, as you might expect, is uplifting, too.

That's mostly because of Matthew McConaughey, who is wonderful as Jack Lengyel, the outsider who was entrusted with the task of rebuilding the program as its new head coach; and David Strathairn, the guy from "Good Night and Good Luck," who portrays bookish Marshall President Donald Dedmon. It was Dedmon's call to carry on with the football program despite widespread opposition within the community.

There are, of course, the typical sports movie cliches and montages - the team rebuilding with nontraditional players; the winning play being cast way more dramatically than it happened in real life. But the story - and the soundtrack - more than make up for those predictable scenes. Had they played one more Creedence or Crosby Stills & Nash tune, I would have probably blitzed the guy sitting in the row in front of me.

But just when it appeared the movie might turn into Rocky VI or VII, they would cut to the common grave on the Marshall campus, the final resting place of the players who were burned so badly their remains could not be identified.

It used to be that when somebody mentioned Marshall football, the first thing that came to mind was Randy Moss catching passes and scoring touchdowns.

Not anymore.