April 2, 2006
RUTHERFORD ON FILM: Large Press Contingent from Nation, Region, Local Media
Converge on Huntington for ‘We Are Marshall’ Story
By Tony Rutherford
Huntington News Network Writer
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McConaughey, who will play MU Coach Jack Lengyel, told of spending time with the real life coach to prepare for his role. “Jack Lengyel was a guy who was not first on the list to coach the team; there were others who did not want the job. Someone came here, took the job for a couple of days and moved on. He was something of an outsider [who] coached the football team day by day taking baby steps… I don’t know if that was part of a plan, but that is part of what helped this team to move on [past the air crash].”
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Acknowledging his attraction to a fact based story, McConaughey said, “Very seldom do you read stories like this that are based on something that happened, something in history.” He added that his creed has been “to just keep living. That’s what happens in this story. Through the game of football, people, a team, a community comes together on the proverbial field to play and move on with memory and with hope.”
Director McG elaborated “when something terrible happens you want to curl up in a ball and write it off… the best thing you can do is follow your gift, move into the light and be everything you can be.”
Describing Lengyel as “more than a coach,” the 37-year-old McConaughey revealed some of his preparation for the role.
“Each job you go into…I’m trying to find the truth on my man. You gave [Lengyel] a situation where over coaching would be just as bad as no coaching at all.”
Director McG added, “It was a difficult time. They did not have the resources. They did not have the money. It was going to be difficult to field a competitive team. Everyone knew that the team was going to lose an awful lot. I think one of the great moments in the film is when Lengyel comes to realize that we will play now so that ten years from now, it can be about winning. Right now, it’s about getting out there and playing which is a great metaphor for living.”
The so-called ‘sexiest man alive’ who roots passionately for the Texas Longhorns has used his “love for sports” to “understand a lot about life.”
Although these accolades about hope triumphing have Frank Capra “It’s a Wonderful Life” qualities, the continuation of a football program plagued by NCAA violations and earlier losing streaks had its detractors. David Strathairn, who was nominated for an Academy Award for his “Good Night and Good Luck” performance, portrays the acting president of the university. Strathairn described President Donald Dedmon as an “administrator” who had to listen to everyone --- the students, the Board of Regents, the people in the cafeteria.
Responding to a question that the president was against restarting the football program, Strathairn said “he honored the sentiment in the community.” While the student body desired to play the remaining game on the 1970 schedule in spite of the losses, Dedmon chose to not play the rest of the season. “It was important for the families to get together and grieve,” the honored actor explained. “It might have been just too raw a moment to have a football game.”
Gaining the blessing of Marshall University to film the air tragedy story did not come easily. After Mary Viola, an assistant to producer Basil Iwanyk (“Firewall”) brought the aftermath of the Marshall crash to his attention, they started researching the story.
“I just could not believe how dramatic it was and how heartbreaking it was,” Iwanyk said. “What nailed it for me is I came here in September (2005) with Mary to meet everybody for the first time and beg the people to let us tell their story. We met Jack Lengyel, Red Dawson, and certain families whose members lost their lives.” When Iwanyk told them, “Here’s what I want to do,” some expressed doubts and fears. Over the course of six months, “We kept in constant contact to fix the inaccuracies.”
Iwanyk called the script by 26-year-old Jamie Linden “incredible” and filled with “such emotional sensitivity that it really surprised a lot of people even in Los Angeles.”
Director/producer McG, who previously helmed the “Charlie’s Angel’s” big screen productions, emphasized that “the story is true. I don’t want to bring Hollywood to this story about people dealing with immeasurable grief [who] rely on their community, rely on the family and rise out of the ashes to be the best they can be. That’s made for a film, and those are my favorite kind of films.”
For the first time, the producers revealed that the movie will have a “Kodachrome” look and that the production designer is “going to make everything look like Huntington in 1971.”
Essentially, in the director’s words, “Our film is about the East Carolina game, tragedy happens, difficult times, moving through a rebuilding program, a tough loss to Morehead State, and because [of it] the community, the town and the team come to realize it’s not about winning, it’s just about going out there.”
“We Are Marshall” climaxes with the last second first home game after the crash win against Xavier.
McConaughey, whom McG challenged to deliver the best performance of his career, told everyone that “it’s a miracle to get a movie made,” adding he cam not wait to “roll some film Monday morning and finish this baby.” Meanwhile, the actor who brought loving cheers from an audience outside the theatre revealed that he will not try to disguise himself although Huntington has thousands of young college women wanting to meet him.
Laughing about a race at a track with two middle-school age girls, he said, “What I’ve encountered have been good people. I’ve had a few very interesting run ins, but we’ll work out just fine. I’m here to work and everyone has been respectful and cool.”
