One of the largest sports related tragedies of all time is beautifully explored in this historical drama focusing on Marshall University in 1970.
On November 14th, 1970, a plane crashed in the outskirts of Huntington, WV. To the horror of the town, in addition to the crew the plane contained the beloved Marshall University Football team, athletic staff, and community members - all were lost. After much deliberation from the city, Marshall President Donald Dedmon (David Strathairn) is tasked with reassembling a team. He finds a head coach in the quirky Jack Lengyel (Matthew McConaughey) and support from assistant coach, William "Red" Dawson (Matthew Fox). We experience the difficulty of grappling with such tragedy through many members of their community (Anthony Mackie, Ian McShane, and Kate Mara) and see a city rise from the ashes.
Following the film, we are honored to be joined by current Mayor of Huntington, Steve Williams. Mayor Williams shares personal stories of being in Huntington during that time, playing on the Marshall football team, and what Huntington is like today. Thomas says it best, "I wish he was the mayor of my town".
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